9 Speedy-Growth Hedges That Provide Instant Privacy

Posted on 19/05/2025

9 Speedy-Growth Hedges That Provide Instant Privacy

Privacy is a luxury in today's fast-paced world. Whether you seek a secluded garden retreat or wish to transform a bare yard into a lush, green sanctuary, the right fast-growing hedge can deliver instant privacy, beauty, and value to your property. In this comprehensive guide, you'll discover nine of the best rapidly growing hedges--carefully selected for their toughness, aesthetics, and ability to serve as outstanding privacy screen plants.

Why Fast Growing Privacy Hedges Matter

Few landscaping investments are as transformative as installing a living, green fence. Planting quick-growing privacy hedges offers a range of benefits:

• Immediate privacy: Fast-growing hedge plants form dense barriers against prying eyes and street noise.
• Year-round greenery: Many rapid-growth privacy hedges stay green throughout the year, ensuring beauty in every season.
• Wildlife habitat: Hedging plants provide shelter and food for birds, pollinators, and desirable garden wildlife.
• Wind and noise reduction: Tall, thick hedges act as natural windbreaks and sound buffers.
• Property value: Professional landscaping, especially with privacy hedges, can boost curb appeal and property values.
• Customization: With varied shapes, colors, and heights, you can pick rapid growing privacy hedges that suit your taste and space.

By choosing hedge shrubs that provide fast results, you don't have to wait years for a secure, tranquil environment. Let's explore the top contenders for the best fast growing hedge plants that provide instant privacy!

Top 9 Quick-Growing Hedges for Instant Privacy

1. Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year
• Height: 40-60 feet (can be trimmed to desired height)
• Best for: Large gardens, tall boundary hedging

Leyland Cypress is legendary among speedy-growth hedges. Its feathery, evergreen needles create a stately screen in record time. Known for tolerance to pruning and tough conditions, these hedge plants can quickly form a solid green wall, making them ideal for wide, open properties. For faster privacy, plant cypress 3-4 feet apart.

2. Thuja 'Green Giant'

• Growth Rate: 3-5 feet annually
• Height: 30-40 feet (easily maintained at 12-20 feet)
• Best for: Strong, disease-resistant evergreen privacy hedges

The Thuja 'Green Giant' arborvitae is one of the fastest-growing hedge trees around. This hybrid variety is prized for being virtually maintenance-free and resistant to deer, insects, and disease. Its dense, lush green foliage offers instant screening, making it a top pick for instant privacy hedges in suburban and rural areas.

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Height: 8-15 feet
• Best for: Classic, formal hedges with quick results

Privet hedges have been beloved for centuries and for good reason--they grow fast, are easy to shape, and tolerate a wide range of soils. Privet is perfect if you desire a neat, formal hedge that offers privacy. Regular pruning encourages dense, leafy screens ideal for garden borders and driveways.

4. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. & Fargesia spp.)

• Growth Rate: Up to 5 feet per year
• Height: 10-30 feet (select clumping varieties for better control)
• Best for: Modern, exotic privacy screens with spectacular speed

When it comes to instant privacy hedges, few plants rival the thrill of bamboo. Some species, especially clump-forming bamboos like Fargesia, shoot up incredibly quickly and form bold, wind-swaying screens. Always choose non-invasive, clumping types to avoid unwanted spread and to maintain a manageable hedge boundary.

5. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth Rate: 2 feet per year
• Height: 15-20 feet
• Best for: Tall, glossy hedges with broad leaves

Cherry laurel hedges are a popular choice for their robust stature and luxurious, shiny foliage. Their broad, deep-green leaves form a thick, impenetrable screen that's as beautiful as it is functional. Cherry laurel's tolerance to deep shade, drought, and pollution makes it one of the best speedy-growing hedge plants for urban gardens.

6. Photinia 'Red Robin'

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Height: 10-15 feet
• Best for: Striking, ornamental privacy hedges

If you want a fast-growing privacy hedge plant with year-round color, Photinia 'Red Robin' is a top contender. Its trademark red spring growth matures to a glossy deep green for the rest of the season. Regular pruning encourages dense, bushy growth and keeps this hedge looking vibrant.

7. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

• Growth Rate: 1.5-2 feet annually
• Height: 10-20 feet
• Best for: Elegant evergreen screens

Portuguese laurel forms a dense, formal screen with rich green, almond-shaped leaves and purple-red stems. It is appreciated for its neat, upright growth and ability to thrive even in exposed, coastal, or urban sites. An excellent quick-growing hedge shrub for sophisticated, low-maintenance privacy.

8. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

• Growth Rate: 1.5-2 feet per year
• Height: 15-30 feet
• Best for: Semi-evergreen privacy hedges in temperate climates

Hornbeam is a deciduous but dense hedge that clings to its tan autumn leaves until spring. This means your privacy hedge looks thick and full, even through the winter. Easily pruned into a formal shape, hornbeam stands up well to wind and poor soils, making it an exceptional quick growing privacy boundary across Europe and North America.

9. Viburnum tinus

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: 6-12 feet
• Best for: Flowering, evergreen screens for instant results

For compact gardens that still need quick privacy, Viburnum tinus is a wonderful pick. This dense shrub flowers with delicate white and pink clusters in winter and early spring, attracting pollinators and adding beauty to your screen. It clips easily into formal or informal hedges and remains evergreen year-round.

How to Choose the Best Fast-Growing Hedge for Your Yard

With so many speedy-growing privacy hedge options, how do you select the right one for your landscape? Consider these key factors:

• Climate and Hardiness: Select plants that thrive in your region's temperature extremes and annual rainfall.
• Sunlight: Most fast-growing hedges prefer full to partial sun; some, like laurel, tolerate deep shade.
• Soil Type: Well-drained, fertile soils support quicker and healthier hedge growth.
• Desired Height and Width: Choose hedge plant varieties that naturally attain the screen height and thickness you need without constant pruning.
• Formality: Formal hedges require more maintenance but look neat; informal hedges need less trimming and often flower for wildlife value.
• Evergreen vs. Deciduous: Evergreens provide year-round privacy, while deciduous species like hornbeam can be attractive yet slightly less dense in winter.

Tips for Establishing Rapid-Growth Privacy Hedges

Follow these handy hints to get the most out of your fast-growing hedge plants and create a lush privacy barrier within the shortest time:

• Plant Properly: Space plants according to their mature width for the fastest possible fill-in--too close encourages disease; too far delays coverage.
• Feed and Water: Provide regular watering (especially in the first year) and use a balanced hedge fertilizer in spring for vigorous growth.
• Mulch: A thick organic mulch suppresses weeds, retains moisture, and improves the soil for strong, quick-growing hedges.
• Prune Smartly: Light, frequent trimming encourages branching and density--don't let your hedge get spindly and thin.
• Watch for Pests: Keep your hedge healthy with regular monitoring for insects, disease, or deer grazing.

Benefits of Fast-Growing Living Hedges vs. Fences

Rapid-growth hedges for privacy offer distinct advantages over traditional fencing or walls:

• Eco-friendly: Living plants sequester carbon, support biodiversity, and absorb air pollutants.
• Cost-effective: While the initial investment may be similar or less than solid construction, plants become more valuable over time with less maintenance.
• Natural Beauty: Flowering, fruiting, and evergreen hedges provide multi-season interest--unlike bare or weathered fencing.
• Versatility: Hedges can be shaped to fit your personal style, whether neat and formal or relaxed and rustic.

Common Mistakes to Avoid With Instant Privacy Hedges

• Overcrowding: Planting too close reduces airflow and promotes disease.
• Under-watering: Neglecting young hedges, especially in dry spells, can slow establishment significantly.
• Ineffective Pruning: Irregular or severe trimming can result in gaps and an unattractive hedge line.
• Wrong Species Selection: Choosing a plant not adapted to your climate or soil can lead to slow growth and disappointment.

Conclusion: Boost Privacy and Beauty With Rapid-Growth Hedges

The secret to achieving immediate, natural privacy lies in selecting fast growing privacy hedges suited to your needs and location. From the towering elegance of Leyland cypress and Thuja Green Giant, to the vibrant leaves of Photinia and the lush, broadleaf protection of laurel, these nine hedge species provide quick results and long-term satisfaction.

Invest in one of these speedy-growth hedge plants and you'll more quickly enjoy the peace, beauty, and privacy your home deserves. Take time to prepare the soil, plant with care, and nurture your new living fence, and you'll reap the rewards of an instant privacy screen for years to come.

Have you chosen your perfect privacy hedge?

Let us know your experiences in the comments--your insight can help others create greener, more tranquil outdoor spaces!