Quick Growth Hedges to Keep Your Space Secluded

Posted on 27/08/2025

Quick Growth Hedges to Keep Your Space Secluded

Need privacy in your garden or backyard, and fast? Choosing quick growth hedges can be a smart and attractive way to create a lush, private sanctuary. This comprehensive guide delves into the best fast-growing hedges that promise rapid coverage, year-round greenery, and effective noise reduction, helping you enjoy a truly secluded space.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges?

Hedges serve as natural dividers, windbreakers, and privacy screens--unlike a traditional fence, they bring life, texture, and color to your landscape. If you've just moved into a new property, or if you have nosy neighbors, you'll appreciate the benefits of rapid-growing hedges:

• Quick Privacy: Many options grow several feet per year, shielding your outdoor space faster than slow-growing species.
• Noise Reduction: Dense foliage absorbs and dampens sounds from traffic, neighbors, or the street.
• Environmental Impact: Hedges improve air quality, offer habitat for wildlife, and require less energy than a wooden or vinyl fence.
• Aesthetics: Lush greenery adds beauty, seasonal interest, and structure to your garden all year round.

What Makes a Good Quick Growth Hedge?

The most effective fast-growing privacy hedges share some common characteristics:

• Growth Rate: Look for species capable of growing 12 inches or more each year--ideal for those seeking a secluded garden quickly.
• Density: Thick, bushy foliage ensures your hedge is truly a privacy barrier and not just attractive but see-through shrubs.
• Maintenance: Some hedges require regular pruning, while others are low-maintenance. Choose according to the time you can commit.
• Climate Adaptability: Select hedges well-suited to your local climate, soil, and sunlight conditions for optimal growth speed and health.

Top Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Here are the best options for quick growth hedges to create an effective living screen, each with its unique benefits and care requirements:

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year.
• Why It's Great: Tall, dense, and evergreen, Leyland Cypress is one of the fastest-growing privacy hedges worldwide.
• Care Tips: Prefers full sun, adapts to a wide range of soils, and tolerates air pollution. Prune annually for a formal shape.

Note: Leyland Cypress can reach 60-70 feet if unchecked; for a hedge, regular pruning to maintain desired height and thickness is essential.

2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

• Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year under ideal conditions.
• Benefits: Disease-resistant, drought-tolerant, and offers year-round vivid green foliage.
• Care Tips: Space plants 5-6 feet apart for a dense hedge. Thrives in full sun to partial shade.

Green Giant Arborvitae is often considered the gold standard for quick coverage hedges, especially in urban and suburban landscapes.

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year.
• Benefits: Dense, easily shaped, and semi-evergreen depending on variety and climate.
• Care Tips: Performs well in a range of soils and can tolerate drought once established. Prune two to three times a year for formal hedges.

Privet hedges have been a favorite for decades, loved for their adaptability and classic appearance in urban and country gardens alike.

4. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year.
• Why It's Popular: Shiny, dark green leaves and small white flowers in spring provide beauty and excellent privacy.
• Care Tips: Best in partial shade to full sun. Tolerates a variety of soils, even poor drainage.

Cherry Laurel is a robust, low-maintenance hedge plant suitable for fast-growing garden screens in nearly any backyard.

5. Bamboo (Clumping Varieties)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3-5 feet per year after establishment.
• Benefits: Tall, dense, and offers an exotic look. Clumping bamboos are non-invasive compared to running types.
• Care Tips: Requires regular watering and mulching. Thrives in rich, well-drained soil.

Important: Only choose clumping bamboo (such as Bambusa or Fargesia), as running types can become invasive and hard to control.

6. Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

• Growth Rate: 2-3 feet per year.
• Benefits: Vivid red new growth, attractive foliage, and clusters of white flowers in spring.
• Care Tips: Prefers full sun with well-drained soil. Prune in late winter for best shape and health.

Red Tip Photinia provides a splash of year-round color, making it one of the more decorative quick growth privacy shrubs.

7. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

• Growth Rate: Approximately 2-3 feet per year.
• Benefits: Evergreen in mild climates, aromatic foliage, tolerant of poor soils and salt spray.
• Care Tips: Adaptable to wet or dry conditions, ideal for coastal gardens.

Wax Myrtle is perfect for coastal properties or challenging conditions where other rapid-growing hedges struggle.

