9 Exceptionally Fast Hedges to Shield Your Privacy

Posted on 16/08/2025

9 Exceptionally Fast Hedges to Shield Your Privacy

Privacy in your outdoor space is essential--whether you're enjoying quiet mornings, family gatherings, or relaxing evenings. Instead of unsightly fences, many homeowners are turning to privacy hedges for natural aesthetic appeal and rapid growth. These living barriers not only provide seclusion but also enhance your landscape's beauty. If you want immediate results, choosing the fastest growing hedges is the key!

Let's explore 9 exceptionally fast hedges to shield your privacy, offering you effective and beautiful solutions for your yard or garden.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

Opting for fast-growing privacy hedges brings multiple benefits, including:

• Quick Results: Speedy coverage saves you years of waiting for seclusion.
• Natural Beauty: Living walls enhance your landscape, unlike bare fences.
• Noise & Wind Reduction: Thick hedges can buffer sounds and act as windbreaks.
• Wildlife Habitat: Many fast-growing hedge plants support pollinators and birds.
• Increased Property Value: Attractive gardens often add to your home's worth.

Now, let's delve into the top selections for those seeking privacy in record time!

1. Thuja Green Giant -- The Ultimate Fast-Growing Evergreen

Overview

The Thuja Green Giant reigns supreme among fast hedging plants for privacy. This hybrid western arborvitae boasts rapid growth--up to 3-5 feet per year under optimal conditions! Its dense, conical foliage forms a lush green screen that stays vibrant year-round.

Advantages

• Impressive Height: Reaches 30-50 feet when mature.
• Low Maintenance: Tolerates various soils and resists most pests and diseases.
• Deer Resistant: Not a favorite of browsing deer.
• Evergreen Shield: Provides privacy all year.

Planting Tips

Space Thuja Green Giants about 5-8 feet apart for a thick wall. Best in full sun to partial shade.

2. Leyland Cypress -- Speedy, Tall, and Majestic

Overview

Leyland Cypress is one of the fastest-growing and most popular choices for instant privacy. Growing 3-4 feet or more per year, it quickly forms a dense barrier that can reach up to 60 feet tall!

Key Features

• Deep Green Color: Elegant, feathery foliage adds visual appeal.
• Rapid Growth: Ideal for large properties needing quick seclusion.
• Windbreak: Excellent for protecting against strong winds.

Considerations

Leyland Cypress requires ample space to avoid overcrowding and can be susceptible to certain diseases in humid climates. Be sure to plant in well-draining soil and monitor for signs of blight.

3. Privet Hedge -- Versatile and Tolerant

Overview

The Privet hedge (Ligustrum spp.) is a fast-growing, deciduous or semi-evergreen option valued for its adaptability. Growing up to 2-3 feet annually, privets create a thick, formal screen that responds well to trimming and shaping.

Benefits

• Dense Foliage: Blocks views efficiently when regularly pruned.
• Flexible Height: Maintains anywhere from 4 to 15 feet tall.
• Urban Tolerance: Handles pollution and varying soil types.

Pro Tip

Trim your privet hedge a couple times each season to maintain a neat appearance and maximum density--a key factor for enhancing privacy.

4. Bamboo -- Modern, Elegant, and Exceptionally Fast

Overview

If you want instant privacy, few plants grow as rapidly as bamboo. Some varieties, like Phyllostachys, can shoot up 3-5 feet in a single growing season! Bamboo creates a contemporary screen with a graceful, swaying effect.

Advantages

• Perfect for Tight Spaces: Great for narrow borders and urban gardens.
• Unique Aesthetic: Offers a modern and exotic vibe.
• Evergreen Privacy: Stays green year-round.

Important Note

Use clumping bamboo types to prevent invasive spreading. Install root barriers with running species to contain their enthusiastic growth.

5. Cherry Laurel -- Fast-Growing with Lush, Glossy Leaves

Overview

Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) is prized as one of the best hedges for privacy in both sunny and shady spots. It grows 2-3 feet per year, forming a dense hedge with shiny dark green leaves and fragrant white flowers in spring.

Benefits

• Evergreen Foliage: Ensures year-round screening.
• Low Maintenance: Responds well to trimming--shape it to your desired height.
• Thrives in Shade: Perfect for less sunny parts of your yard.

Planting Pointers

Space cherry laurel plants about 3-4 feet apart for a quick, thick hedge. Water well during the first year for strong establishment.

6. Escallonia -- Flowering Hedge for Year-Round Beauty

Overview

Escallonia is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub that offers privacy and color. Its glossy leaves and clusters of pink, white, or red flowers attract bees and butterflies, making it a great choice for wildlife gardens.

