Discover how 9 fast-growing hedges can add privacy to your home

Posted on 19/08/2025

Discover How 9 Fast-Growing Hedges Can Add Privacy to Your Home

Looking for a natural solution to achieve privacy, security, and a touch of greenery around your home? Fast-growing privacy hedges are the answer! These living walls are not only attractive but also practical, making them an excellent choice for homeowners seeking both beauty and seclusion. In this comprehensive guide, we'll reveal the best fast-growing hedges, their unique features, and how you can use them to create a private oasis in your own yard.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

Picture this: You move into a beautiful new home but soon realize your backyard is in full view of the neighbors. Instead of installing expensive fences or walls, consider planting a privacy hedge that matures quickly. Here are some compelling reasons to opt for fast-growing privacy plants:

• Quick Results: Enjoy privacy in as little as a year or two.
• Natural Beauty: Hedges offer lush greenery, vibrant blooms, and seasonal interest.
• Sound Barrier: Dense hedges help dampen noise from streets or neighbors.
• Wildlife Shelter: They create habitats for birds and beneficial insects.
• Property Value: Attractive landscaping can boost your home's appeal and market value.
• Low Maintenance: Many fast-growing hedges are hardy and require minimal pruning.

Ready to discover the nine best fast-growing hedges for privacy? Let's dive in!

The Top 9 Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

1. Privet (Ligustrum)

Privet is a classic favorite for those seeking a dense and fast-growing privacy hedge. Its versatility and resilience make it popular in suburban and urban landscapes alike.

• Growth Rate: Up to 2-3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Formal hedges, topiaries, and low-maintenance privacy screens

Privet hedges can be trimmed into neat shapes or left to grow naturally. Their glossy, dark-green leaves are semi-evergreen, which means they remain green in mild climates. For quick and effective privacy, privet hedge varieties such as 'California Privet' are unmatched.

2. Arborvitae (Thuja)

If you crave a tall, lush green wall, arborvitae hedges are a top contender. Thuja 'Green Giant' is especially renowned for its rapid growth and stately appearance.

• Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Evergreen privacy fence, windbreaks, and narrow spaces

Arborvitae's dense foliage creates an excellent barrier against prying eyes and wind. It's great for forming a living, evergreen fence that requires minimal maintenance once established.

3. Leyland Cypress

Leyland cypress is the go-to choice when immediate privacy is your goal. Its feathery, blue-green foliage grows rapidly, making leyland cypress an ideal living privacy hedge.

• Growth Rate: 3-4 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun
• Best For: Large properties, tall screens, and informal hedges

Leyland cypress hedges can reach 60 feet, but you can easily keep them pruned to your desired height. They're also resistant to pests and diseases, helping create a long-lasting privacy solution.

4. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

The cherry laurel is a broadleaf evergreen with glossy foliage and fragrant springtime flowers. Its rapid growth and dense branching make it a fantastic privacy shrub for any garden.

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to full shade
• Best For: Shady areas, sound barriers, and formal or informal screens

This low-maintenance privacy hedge responds well to pruning and is tolerant of various soil types. It's a top choice for homeowners wanting an attractive evergreen hedge that delivers reliable seclusion.

5. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri - 'Red Tip')

Photinia hedges are known for their spectacular red new growth, which adds color and flair to your privacy screen. 'Red Tip' photinia is especially prized for its quick growth and resilience.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Colorful boundaries, modern landscapes, and low-maintenance privacy

*When pruned regularly, photinia forms a thick, impenetrable hedge that lasts all year long. If you want privacy with a splash of color, photinia hedges are sure to impress!

6. Bamboo

Few plants grow as rapidly as bamboo, making it one of the fastest ways to establish a dense living privacy fence. Bamboo hedges give your landscape a contemporary, exotic feel.

• Growth Rate: Up to 5 feet per year or more (choose non-invasive clumping bamboo)
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Tall screens, eco-friendly fencing, and Asian-inspired gardens

Important: Always select clumping bamboo species for privacy hedges, as running types can become invasive. Bamboo's slender canes and lush leaves create a stylish and highly effective privacy wall that absorbs noise and wind.

7. Boxwood (Buxus)

For centuries, boxwood has been a favorite for neat, low-maintenance hedging. While some varieties are slow growers, the Japanese boxwood and wintergreen boxwood can grow faster and are ideal for privacy.

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Formal borders, sculpted shapes, and compact privacy screens

Boxwood is incredibly versatile and easy to shape. Its small leaves create a dense, uniform look that provides privacy even at heights as low as 3-4 feet.

