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Grow Your Privacy Fast with These 9 Thriving Hedges

Posted on 22/06/2025

garden and enjoy quick results with these thriving options."> Grow Your Privacy Fast with These 9 Thriving Hedges

Grow Your Privacy Fast with These 9 Thriving Hedges

Are you searching for a natural way to boost your garden's privacy without installing expensive fences or unattractive barriers? Let nature be your shield! Privacy hedges offer lush green boundaries, reduce noise, attract wildlife, and add beauty to any landscape. Whether you want to block nosy neighbors, shelter your garden from wind, or simply define your property lines, choosing the right fast-growing privacy hedge is the first step.

In this comprehensive guide, explore the top 9 thriving hedges for speedy privacy. Learn how these living screens can quickly transform your space, discover their unique benefits, and find expert tips on planting and maintenance for optimal results.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges?

Installing **fast-growing privacy hedges** is an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional fencing. These living barriers not only give you seclusion but also:

  • Enhance curb appeal and property value
  • Reduce noise pollution
  • Shelter your home from wind and dust
  • Provide year-round greenery or seasonal interest
  • Attract birds and beneficial insects
  • Support local biodiversity

Privacy hedges that grow quickly allow you to enjoy these advantages in just a few seasons, instead of waiting many years. Let's dive into the top options!

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9 Fastest-Growing Hedges for Instant Privacy

Here are the top 9 speedy hedges that create thick, green screens and maximise privacy fast:

1. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

Known as the champion of fast-growing privacy hedges, Green Giant Arborvitae can shoot up at rates of 3-5 feet per year! This evergreen is highly disease-resistant, withstands poor soils, and thrives in full sun to partial shade.

  • Height at maturity: 40-60 feet
  • Spread: 12-20 feet
  • Key Advantage: Forms dense, lush walls within just a few years
  • Best Use: Large properties seeking tall, stately privacy screens

2. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

If you need instant privacy, Leyland Cypress is one of the fastest-growing hedging plants available, growing 3-4 feet annually. This soft-foliaged, evergreen conifer offers quick, dense coverage and is beloved for its uniform shape.

  • Height: 40-60 feet (can be kept much lower with pruning)
  • Spread: 15 feet
  • Key Advantage: Rapid screening ability
  • Best Use: Large or rural yards, windbreaks, or tall privacy walls

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Privet hedges have long been favored for their resilience and adaptability. In just one to two years, these vigorous shrubs can form a dense green wall, perfect for shaping and trimming to desired height.

  • Height: 4-15 feet (depending on species and pruning)
  • Spread: 4-8 feet
  • Key Advantage: Grows well in various soils and light conditions
  • Best Use: Formal hedging, boundary definition, or urban gardens

4. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

For an evergreen hedge with glossy foliage, it's hard to beat Cherry Laurel. This rapid-grower increases your privacy swiftly with its broad, shiny leaves and ability to withstand pruning.

  • Height: 10-20 feet
  • Spread: 5-10 feet
  • Key Advantage: Tolerates shade and urban pollution
  • Best Use: Screening along driveways, patios, and shaded edges

5. Red-Tipped Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

This versatile hedging plant offers more than just privacy; its red-tipped foliage in spring adds a burst of color to your landscape. Photinia forms a fast, thick barrier and tolerates regular trimming.

  • Height: 10-15 feet
  • Spread: 8-10 feet
  • Key Advantage: Ornamental red foliage and white blossoms
  • Best Use: Decorative privacy screens and mixed hedges

6. Bamboo

When you need extremely rapid coverage, certain non-invasive bamboo varieties, such as clumping bamboo, can shoot up several feet per season. Bamboo provides a tropical look and gentle rustling sound, creating a living privacy wall in record time.

  • Height: 10-30 feet (varies by variety)
  • Spread: 4-8 feet
  • Key Advantage: Super-fast vertical growth and modern appearance
  • Best Use: Urban privacy screens, patios, and narrow spaces
  • Important: Always choose clumping bamboo to avoid aggressive spreading!

7. Boxwood (Buxus spp.)

For classic, evergreen formality, boxwood hedges are a top choice. While not the fastest on this list, they offer relatively quick growth when young, and provide dense, easily shaped screens.

  • Height: 2-15 feet (depending on species and pruning)
  • Spread: 2-8 feet
  • Key Advantage: Excellent for defined, sculpted hedges
  • Best Use: Formal gardens, borders, and parterres

8. Viburnum (Viburnum tinus and others)

With glossy foliage and clusters of flowers, viburnum can quickly form a lush hedge. Many types are fast-growing, evergreen, and attract pollinators, making them ideal for privacy with added ecological benefits.