Advantages

• Rapid Growth: Can gain up to 2-3 feet annually.
• Salt Tolerant: Excellent for coastal regions.
• Delightful Blooms: Adds decorative interest from late spring into autumn.

Care Tips

Plant escallonia in full sun for maximized flowering and dense growth. Trim lightly after blooming for the best shape.

7. Photinia 'Red Robin' -- Colorful, Dense, and Vigorous

Overview

Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin' is celebrated for its dazzling red new growth and quick coverage. Growing about 2 feet per year, it makes an attractive, evergreen privacy hedge with a bold splash of color.

Benefits

• Vivid Foliage: Young leaves emerge bright red, maturing to deep green.
• Evergreen Screen: Keeps your privacy intact through all seasons.
• Easy to Shape: Responds well to regular clipping.

Tip

Plant Photinia 'Red Robin' in sunny locations for the best color display and rapid growth. Prune lightly a couple times per year to maintain thick coverage.

8. Pyracantha (Firethorn) -- Security Plus Stunning Berries

Overview

The Pyracantha, or firethorn, is not only fast-growing--up to 2 feet annually--but also doubles as a security hedge. Its sharp thorns deter intruders, while clusters of orange-red berries brighten up fall and winter months.

Advantages

• Security and Privacy: Dense, thorny branches create an impenetrable boundary.
• Wildlife Friendly: Provides food for birds and shelter for pollinators.
• Year-Round Interest: Evergreen leaves and colorful fruit.

Considerations

Wear gloves when pruning firethorn hedges. Plant in full sun for the best growth and berry production.

9. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) -- Tidy, Fast, and Deciduous

Overview

Hornbeam is a top-notch choice for those looking for a fast-growing deciduous hedge that stays lush into winter. Gaining up to 1-2 feet per year, its crisply serrated leaves turn golden in autumn and many persist through winter for year-round shielding.

Benefits

• Strong Growth Habit: Excellent for formal hedges or natural screens.
• Wind and Pollution Tolerant: Great for exposed or urban sites.
• Retained Privacy: Dense branches and retained leaves offer screening in the off season.

Tips for Success

Plant hornbeam hedges about 18 inches apart and trim yearly in late summer to encourage thick growth and keep the shape tidy.

How to Choose and Establish the Fastest Growing Hedges for Privacy

Consider Your Climate & Site

Each of the best hedges for privacy thrives in different conditions. Assess your site's sunlight, soil type, and typical rainfall before making your selection. For example, cherry laurel works well in shade, while leyland cypress and photinia love sun.

Planting Tips for Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

• Soil Preparation: Loosen and enrich soil with compost for healthy root development.
• Spacing: Don't plant too tightly; give each shrub room to mature for optimal density and health.
• Watering: Keep new hedges well-watered, especially in the first two seasons.
• Fertilization: Light feeding in early spring can boost growth.
• Pruning: Trim regularly to maintain height, promote side branching, and encourage lush density.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fast Privacy Hedges

• How fast do privacy hedges grow?
  The fastest options like Thuja Green Giant, Leyland Cypress, and bamboo can grow 3-5 feet per year under ideal conditions.
• Which hedge offers year-round privacy?
  Evergreen hedges like thuja, cherry laurel, leyland cypress, and photinia maintain foliage throughout the year for continuous screening.
• Are there low-maintenance fast hedges?
  Yes! Many evergreens, such as thuja green giant and cherry laurel, require little more than annual trimming once established.
• Can I grow privacy hedges in pots?
  Certain types like bamboo, privet, and photinia can adapt to large containers, making them suitable for patios or balconies.
• How do I create a thick hedge quickly?
  Use young, healthy shrubs, prepare soil well, plant at the optimal spacing, water regularly, and prune lightly the first couple of years to encourage bushiness.

Conclusion: Select the Right Fast-Growing Hedge for Your Privacy

Finding the fastest-growing hedge for privacy involves matching your climate, care level, and design preferences. Whether you want an evergreen curtain like Thuja Green Giant, a security barrier like Pyracantha, or a vibrant, flowering hedge like Escallonia, you have numerous options for rapid results.

With the right choice, your garden sanctuary will be lush, private, and beautiful--sooner than you ever expected!

Invest in these fast-growing privacy hedges, and transform your outdoor space into a secluded paradise this season.

• Thuja Green Giant -- Ultimate evergreen speed and density
• Leyland Cypress -- Soars rapidly skyward
• Privet -- Versatile and classic
• Bamboo -- Instant, modern privacy
• Cherry Laurel -- Glossy leaves, quick cover
• Escallonia -- Floral, evergreen beauty
• Photinia 'Red Robin' -- Splash of red, rapid growth
• Pyracantha -- Security and wildlife value
• Hornbeam -- Deciduous with winter privacy

Choose wisely and enjoy the comfort and privacy only a living hedge can provide!