9 Hedges That Grow Quickly to Safeguard Your Privacy

Posted on 20/05/2025

9 Hedges That Grow Quickly to Safeguard Your Privacy

Are you seeking a natural solution to create privacy in your garden swiftly? Installing fencing can be costly and less visually appealing, but fast-growing privacy hedges offer both beauty and a green shield from the outside world. In this comprehensive guide, discover 9 hedges that grow quickly to safeguard your privacy, transforming your outdoor spaces into secluded sanctuaries. Let's explore which fast-growing hedges for privacy are best for your needs, along with essential care tips and design inspiration.

Why Choose Quick-Growing Privacy Hedges?

Privacy hedging is more than just a barrier - it's an aesthetic enhancement that shields your home from noise, wind, pollution, and intrusive views. A fast-growing hedge provides these benefits in less time, letting you relish a lush, private oasis much sooner.

• Natural beauty: Green hedges offer color, texture, and seasonal interest all year long.
• Wildlife habitat: Many hedges attract birds, bees, and butterflies, supporting your local ecosystem.
• Sound buffer: Dense hedges absorb noise, creating a quieter outdoor environment.
• Windbreak: Fast-growing hedges can shield your garden from harsh winds.
• Increased property value: Attractive, mature hedges boost curb appeal and overall property value.

How to Select the Best Fast-Growing Hedge for Privacy

When choosing a quick-growing privacy hedge, consider:

• Your climate: Opt for plants suited to your region's temperatures, rainfall, and soil type.
• Sun exposure: Check if your hedge will be in full sun, partial shade, or full shade.
• Space: Consider the mature height and spread to ensure suitable space for growth.
• Maintenance: Determine how much trimming and shaping you're willing to do.
• Evergreen or deciduous: Evergreens offer year-round privacy, while deciduous hedges might lose leaves in winter.

9 Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges for Your Garden

Here are nine top hedges that grow quickly and provide privacy, each with their own unique benefits and growing requirements.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)

Leyland cypress is a classic choice for those who need rapid privacy. These evergreens can achieve growth of up to 3-4 feet per year in optimal conditions. Known for their dense foliage and towering height (up to 60 feet when mature), Leyland cypress hedges make an excellent living fence for large properties.

• Best for: Large properties, tall screening
• Growth rate: Rapid; reaches privacy height in 2-3 years
• Maintenance: Annual trimming keeps them tidy and manageable
• Bonus: Tolerates various soil types and pollution

2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant')

Green Giant arborvitae is celebrated for both its fast, vigorous growth (up to 3 feet per year) and its handsome, dark green foliage. Unlike Leyland cypress, Green Giant arborvitae offers better resistance to pests and diseases, making it a popular low-maintenance hedge.

• Best for: Evergreen privacy, suburban or rural gardens
• Growth rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Maintenance: Easily shaped by pruning, responds well to regular trimming
• Bonus: Deer-resistant and drought-tolerant once established

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Privet hedges have been a favorite for centuries thanks to their dense growth and adaptability. With a growth rate of 2-3 feet per year, privet quickly forms a thick, green screen. Its fine leaves respond beautifully to pruning, letting you shape your hedge as needed.

• Best for: Formal or informal hedges, boundaries, garden rooms
• Growth rate: Rapid
• Maintenance: Regular trimming in the growing season
• Bonus: Tolerant of urban pollution; adaptable to most soils

4. Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus, commonly called Cherry Laurel)

Cherry laurel delivers both speed and lushness, boasting growth of up to 2 feet per year. Broad, glossy leaves provide dense coverage, ideal for year-round privacy with a bold, leafy backdrop.

• Best for: Evergreen screens, windbreaks, shade
• Growth rate: Fast; full coverage within 2-4 years
• Maintenance: Occasional pruning maintains its shape and thickness
• Bonus: Thrives in shade and sun, even in poor soils

5. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. and Fargesia spp.)

Bamboo offers unmatched vertical screening with some species growing over 4 feet per year! Its airy foliage creates a modern, exotic privacy barrier. Choose clumping bamboo varieties for a well-behaved, non-invasive hedge.

