Fast-Growing Hedges for Private Spaces: Discover 9 Options

Posted on 20/05/2025

Hedges are an effective and aesthetically pleasing way to create privacy in your outdoor space. From blocking out prying eyes to muffling street noises and adding year-round greenery, fast-growing hedges are a top choice for homeowners who desire seclusion without sacrificing style. In this comprehensive article, we explore nine fast-growing hedge options perfect for creating private sanctuaries in gardens, backyards, and even urban settings.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

Quick privacy screening is a priority for many when landscaping their homes. Fast-growing hedges offer several key benefits:

• Rapid results: Enjoy a lush green barrier in a fraction of the time compared to slow-growing varieties.
• Enhanced privacy: Shield your space from neighbors and passersby for relaxation and security.
• Noise reduction: Dense hedges can help muffle street and urban noises.
• Wildlife attraction: Many hedge plants provide shelter and food for birds and pollinators.
• Eco-friendly barrier: Natural alternatives to fences, with improved aesthetics.

Understanding the best species for your climate, soil, and needs is crucial. Read on to discover the top nine fast-growing hedges for privacy, screening, and beauty.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)

The Ever-Popular Fast-Growing Hedge Plant

Leyland Cypress is perhaps the most famous fast-growing privacy hedge. Renowned for its rapid yearly growth of up to 3 feet, it quickly transforms bare plots into lush green walls. This evergreen conifer features dense, feathery foliage, making it an excellent choice for year-round privacy.

• Growth rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Height: Up to 50 feet (can be kept shorter with regular pruning)
• Ideal for: Large gardens, boundaries, noise barriers
• Sun: Full sun to partial shade
• Maintenance: Prune at least once annually for best results

Tip: Regular trimming ensures dense, attractive growth and prevents legginess.

2. Privet (Ligustrum species)

Classic Hedge Choice with Fast Coverage

Privet hedges are a time-tested solution for creating private spaces. Popular species include Ligustrum ovalifolium (Oval-leaf Privet) and Ligustrum vulgare (Common Privet). These resilient, fast-growing hedges form thick, attractive barriers--perfect for gardens and driveways.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: 4-15 feet, depending on variety
• Ideal for: Formal hedges, privacy screens, urban gardens
• Sun: Full sun to partial shade
• Maintenance: Regular pruning encourages bushiness and promotes dense growth

Privet hedges tolerate pollution and varied soils--making them ideal for city gardens.

3. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')

Beautiful Foliage and Fast Growth

Photinia is celebrated for its vibrant red shoots in spring, which mature to glossy green. The 'Red Robin' variety is especially popular as a quick-growing privacy hedge, adding a burst of color and interest to property lines.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: Up to 13 feet
• Ideal for: Decorative hedges, colorful screens, mixed borders
• Sun: Full sun for best coloration, but tolerates partial shade
• Maintenance: Prune in early spring to shape and encourage new red growth

Photinia hedges thrive in well-drained soils and resist drought once established.

4. Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus - Cherry Laurel)

Robust Evergreen Hedge

Cherry Laurel is a sanctuary-builder, providing thick, glossy leaves on vigorous stems. This fast-growing hedge plant is renowned for its ability to create tall, impenetrable privacy screens, even in challenging conditions.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: Up to 20 feet (prune to desired height)
• Ideal for: Windbreaks, shade, privacy screens
• Sun: Tolerates sun or deep shade
• Maintenance: Prune in spring or summer for a neat hedge

Laurel hedges are deer-resistant, drought-tolerant, and thrive in a variety of soils.

5. Bamboo (Phyllostachys and Bambusa species)

Modern, Fast-Growing Privacy Wall

Bamboo is famous for its explosive growth rate, making it ideal for quick screening. It delivers a modern, Asian-inspired aesthetic when used as a living hedge. Choose clumping bamboo varieties for manageable growth, as running types can be invasive.

• Growth rate: Up to 3 feet per year
• Height: 10-30 feet, depending on species
• Ideal for: Privacy walls, windbreaks, container screens
• Sun: Full sun or partial shade
• Maintenance: Thin old canes annually to maintain density

Tip: Install a root barrier to prevent unwanted spreading of bamboo hedges.

