Create Your Private Retreat with 9 Fast-growing Hedges

Posted on 05/06/2025

Create Your Private Retreat with 9 Fast-growing Hedges

Are you dreaming of a beautiful private sanctuary just steps from your door? If so, fast-growing hedges are your best friends. These living barriers deliver instant privacy, act as natural sound barriers, and offer a lush green backdrop that transforms your yard into a personal paradise. Read on to discover nine of the best rapidly growing hedges for creating a secluded garden retreat, along with essential tips to ensure your hedge thrives for years to come.

Why Choose Fast-growing Hedges for Privacy?

When it comes to landscaping, privacy is often top of mind. Instead of waiting years for slow-growing shrubs to mature, why not opt for fast-growing varieties? Quick-growing hedges not only shield your home from prying eyes but also provide shelter from winds, reduce noise pollution, and attract wildlife to your garden.

• Immediate Privacy: Get the seclusion you crave in as little as a single growing season.
• Natural Beauty: Robust greenery enhances curb appeal and property value.
• Eco-friendly: Hedges absorb carbon dioxide, provide habitat, and help cool your yard.

Top 9 Fastest Growing Hedges for a Private Oasis

Ready to create your own private haven? Here is a comprehensive list of nine of the best fast-growing hedge plants that make fantastic natural screens. Whether you seek evergreen options for year-round coverage or flowering varieties for added color, you'll find the perfect match below.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

The Leyland Cypress is the poster child of quick privacy hedging. With a sky-high growth rate of 3 to 5 feet per year, it rapidly forms dense, towering walls of lush foliage.

• Growth rate: Fastest available - up to 5 feet per year!
• Mature height: 30-50 feet, easily pruned
• Light requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Drought tolerance: High once established

Best for: Large properties, creating windbreaks, and maximum seclusion in a short time. Regular trimming is recommended to keep them bushy and manageable.

2. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

If versatility is what you seek, Privet hedges deliver. Their dense, glossy foliage seems tailor-made for shaping, and with up to 3 feet of growth per year, they're perfect for formal or informal living screens.

• Growth rate: Up to 3 feet per year
• Mature height: 4-15 feet, depending on species
• Features: Semi-evergreen or evergreen in milder climates, fragrant white flowers in spring

Best for: Neat, formal hedges, and urban gardens where consistent trimming is desired.

3. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

The Cherry Laurel is a favorite among gardeners seeking year-round privacy and adaptability. This broadleaf evergreen tolerates shade, pollution, and even clipping into various shapes.

• Growth rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Mature height: 10-20 feet, easily pruned
• Light requirements: Sun or shade
• Features: Glossy leaves, clusters of white flowers, followed by black berries

Best for: Secluded corners, shady spots, and wildlife-friendly gardens.

4. Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae

Thuja Green Giant is a superstar hedge plant renowned for its rapid growth (3-5 feet per year!) and soft, rich green foliage. This fast-growing evergreen hedge tolerates a range of soils and is deer resistant.

• Growth rate: 3-5 feet annually
• Mature height: 20-40 feet
• Light requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Features: Soft, scale-like needles, pyramidal shape

Best for: Large screens, windbreaks, and areas with deer pressure.

5. Clumping Bamboo (Non-invasive Varieties)

Want instant privacy with an exotic twist? Clumping bamboo varieties grow fast but won't take over your yard like running bamboos. They create tall, lush living walls in record time.

• Growth rate: Up to 2 feet per year (some varieties more)
• Mature height: 10-20 feet (depends on species)
• Light requirements: Sun or partial shade
• Features: Graceful canes, evergreen leaves

Best for: Modern landscapes, tropical garden designs, urban escapes.

6. Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

Red Tip Photinia is celebrated for its bronzy-red new leaves, which mature to glossy green to create year-round drama in your landscape. It's also a fast-growing privacy hedge, gaining 2-3 feet annually!

• Growth rate: 2-3 feet per year
• Mature height: 10-15 feet
• Light requirements: Full sun for best color
• Features: White spring flowers, fire-red new foliage, dense habit

Best for: Colorful visual screens, flower borders, and wildlife gardens.

7. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

For those who admire elegance, Portuguese Laurel offers a refined choice. It grows quickly and forms dense, upright hedges with glossy dark green leaves and maroon stems.

• Growth rate: 1.5-2 feet per year
• Mature height: 9-18 feet
• Light requirements: Full sun or part shade
• Features: Fragrant white flower spikes in summer

Best for: Classic and formal gardens, elegant outdoor rooms.

8. Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica)

Boxwood might have a reputation for slow growth, but Japanese Boxwood is one of the quickest-growing varieties. It's perfect for low to medium-height privacy screens and formal hedges.

