Revamp your space with 9 rapid growth privacy hedges

Posted on 22/05/2025

Revamp Your Space with 9 Rapid Growth Privacy Hedges

Looking to transform your outdoor environment into a private oasis? Fast-growing privacy hedges are an ideal solution for anyone seeking seclusion, beauty, and increased property value. In this comprehensive guide, we spotlight the best rapid growth hedges for privacy and how to utilize them to revamp your space efficiently and stylishly.

Why Choose Rapid Growth Hedges for Privacy?

Installing a privacy hedge delivers much more than just a natural fence. Here's why quick growing hedges are especially beneficial:

• Fast transformation: Achieve privacy, wind protection, or noise reduction in a fraction of the time compared to slow growers.
• Environmental benefits: Hedges filter pollutants, improve air quality and provide wildlife habitat.
• Aesthetic value: Enhance curb appeal and define your landscape with lush greenery.
• Cost-effective: Live, rapidly maturing borders can be less expensive than installing fences or walls.

Criteria for Selecting the Best Rapid Growth Privacy Hedges

Choosing the right privacy hedge for your property involves considering several important factors:

• Growth rate: How quickly does the species achieve sufficient height and density?
• Maintenance: Is the hedge easy to prune and care for?
• Climate adaptability: Will the plant thrive in your local climate zone?
• Evergreen vs. deciduous: Do you need year-round coverage, or is seasonal privacy enough?
• Pest and disease resistance: Does the species resist common problems?

With these criteria in mind, let's explore the top 9 rapid growth privacy hedges that can revamp your space quickly and beautifully.

1. Leyland Cypress

The Fast-Track Evergreen for Ultimate Privacy

If you need swift results, the Leyland Cypress (x Cupressocyparis leylandii) is hard to beat. Often praised as one of the fastest-growing hedging plants, it can shoot up 3-5 feet per year under ideal conditions.

• Height: Can reach 60-70 feet but easily kept at hedge height with annual pruning.
• Features: Dense, feathery, blue-green foliage provides a lush, evergreen screen.
• Best for: Large yards needing tall, immediate privacy barriers.

Tip: Plant with adequate spacing (at least 4-6 feet apart) and prune annually to maintain shape and prevent disease.

2. Green Giant Arborvitae

A Resilient, Beautiful Hedge Solution

The Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata) is a favorite among landscape designers for its robustness and rapid growth--gaining 3 feet per year in good conditions.

• Height: Matures at 30-40 feet, forms dense, soft-textured walls of greenery.
• Features: Tolerant to a wide range of soils, drought, and pests.
• Best for: Homeowners who want a low-maintenance, stately and long-lived privacy hedge.

Pro tip: Thrives in both full sun and partial shade.

3. Bamboo

An Exotic, Fast-Growing Privacy Marvel

If you're interested in something unique, bamboo is a standout pick for rapid privacy screens. Varieties like Phyllostachys can shoot up 3-5 feet per year, forming a living wall in just a few seasons.

• Height: Ranges from 10-30 feet depending on species.
• Features: Evergreen, swaying canes offer an airy, Asian-inspired aesthetic.
• Best for: Contemporary gardens or homeowners seeking an ornamental privacy solution.

Important: Choose clumping bamboo (not running types) to prevent spreading. Use root barriers for added assurance!

4. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

The Classic Choice for Quick, Dense Hedges

Privet hedges have stood the test of time for their rapid growth and dense, leafy screens. Most varities fill in within 2-3 seasons.

• Growth: Up to 3 feet per year.
• Features: Responds well to pruning, creating crisp, formal hedges or informal borders.
• Best for: Traditional gardens, formal landscapes, or those seeking easy customization.

Note: Some privets can become invasive in certain regions--check with your local extension office before planting.

5. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Lush, Shiny Foliage and Robust Privacy

For deep-green, luxurious privacy, Cherry Laurel is a standout. This broadleaf evergreen hedge grows up to 3 feet per year, forming dense, glossy screens.

• Height: Can reach 10-20 feet when unpruned.
• Features: Large, shiny leaves and small white flowers in spring.
• Best for: Shade tolerance and lush, formal hedging.

Tip: Excellent for urban gardens due to its tolerance of pollution and varied soils.

6. American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd')

Vibrant Year-Round Privacy

This popular conifer is known for its bright emerald color and narrow, columnar growth. The Emerald Green Arborvitae grows quickly--up to 2 feet per year.

• Height: Reaches 12-15 feet tall and 3-4 feet wide.
• Features: Retains color in all seasons, needs minimal pruning.
• Best for: Smaller yards or tight spaces requiring vertical screening.

Caring tip: Requires well-drained soil and full sun for the best growth rate.

7. Wax Myrtle (Myrica cerifera)

Native, Fast-Growing, and Fragrant

Wax Myrtle is a U.S. native that rapidly forms a dense, fragrant barrier that's tolerant of drought and poor soil. It can grow 2-3 feet a year.

