Select from 9 fast hedges to secure your personal space

Posted on 18/08/2025

Select from 9 Fast Hedges to Secure Your Personal Space

Are you looking for ways to secure your privacy, define your property borders, or simply beautify your outdoor spaces? Discovering the perfect fast hedge can transform your garden rapidly while adding security and appeal. In this comprehensive guide, we introduce 9 fast-growing hedges that provide a quick, lush, and robust barrier to safeguard your personal haven.

Advantages of Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy

Why choose quick hedges over traditional fencing? Planting speedy hedge varieties has several distinct advantages:

• Immediate Privacy: They create a green screen swiftly, unlike slow-growing bushes that take years to mature.
• Reduced Noise: Dense foliage acts as a natural sound barrier.
• Environmental Benefits: Improve air quality, support wildlife, and reduce dust pollution.
• Visual Appeal: Adds greenery, color, and seasonal interest to your landscape.
• Cost Effective: Long-term solution compared to rebuilding fences.

Let's explore the top nine fast-growing hedge options to secure your personal space--each offering unique aesthetics, care requirements, and suitability for various climates.

---

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

If you want a classic privacy wall in record time, Leyland Cypress is your best bet. This coniferous evergreen can grow up to 1-2 feet per year, easily reaching a mature height of 60 feet if left untrimmed. Its dense, feathery foliage creates an impenetrable screen.

Advantages:

• Quickest-growing privacy hedge variety
• Retains foliage year-round for continuous privacy
• Drought and disease resistant

Care Tips:

• Plant 3 feet apart for optimal density
• Trim annually to shape and maintain height
• Thrives in full sun and well-drained soil

Perfect for: Large properties and expansive boundaries.

---

2. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Cherry Laurel stands out as a hardy, broadleaf evergreen that rapidly develops into a dense hedge. Its lush, glossy green leaves remain vibrant throughout the year, offering a sophisticated look and unmatched privacy.

Benefits:

• Grows up to 2 feet per year
• Tolerates shade more than most fast hedges
• Resistant to pollution--excellent for urban settings

How to Get the Best Results:

• Space plants 2-3 feet apart
• Water regularly during the first couple of years
• Prune after flowering for bushiness

Ideal for: Noise suppression along roads and urban gardens.

---

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

When you need a reliable fast-growing privacy hedge, Privet is a popular and versatile choice worldwide. It forms a dense, green wall and is easy to maintain in formal or informal shapes.

Pros:

• Achieves 2-3 feet of growth annually
• Suitable for both sun and partial shade
• Can be pruned into tight, formal shapes or allowed to grow naturally

Maintenance:

• Annual trimming to thicken foliage
• Tolerates a wide range of soil types

Suited for: Every garden size and style--from driveway borders to secluded patios.

---

4. Red Tip Photinia (Photinia x fraseri)

If you desire a privacy hedge with color, Red Tip Photinia offers striking red foliage in spring and new growth, maturing to glossy green. This fast hedge is both eye-catching and functional, growing rapidly into a thick barrier.

Main Features:

• Red shoots for year-round color contrast
• Can grow up to 2 feet per year
• Excellent for medium to tall screening

Growing Tips:

• Needs good air circulation to prevent disease
• Plant in full to partial sun
• Annual shaping keeps it dense and healthy

Great for: Modern gardens needing color as well as privacy.

---

5. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

Amazing for large plots, the Green Giant Arborvitae forms a classic, evergreen privacy screen at remarkable speed. It's an excellent replacement for Leyland Cypress in areas where disease is a concern.

Why Choose It?

• Growth rate of 3 feet per year under optimal conditions
• Dense, lush, conical shape needs minimal pruning
• Highly resistant to pests and tough on wind

What to Remember:

• Space at least 5 feet apart for healthy growth
• Plant in moist, well-drained soil

Perfectly suited to: Windbreaks, large boundaries, and as a towering green wall.

---

6. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp. or Bambusa spp.)

Bamboo is a unique, contemporary solution for homeowners who love a tropical feel with unrivaled growth speed. Some varieties can add 3-5 feet of height annually, creating a dense living wall in just a couple of seasons.