8. Escallonia

If you want a vibrant, flowering hedge that grows quickly and attracts pollinators, escallonia is the perfect candidate.

• Growth Rate: Up to 18 inches per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun
• Best For: Flowering privacy screens, coastal gardens, and mixed hedges

Escallonia boasts glossy evergreen leaves and masses of pink, white, or red tubular flowers in summer. Its salt tolerance also makes it a brilliant:fast-growing privacy hedge for coastal areas.

9. Pittosporum (Pittosporum tenuifolium)

Pittosporum, or "Kohuhu," creates a stylish and modern hedge with its light, airy foliage. Thanks to its speedy growth and unique appearance, it's increasingly popular in contemporary gardens.

• Growth Rate: 1-3 feet per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Best For: Tall screens, mixed borders, and modern privacy fences

Pittosporum tolerates most soils and can withstand moderate drought. Its small, wavy leaves and upright habit provide excellent screening for patios, decks, or yard boundaries.

How to Choose the Right Fast-Growing Hedge for Your Property

Selecting the ideal living privacy hedge requires a few key considerations:

• Climate: Choose species suitable for your USDA Zone and local weather conditions.
• Sunlight: Observe how much sun your chosen area receives each day.
• Soil: Ensure your hedge plants are well-matched to your soil type and drainage.
• Height & Width: Determine the ultimate size you want your privacy screen to reach.
• Maintenance: Decide how much pruning and shaping you're prepared to do.
• Wildlife & Environment: Prefer native or non-invasive species where possible.

*Tip: To create a more interesting privacy boundary, consider mixing two or three hedge types together for seasonal color and year-round coverage.*

Planting and Caring for Your Fast-Growing Privacy Hedge

1. Prepare the Ground

Clear the area of weeds, grass, and debris. Dig a trench twice as wide as the root balls of your plants and enrich the soil with compost or organic matter.

2. Spacing

Space your hedge plants according to their mature width for maximum density. As a general guide:

• Small shrubs: 12-18 inches apart
• Medium shrubs: 2-3 feet apart
• Tall trees: 3-6 feet apart

3. Watering

Keep the soil moist but not soggy during the first growing season. Once established, many fast-growing hedges are drought tolerant.

4. Feeding

Apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer each spring to support strong, healthy growth and lush foliage.

5. Pruning

Most privacy hedges benefit from an annual trim to encourage bushy growth and maintain shape. Early spring or late summer is typically the best time for pruning.

Benefits of Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

• Natural Beauty: Hedges soften hard edges, add greenery, and create a tranquil retreat.
• Environmental Impact: Living screens filter dust, absorb carbon, and reduce stormwater runoff.
• Wildlife Habitat: Birds and pollinators love dense, flowering shrubbery.
• Long-Term Savings: Hedges often outlast and cost less than fences over time.
• Seasonal Interest: Many hedges offer flowers, berries, and changing foliage year-round.

Conclusion: Enhance Your Home's Privacy and Appeal with Fast-Growing Hedges

Fast-growing hedges are a smart, sustainable, and visually stunning way to boost privacy around your home. With nine excellent varieties to choose from--privet, arborvitae, leyland cypress, cherry laurel, photinia, bamboo, boxwood, escallonia, and pittosporum--there's an option for every climate and taste.

Ready to transform your backyard into a secluded paradise? Choose your preferred hedge, plant them with care, and enjoy the beauty, sound protection, and privacy these natural screens provide for years to come.

For the ultimate living privacy solution, fast-growing hedges offer aesthetic appeal, environmental benefits, and a healthy, happy home environment--naturally!

FAQs About Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

• Q: How quickly will my hedge provide privacy?
  A: Most fast-growing hedges offer significant screening within 1-3 years, depending on species and growing conditions.
• Q: Which fastest-growing hedge is also evergreen?
  A: Arborvitae, leyland cypress, cherry laurel, and bamboo are among the fastest-growing evergreen hedges for year-round coverage.
• Q: Can I use these hedges for small spaces?
  A: Absolutely! Privet, boxwood, and pittosporum can be pruned compactly for smaller yards or patios.
• Q: Are privacy hedges more eco-friendly than fences?
  A: Yes--living hedges support local wildlife, improve air quality, and offer greater sustainability over time.

Start planning your fast-growing privacy hedge today and reclaim your backyard sanctuary! If you have more questions, consult your local nursery for regional planting advice.