  • Height: 6-12 feet
  • Spread: 6-10 feet
  • Key Advantage: Fragrant flowers and berries for wildlife
  • Best Use: Mixed hedges, wildlife gardens, and informal boundaries

9. Pyracantha (Pyracantha coccinea)

Also known as Firethorn, pyracantha is a thorny, evergreen shrub that rapidly forms impenetrable, spiny hedges. Birds love its fiery red or orange berries, while intruders are likely to keep away!

  • Height: 6-18 feet
  • Spread: 8-12 feet
  • Key Advantage: Security and privacy combined with ornamental berries
  • Best Use: Boundaries that require a natural deterrent as well as seclusion

How to Plant & Grow Fast Hedging for Privacy

Quick-growing privacy shrubs are only as good as their planting and care. Here's a comprehensive method to ensure your new hedge thrives:

1. Choose the Right Plant for Your Needs

  • Consider sunlight (full sun, partial shade)
  • Account for soil type (clay, sandy, loam)
  • Check hardiness zone in your region
  • Note mature height and width
  • Factor in desired pruning and maintenance level

2. Prepare the Site Properly

  • Remove weeds and grass from the planting strip
  • Amend poor soil with compost or well-rotted manure
  • Dig a trench twice as wide as the root balls
  • Space plants for optimal coverage (see labels for recommended spacing)

3. Plant for Success

  • Water new plants thoroughly before and after planting
  • Backfill trench and tamp down soil to remove air pockets
  • Apply mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds
  • Stake young trees and shrubs where needed

4. Nurture Your Growing Hedge

  • Water deeply in the first few years, especially during dry spells
  • Fertilize in early spring to promote fast, healthy growth
  • Prune regularly to encourage density and control height
  • Watch for pests and diseases, responding promptly if needed

Maintenance Tips for Dense and Healthy Hedges

Achieving and maintaining the perfect privacy hedge doesn't end with planting. Follow these secret tips used by landscape pros:

  1. Trim Young Hedges Early: Early pruning encourages bushes to branch out and fill in gaps more quickly.
  2. Feed Regularly: Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer to fuel robust, leafy growth.
  3. Water Consistently: Fast-growing shrubs need steady moisture, especially in their first two years.
  4. Mulch Generously: Mulching keeps roots cool and helps retain soil moisture.
  5. Control Weeds: Remove competing weeds to avoid stolen nutrients.
  6. Monitor for Issues: Check for signs of disease or insect damage and treat quickly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Fast Privacy Hedges

For optimal results, steer clear of these common hedging mishaps:

  • Overcrowding: Planting hedges too close together can cause crowding, poor air flow, and disease.
  • Underwatering: Lack of water slows growth and can lead to brown patches.
  • Neglecting Pruning: Without regular trimming, some hedges grow sparse and leggy at the base.
  • Poor Plant Choice: Selecting a hedge not suited to your soil or climate causes frustration and weak results.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which hedge grows the fastest for privacy?

The Green Giant Arborvitae and Leyland Cypress are among the fastest, growing several feet per year.

How long does it take for a privacy hedge to fill in?

With a properly chosen, maintained plant and good conditions, you can achieve substantial privacy in as little as 2-3 years.

Are there evergreen fast-growing privacy hedges?

Yes! Many quick privacy varieties, like arborvitae, cypress, and cherry laurel, hold their leaves all year for full-time screening.

Can hedges grow in shady areas?

Several privacy hedges thrive in shade, including cherry laurel, boxwood, and certain viburnum species.

What is the best hedge for security AND privacy?

Pyracantha (Firethorn) offers thorny, dense coverage that doubles as a natural barrier to both eyes and intruders.

Conclusion: Enhance Your Space with Thriving, Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Privacy doesn't have to be a distant dream or a costly endeavor. By selecting one (or a mix!) of these nine fast-growing hedge plants, you can enjoy lush living walls in a fraction of the time. Whether your style is stately, classic, or wild and vibrant, there's an **ideal privacy hedge** for you.

Act now: Find the perfect spot, prepare your soil, and invite nature's green guardians into your outdoor sanctuary. With the right care, you'll grow your privacy fast--and enjoy your beautiful, private haven for years to come!

For more tips on landscape design, hedge maintenance, and creating inviting outdoor spaces, explore our other articles!


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