• Height: Typically 10-20 feet, but can be kept shorter.
• Features: Aromatic foliage, attractive berries, and wildlife-friendly.
• Best for: Informal hedging in coastal or southern climates.

Did you know? Wax myrtles are highly resistant to pests and deer browsing.

8. Photinia x fraseri 'Red Tip'

Striking Color and Speedy Growth

Red Tip Photinia is prized for its flush of brilliant red new growth in spring and summer, as well as its impressive growth rate of 2-3 feet per year.

• Height: 10-15 feet tall by 5-8 feet wide.
• Features: Stunning foliage color, white blossoms in spring.
• Best for: Bold hedging in mild southern and western regions.

Tip: Prune regularly to maintain density and color.

9. Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

The Elegant, Ultra Fast Columnar Hedge

For dramatic, Mediterranean style, Italian cypress is unsurpassed. This stately evergreen can add up to 3 feet per year, soaring skyward in narrow, upright columns.

• Height: 40-60 feet mature height, but can be maintained shorter.
• Features: Pencil-slim profile, deep green-blue needles.
• Best for: Formal privacy screens, driveways, and lining entranceways.

Good to know: Requires well-drained soil and full sun for optimal health.

Hedge Comparison Table

Hedge Type	Max. Growth/Year	Evergreen	Best Use
Leyland Cypress	3-5 ft	Yes	Tall, large spaces
Green Giant Arborvitae	3 ft	Yes	Low-maintenance, big yards
Bamboo	3-5 ft	Yes	Ornamental, contemporary gardens
Privet	3 ft	Some Evergreen Types	Formal hedges
Cherry Laurel	3 ft	Yes	Shade, formal, urban
Emerald Green Arborvitae	2 ft	Yes	Small spaces, low pruning
Wax Myrtle	2-3 ft	Yes	Native, coastal
Red Tip Photinia	2-3 ft	Yes	Colorful hedges
Italian Cypress	3 ft	Yes	Formal, vertical accents

How to Plant and Care for Rapid Growth Privacy Hedges

Proper installation and care ensure your fast-growing privacy hedge not only flourishes but provides a beautiful screen for years. Here are essential steps:

1. Site Preparation: Choose a location with appropriate sunlight and soil drainage for your chosen species.
2. Planting: Dig holes twice the width of the root ball and equally deep. Space plants according to mature width recommendations (usually 3-6 feet apart).
3. Watering: Water deeply after planting, and maintain consistent moisture for the first growing season.
4. Mulching: Apply a 2-3 inch mulch layer to retain moisture and suppress weeds.
5. Pruning: Begin light pruning early to encourage branching and density. Most fast growers need annual trims.
6. Fertilization: Use a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring for optimal growth.
7. Pest & Disease Monitoring: Inspect regularly and act quickly if issues arise--healthy hedges outpace most problems!

Frequently Asked Questions about Rapid Growth Privacy Hedges

How fast do privacy hedges grow?

Some hedges, like Leyland Cypress and Bamboo, can achieve 3-5 feet of growth per year if planted in ideal conditions. Others, such as Arborvitae and Privet, usually add 2-3 feet annually.

Which rapid hedge plants are best for small gardens?

• Emerald Green Arborvitae is perfect for tight spaces due to its narrow footprint and vertical growth.
• Privet responds well to pruning, allowing you to shape it to fit any space.

Are fast-growing privacy hedges high maintenance?

Most quick growing hedges need regular pruning to maintain size and health. However, species like Green Giant Arborvitae and Wax Myrtle are notably low-maintenance and pest-resistant once established.

Can I mix different hedging plants?

Mixing species can add visual interest, extended bloom times, and resilience. Just be sure all plants have similar requirements for sunlight, soil, and water.

Revamp Your Outdoor Space--Today!

With so many fast growing privacy hedges available, it's easier than ever to revamp your space. Whether your goal is solitude, beauty, or a creative landscape design, these nine rapid-growth hedges offer a solution for every taste and climate.

• Leyland Cypress and Green Giant Arborvitae: Best for towering, full privacy screens.
• Bamboo and Italian Cypress: Top picks for contemporary or Mediterranean-inspired projects.
• Cherry Laurel, Privet, and Photinia: Offer traditional, lush hedging with color, fragrance, or formality.
• Wax Myrtle and Arborvitae: Excellent for native planting and spaces needing little attention.

Ready to transform your landscape? Choose one of these rapid growth privacy hedges suited to your environment, and create a secluded paradise--quickly!

Final Thoughts: Go Green with Fast-Growing Hedges

Revamping your space with rapid-growing privacy hedges is not just a smart move for your landscape, but also an environmentally positive one. Live barriers protect your privacy, add value to your property, and boost urban biodiversity.

Choose the right hedge for your climate and style, invest some care early on, and you'll enjoy lush, green privacy for years--all within a surprisingly short timeframe!

For more landscape transformation tips, be sure to follow our garden guides and let your space shine with the power of nature.