• Growth rate: Up to 12 inches per year
• Mature height: 3-6 feet
• Light requirements: Full sun to part shade
• Features: Neat, evergreen foliage, responds well to regular pruning

Best for: Low hedges, knot gardens, or shaping into creative topiary designs.

9. Silverberry (Elaeagnus x ebbingei)

Silverberry has become increasingly popular for privacy because of its tough, drought-resistant nature. Their quick growth, coupled with silvery-green leaves, adds year-round structure and interest.

• Growth rate: 2-3 feet yearly
• Mature height: 8-12 feet
• Light requirements: Full sun or light shade
• Features: Small, fragrant autumn blooms and silver-backed leaves

Best for: Coastal gardens, tough spots, and low-maintenance privacy hedging.

Designing & Planting Your Fast-growing Privacy Hedge

Now that you've selected your plants, here's how to ensure your privacy hedge becomes a lush, living retreat:

Proper Spacing is Key

To get dense coverage quickly, follow these planting tips:

• Check recommendations: Each species has an ideal spacing (often 18-36 inches apart).
• Plant in a straight or staggered row: Staggered rows offer thicker coverage.
• Dig a trench: For easier planting, dig one long trench instead of individual holes.

Remember: Proper spacing ensures adequate airflow, reduces disease risk, and keeps your fast-growing hedges healthy.

Soil Preparation and Watering

Your hedge will grow the fastest in fertile, well-draining soil. Before planting:

• Loosen the soil: Add compost or aged manure to enrich the planting area.
• Mulch generously: Mulching retains moisture, suppresses weeds, and keeps roots cool.
• Consistent watering: New plantings need regular water until established. Once mature, most fast-growing hedges tolerate drought well.

Pruning for Fullness and Privacy

Regular trimming shapes your hedge for privacy and stimulates thick growth. Here's how:

• Tip: Lightly trim the tops and sides after planting to promote bushy growth from the base.
• Annual maintenance: Most fast-growing hedges need one or two trims each year to remain dense and healthy.
• Shear or prune: Use hand pruners for formal hedges and hedge trimmers for informal, natural styles.

Benefits of Fast-growing Hedge Screens

• Year-round privacy thanks to evergreen species
• Reduced noise from roads or neighbors
• Wildlife habitat: Provide food and shelter for birds and pollinators
• Energy savings: Hedge walls can reduce wind chill and shade your home in summer
• Versatility: Many hedges thrive in pots or as low, clipped borders for patios and balconies

Did you know? Some hedge plants, like cherry laurel and privet, are even effective at filtering dust and pollutants from urban air--making them a smart choice for city gardeners!

Tips for Long-lasting, Lush Privacy Hedges

• Variety: Planting a mix of two or more hedge species can increase resilience to pests or diseases.
• Fertilize in spring: Fast-growing hedges need extra nutrients to support their rapid growth. Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer.
• Keep mulch fresh: Replenish mulch yearly to maintain moisture and suppress weeds.
• Water wisely: Even drought-tolerant hedges need deep watering in their first growing seasons.
• Monitor pests: Watch for signs of aphids, scale insects, or fungal diseases, especially in mild, damp weather.

Transform Your Garden into a Private Haven

Planting fast-growing privacy hedges is the quickest way to make your outdoor space feel like a secluded retreat. Whether your goal is a green screen for a small city yard or expansive boundary planting for country properties, there's a fast-growing hedge for every landscape and style.

Start planning your private retreat today:

• Assess your space, light, and soil
• Choose the best fast-growing hedges for your climate and needs
• Plant with proper spacing and care for rapid results

Your garden privacy doesn't have to take years! With these top 9 fast-growing hedge options, you can enjoy peace, seclusion, and natural beauty--sooner than you ever thought possible.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take for a fast-growing hedge to create privacy?

With proper care, many quick-growing hedges deliver significant screening in just 2-3 years. Some, like Leyland Cypress or Thuja Green Giant, may provide full privacy in as little as 1-2 seasons!

Can I plant fast-growing hedges in pots?

Absolutely! Many hedges, such as bamboo, boxwood and privet, thrive in large containers--ideal for patios, balconies, or renters seeking instant privacy.

Which hedge is best for small gardens?

Opt for compact, easily pruned alternatives like Japanese Boxwood, Privet, or Dwarf Cherry Laurel for smaller spaces.

Do fast-growing hedges require frequent pruning?

They do benefit from seasonal trimming to stay bushy and manageable. Plan on pruning your hedge 1-2 times a year for optimal health and appearance.

Ready to create your private retreat? Choose from these fast-growing hedges and turn your garden into a peaceful, green hideaway--faster than you ever imagined!