Advantages:

• Ultra-fast screening for modern landscapes
• Soft rustling sound adds to tranquility
• Good for tight spaces and urban backyards

Important Considerations:

• Best to choose clumping varieties (e.g., Bambusa) to prevent unwanted spreading
• Install root barriers for running bamboo
• Water regularly in the first two years

Perfect for: Instant privacy with a contemporary, exotic vibe.

---

7. Escallonia (Escallonia spp.)

Escallonia is a versatile, evergreen hedge that boasts clusters of pink or white flowers alongside fast, dense growth. It's salt-tolerant, making it a favorite for coastal gardens.

Key Benefits:

• Grows up to 18 inches per year
• Attracts pollinators with fragrant blooms
• Resistant to salt and wind

How to Maintain:

• Prune after flowering to keep compact
• Water during dry spells

Best for: Coastal gardens and pollinator-friendly landscapes.

---

8. Elaeagnus (Elaeagnus x ebbingei)

Elaeagnus is an underrated champion for fast privacy hedges, reaching up to 1.5 feet of growth per year. Its tough, leathery leaves, silvery underside, and fragrant autumn flowers make it a standout for year-round structure and beauty.

Major Perks:

• Wind, drought, and salt tolerant
• Ideal for poor soils and exposed spots
• Works as both a formal or informal hedge

How to Grow:

• Space at least 3 feet apart
• Minimal maintenance needed once established

Recommended for: Challenging locations and trouble spots where other fast-growing hedges wouldn't thrive.

---

9. Box Honeysuckle (Lonicera nitida)

Box honeysuckle offers a dense, quick, and manageable solution for lower hedges. It features tiny, glossy leaves and can be clipped into intricate shapes, emulating boxwood's precision--but with accelerated growth.

What Sets It Apart:

• Fills in rapidly--up to 2 feet per year
• Excellent for compact boundaries or topiary
• Resistant to pests and easy to prune

Care Instructions:

• Trim little and often to create a formal hedge
• Performs well in shade or sun

Ideal for: Neatly edged gardens, paths, or intricate designs.

---

Tips for Selecting the Right Fast Hedge for Your Needs

• Assess your climate: Some hedging plants suit chilly, windy places; others thrive in warm, humid zones.
• Space available: Consider the mature height and width of your chosen fast hedge species.
• Maintenance: How much time can you devote to pruning and care?
• Style: Decide between formal (clipped) or informal (natural) looks.
• Pest and disease risks: Pick resistant varieties if you live in areas with known outbreaks.

Pro Tip:

Mix and match for variety! Combining several fast privacy hedges can provide seasonal interest and bolster your natural defenses.

---

Conclusion: Secure Your Space with the Top 9 Fast-Growing Hedges

Choosing the right fast hedge is crucial not just for quick results, but also for long-lasting protection and beauty. These nine varieties offer rapid privacy screening, require modest maintenance, and suit a wide array of garden styles and locations.

Whether you need a tall, stately wall or a compact, stylish boundary, these handpicked selections ensure you can quickly and effectively secure your personal space with confidence and style. Start planting your barrier today--and enjoy the peace, tranquility, and beauty that only fast-growing hedges can bring to your home.

---

Frequently Asked Questions on Fast Privacy Hedges

• Which hedge grows the fastest for privacy?
  Leyland Cypress, Green Giant Arborvitae, and some bamboo varieties are among the quickest hedges for privacy.
• How far apart should I plant my hedge?
  Spacing varies by variety but typically 2-5 feet apart is ideal for dense growth.
• Can I use a mix of fast-growing hedge plants?
  Yes! Mixing types can provide year-round color and a more natural look.
• When is the best time to plant hedges?
  Early spring or fall offers the best conditions for root establishment before harsh weather sets in.
• How do I keep my fast hedge healthy?
  Water well during the first years, mulch for moisture retention, and prune to encourage bushiness and remove diseased growth.

Ready to enhance your outdoor space? Select your ideal fast hedge for privacy from these nine top contenders and create your green refuge in no time!