6. Thuja (Thuja occidentalis and T. plicata)

Classic Conifer for Year-Round Seclusion

Often known as Arborvitae, Thuja species are cherished for dense, evergreen growth. Varieties like 'Green Giant' and 'Emerald' rapidly form lush, uniform hedges, ideal for large and small spaces alike.

• Growth rate: 1-3 feet per year (especially 'Green Giant')
• Height: 10-40 feet (variety dependent; easily pruned)
• Ideal for: Privacy screens, windbreaks, foundation planting
• Sun: Full sun for best results
• Maintenance: Minimal; prune for shape if desired

Thuja hedges are low-maintenance, deer-repellent, and thrive across many climates.

7. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Elegant, Deciduous Hedge for Privacy

Hornbeam offers classic European styling with serrated, densely-packed leaves that hold on through most of winter for near-year-round privacy. It's cherished for its formal appearance and versatility.

• Growth rate: 1-1.5 feet per year
• Height: Up to 20 feet (prunable)
• Ideal for: Formal clipped hedges, large boundaries, wildlife habitat
• Sun: Prefers full sun but tolerates partial shade
• Maintenance: Clip in summer for tidy form

Hornbeam hedges are robust, disease-resistant, and adapt to wet soils better than most plants.

8. Red-Tipped Pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium)

Vigorous, Colorful Screening

Pittosporum produces glossy, uniquely-scented foliage and can be rapidly grown into a dense privacy hedge. New shoots emerge with a striking reddish tinge, adding ornamental value to utility.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: Up to 10 feet (often kept shorter)
• Ideal for: Windbreaks, decorative hedges, seaside gardens
• Sun: Full sun to light shade
• Maintenance: Prune after flowering to maintain shape

Pittosporum hedges are salt-tolerant, making them ideal for coastal privacy screens.

9. Escallonia (Escallonia species)

Flowering, Fast-Growing Hedge for Colorful Privacy

Escallonia is prized for its nectar-rich blooms and shiny evergreen foliage. This hedge grows swiftly and densely, making it perfect for privacy while also feeding pollinators.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: Up to 8 feet
• Ideal for: Flowering hedges, coastal gardens, landscape borders
• Sun: Full sun is best, tolerates salt and wind
• Maintenance: Light pruning after flowering encourages fullness

Include Escallonia for both visual interest and practical privacy in your landscaping plans.

How to Choose the Right Fast-Growing Hedge for Your Private Space

When selecting the best fast-growing hedges for privacy, consider the following factors:

• Climate compatibility: Ensure your chosen species thrives in your area's temperature and rainfall patterns.
• Soil type: Some hedges tolerate a broad range of soils, while others need well-draining, fertile earth.
• Available space: Consider mature height and spread--choose compact species for smaller gardens.
• Desired aesthetics: Select for foliage color, texture, and whether or not you prefer flowering or evergreen types.
• Maintenance commitment: Fast-growing hedges often require regular pruning to maintain their shape and density.

Consult with local garden centers for plant availability and regional advice for optimal results.

Tips for Establishing Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

• Space wisely: Plant at recommended distances for each species to ensure healthy growth and root development.
• Water generously: Young hedges need regular watering, especially in the first two years.
• Mulch and fertilize: Annual mulching improves soil structure and moisture retention; feed with balanced fertilizer in spring.
• Prune early and often: Begin pruning soon after planting to encourage dense, bushy growth.
• Monitor for pests and diseases: Early intervention keeps your hedge healthy and vigorous.

Proper establishment guarantees rapid, robust development of your privacy screen hedge.

Conclusion: Transform Your Space with Fast-Growing Hedges

Whether you dream of a lush, green retreat or wish to shield your yard from view, fast-growing hedges for privacy provide a sustainable and attractive solution. With options ranging from evergreens like Leyland Cypress and Thuja to flowering shrubs like Escallonia and colorful varieties such as Photinia, you have plenty of choices for every need and style. Through careful selection, proper planting, and routine care, your hedge will quickly become a thriving, natural barrier--offering beauty, seclusion, and value to your property.

Choose your favorite from these nine wonderful species, and soon you'll enjoy a private, peaceful outdoor haven--naturally!