How to Establish a Fast-Growing Hedge

If you want to enjoy a secluded space quickly, proper planting and initial care are crucial. Follow these tips for best results:

• Start with Healthy Plants: Buy quality young plants or bare-root saplings from a reputable nursery.
• Spacing is Key: Check species-specific recommendations. Close spacing establishes quicker privacy but can mean more competition for resources, so find the right balance.
• Improve Soil Before Planting: Add compost, aged manure, or mulch to boost nutrients and water retention.
• Water Regularly: Keep roots moist, especially in the first year. Drip irrigation or soaker hoses help avoid leaf diseases from wetting foliage repeatedly.
• Feed Annually: Apply a balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring to promote vigorous growth and lush foliage.
• Mulch Generously: Mulch controls weeds, keeps soil moist, and adds organic matter as it breaks down.
• Prune for Density: Trim tops and sides lightly in the first few years. Regular light pruning encourages bushy, dense growth instead of weak, leggy canes.

Essential Maintenance for Rapid Privacy Hedges

Consistency is key for strong, healthy quick growing hedges. To ensure your hedge stays thick, green, and effective:

• Monitor for Pests and Diseases: Fast-growing hedges can be susceptible to aphids, mites, or fungal issues. Early detection and treatment keep problems under control.
• Annual Pruning: Even low-maintenance types benefit from a yearly trim. This helps maintain a tidy shape and maximizes privacy.
• Water Deeply in Drought: Deep weekly watering is preferable to shallow frequent watering. It encourages plants to establish deep root systems for resilience during dry spells.
• Feed in Spring: Use balanced fertilizer as new growth emerges for the year's best foliage.

Avoid heavy pruning in late summer or fall--new growth may be damaged by winter cold, especially in colder climates.

Combining Hedges for All-Season Interest

For extra beauty and year-round privacy, combine different types of fast-growing hedges. Interplanting various species can:

• Add Color: Mix flowering and evergreen varieties for blooms, berries, and continuous foliage.
• Boost Biodiversity: Different plants attract a greater array of birds, insects, and pollinators.
• Reduce Disease Risk: A mixed hedge is less likely to suffer a total dieback from species-specific pests or diseases.
• Layer Heights: Plant taller evergreens at the back and lower-flowering shrubs at the front for best effect and windbreak capacity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid with Fast-Growing Hedges

Even tough screens can encounter problems. Here are some frequent pitfalls to sidestep when establishing fast-growing privacy hedges:

• Poor Plant Selection: Planting an unsuitable or invasive species can result in headaches down the line, such as root intrusion or spreading beyond your garden.
• Incorrect Planting Depth: Set roots at the same depth they were in the nursery pot. Planting too deep or too shallow can stunt growth or kill the hedge.
• Neglecting Early Pruning: Fast growers need shaping early for a dense, bushy hedge. Delaying pruning can mean gaps and weak hedges.
• Ignoring Water Needs: Even drought-tolerant types require regular watering to become established in the first years.
• Overcrowding: Planting too close may seem like a shortcut, but it can lead to disease and poor air circulation.

The Best Climate-Friendly Quick Growth Hedges

Climate greatly influences which rapid-growing hedges will thrive. Here are climate-specific recommendations:

• Cool, Temperate Zones: Privet, Green Giant Arborvitae, and Cherry Laurel.
• Hot, Humid Regions: Leyland Cypress, Wax Myrtle, and Viburnum.
• Coastal Areas: Wax Myrtle, Clumping Bamboo, and Elaeagnus.
• Arid or Mediterranean Climates: Oleander (note: toxic to pets/children), Pittosporum, and Escallonia.

Always check for local recommendations to find hedges that are already proven for your area--these will be fastest to establish and give best results.

Urban Benefits: Quick Growth Hedges for City Gardens

Privacy hedges aren't just for rural or suburban properties. In urban environments, the right quick-growing separation hedges can also:

• Soften Harsh Cityscapes: Lush hedges break up concrete and brick, adding nature's touch to balconies, rooftop gardens, and courtyards.
• Filter Air Pollution: Certain species (like holly or privet) are excellent at trapping dust and airborne particles.
• Reduce Noise Pollution: The dense greenery of fast-growing hedges serves as a green sound barrier from nearby roads and traffic.
• Wildlife Support: Attract birds and pollinators, helping keep urban biodiversity alive.

If you have a small urban garden, consider columnar or naturally narrow-growing species that won't encroach on your precious space.

Final Thoughts: Choosing the Best Quick Growth Hedges for Privacy

Whether you desire quick-growing evergreen hedges for total year-round cover, or a mix of flowering hedge plants for privacy, today's choices offer something for every gardener. Remember:

• Consider growth rates, care, and climate suitability for your chosen species.
• Plant in well-prepared soil and provide consistent care in the first few years for rapid establishment.
• Combine varieties for extra color, increased wildlife, and stronger disease resistance.
• Don't forget to plan for mature size--choose plants that fit your space now and in the future.

By following these guidelines, you can transform your yard or garden into a lush, green haven in no time, thanks to the magic of fast-growing hedges for privacy. Enjoy your newfound seclusion!