• Best for: Contemporary gardens, narrow spaces, quick screening
• Growth rate: Extremely fast
• Maintenance: Thin annually to control density; root barriers recommended
• Bonus: Bamboo is evergreen and offers soothing movement in the wind

6. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Portuguese laurel is an elegant, fast-growing hedge with dark green leaves and contrasting red stems. It typically grows 1-2 feet per year and forms a decorative, dense screen in a short time.

• Best for: Stylish, formal landscapes and privacy along driveways
• Growth rate: Fast
• Maintenance: Can grow tall and thick with regular shearing
• Bonus: Fragrant flowers attract pollinators in early summer

7. Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea)

Red twig dogwood is prized not just for quick privacy but for its bright red stems in winter and lush green foliage in summer. Its fast, bushy growth offers coverage within a couple of years, with an added bonus of seasonal color.

• Best for: Multi-season interest, wildlife-friendly screening
• Growth rate: Fast-growing; up to 2 feet per year
• Maintenance: Prune older stems to encourage vibrant young growth
• Bonus: Thrives in wet soils and partial shade

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

Photinia Red Robin adds a burst of color with its brilliant red new growth, evolving to rich green. This fast and dense hedging plant offers up to 2 feet of annual growth, and its evergreen leaves ensure year-round privacy and color.

• Best for: Decorative privacy screens, color contrast, evergreen barriers
• Growth rate: Fast
• Maintenance: Prune to encourage red shoots and maintain thickness
• Bonus: Tolerant of most soils and light levels

9. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Hornbeam hedging offers both speed and traditional beauty. With growth of up to 1.5 feet per year, hornbeam forms a dense, formal wall of foliage. Deciduous but holds onto its golden-brown leaves throughout winter in many climates for near year-round privacy.

• Best for: Traditional gardens, boundary screens, windbreaks
• Growth rate: Moderately fast
• Maintenance: Responsive to regular clipping for a formal or natural look
• Bonus: Tolerates clay soils and urban pollution

Tips for Planting and Caring for Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

To ensure your hedge flourishes quickly, follow these essential tips:

1. Prepare the soil: Loosen soil and incorporate compost to boost fertility and drainage.
2. Spacing matters: Plant at recommended intervals - usually 2-4 feet apart - to encourage dense growth without crowding.
3. Water well: Water regularly during the first few seasons, especially during dry spells.
4. Prune correctly: Regularly trim the sides and tops to maintain shape and thicken foliage from the base up.
5. Mulch: Use organic mulch around the base to retain moisture, suppress weeds, and nourish roots.
6. Feed appropriately: Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring for robust growth.

Design Inspiration: Creative Ways to Use Privacy Hedges

• Living fences: Replace traditional boundary fences with a lush, green hedge for a more inviting property line.
• Outdoor "rooms": Use fast-growing hedges to create intimate seating or dining areas within larger gardens.
• Noise and wind barriers: Plant thick, tall hedges where you need extra shelter or sound absorption.
• Pool privacy: Shield pools or hot tubs for a spa-like, secluded retreat.
• Driveway screening: Soften your home's entrance while cutting noise and pollution from the road.
• Wildlife corridors: Choose wildlife-friendly hedges (like laurel or dogwood) to attract birds and pollinators.

Common Questions About Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

How soon will my privacy hedge be effective?

Many fast-growing hedges reach a sufficient height for privacy within 2-4 years if cared for properly. Regular watering, feeding, and trimming ensure the best results.

What's the easiest fast-growing hedge to maintain?

Green Giant arborvitae and privet are two of the simplest options for most climates, requiring little more than an annual trim.

Can I have a quick privacy hedge in a small garden?

Yes! Bamboo (choose clumping types), photinia, and Portuguese laurel are excellent for compact spaces due to their upright habit and minimal spread.

Which privacy hedge is best for year-round coverage?

Choose evergreens such as laurel, Leyland cypress, Green Giant arborvitae, and photinia for year-round privacy.

Wrapping Up: Enjoy the Benefits of Quick Privacy Hedges

With these 9 hedges that grow quickly to safeguard your privacy, you can transform your landscape with lush green walls in no time. Fast-growing privacy hedges elevate your home's appearance, provide ecological benefits, and give you the peace and seclusion you crave.

Choose the best fast-growing hedge for privacy depending on your space, maintenance preferences, and design style. With the right care, your private paradise can take shape in just a few seasons. Start your hedge journey today and enjoy both beauty and seclusion for years to come!