9 Quick-Growing Hedges to Secure Your Personal Space

Posted on 20/05/2025

9 Quick-Growing Hedges to Secure Your Personal Space

If you're seeking a natural way to create privacy, quick-growing hedges are the perfect solution. Whether you're dealing with nosy neighbors, want to reduce road noise, or simply dream of a lush green boundary, selecting the right variety of fast-growing privacy hedge can dramatically transform your backyard into a secluded oasis. In this comprehensive guide, we'll highlight nine rapid-growing hedges that not only boost privacy but also add value and appeal to your garden.

Why Choose Quick-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

A fast-growing hedge offers several benefits beyond just seclusion. Here's why they're an excellent investment for your outdoor space:

• Instant privacy: These hedges fill in gaps quicker than slower-growing varieties.
• Natural beauty: Lush foliage provides a softer, more attractive barrier than fences or walls.
• Wildlife habitat: Many hedges offer food and shelter for local birds and pollinators.
• Noise reduction: Thick greenery helps minimize street or neighbor noise.
• Environmental benefits: Hedges absorb CO2 and act as windbreaks, improving your microclimate.

Let's dive into nine of the best fast-growing hedge plants for ultimate privacy and security!

1. Privet (Ligustrum)

The Classic Quick-Grower

Privet is synonymous with traditional hedges and continues to dominate gardens for a reason. This reliable shrub can grow up to 3 feet per year under optimal conditions, quickly forming a dense, leafy wall.

• Growth Rate: Up to 36" annually
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, tolerates various soil types
• Best For: Formal clipped hedges, informal privacy screens

Privet hedges require regular trimming to maintain shape, but that's a small price to pay for fast, reliable privacy.

2. Leyland Cypress (x Cuprocyparis leylandii)

The Evergreen Speedster

If you want a solid, year-round green wall in a hurry, Leyland Cypress is unsurpassed among quick-growing evergreen hedges. This conifer can grow up to 4 feet per year and is ideal for larger gardens.

• Growth Rate: 3-4' per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun
• Soil Needs: Well-drained
• Best For: Tall privacy screens, windbreaks, roadside barriers

Regular pruning keeps Leyland Cypress manageable and promotes a thick, impenetrable structure that's perfect for securing your personal space.

3. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Bushy, Glossy, and Vigorous

For a hedge with bold, shiny leaves and robust growth, Cherry Laurel is a favorite. It rapidly reaches 12-24 inches per year, forming a dense, evergreen barrier.

• Growth Rate: 1-2' annually
• Sun Requirements: Sun or shade
• Soil Needs: Tolerant of most soils
• Best For: Urban gardens, shaded spots, low-maintenance hedges

Cherry Laurel hedges are especially resilient, thriving where other hedge species struggle. Their broad leaves effectively block both sight and sound, enhancing your garden privacy.

4. Bamboo (Phyllostachys spp.)

Modern, Exotic, Surprisingly Fast

If you're after a modern aesthetic or want a green privacy screen in record time, try running or clumping varieties of bamboo. This grass (not actually a tree or shrub) can grow up to 3 feet per day in the right conditions! For privacy hedges, stick to clumping bamboos like Fargesia to prevent unwanted spread.

• Growth Rate: Up to several feet per year (variety-dependent)
• Sun Requirements: Full sun to partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
• Best For: Instant screening, modern or Asian-themed gardens

Just be sure to install root barriers for running types, or choose clumping bamboo for easy maintenance.

5. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Elegant and Hardy

A more refined cousin to Cherry Laurel, Portuguese Laurel offers dark green, glossy foliage on elegant red stems. This quick-growing hedge is less vigorous but more manageable--growing up to 18 inches each year.

• Growth Rate: 12-18" per year
• Sun Requirements: Sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist but well-drained
• Best For: Decorative dense privacy screens, formal gardens

The compact habit and exceptional tolerance to drought and pollution make Portuguese Laurel a top choice for urban gardens seeking fast privacy hedges.

6. Photinia 'Red Robin'

Color and Coverage

For a privacy hedge bursting with color, try Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'. This shrub boasts brilliant red new leaves that mature to glossy green, providing a vibrant display and dense screening.

• Growth Rate: 12-24" per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun preferred
• Soil Needs: Well-draining, fertile soil
• Best For: Decorative privacy borders, colorful hedges

Prune after the first flush of red growth to encourage bushiness and even more color. A Photinia hedge is sure to improve your outdoor privacy and curb appeal.

7. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

Seasonal Privacy with Classic Style

For a fast-growing, deciduous option, try Hornbeam. It grows rapidly, offers striking pleated leaves, and holds onto its brown foliage through winter, providing year-round screening.

• Growth Rate: 12-18" per year
• Sun Requirements: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil Needs: Moist, fertile, well-drained
• Best For: Formal clipped hedges, windbreaks, wildlife havens

Trim Hornbeam regularly for a neat, dense boundary that's ideal for defining private garden spaces.

8. Pyracantha (Firethorn)

Security and Color in One

For those concerned about both privacy and security, Pyracantha is a top contender. This prickly, vigorous shrub grows quickly and produces clusters of red, orange, or yellow berries in autumn.

• Growth Rate: 18-24" per year
• Sun Requirements: Sun or part shade
• Soil Needs: Adaptable, prefers well-drained
• Best For: Security hedges, wildlife-friendly barriers

Its thorny branches make it almost impenetrable, making Pyracantha one of the best quick-growing hedges for personal safety as well as privacy.

9. Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

The Slowest of the Fast--But Worth It!

While Boxwood is generally considered a slow grower, certain cultivars like 'Winter Gem' and 'Green Velvet' offer much faster growth than traditional types, sometimes reaching up to 12 inches per year.

• Growth Rate: Up to 12" annually (fast types)
• Sun Requirements: Sun or shade
• Soil Needs: Well-drained, fertile
• Best For: Formal low hedges, borders, topiary

For a low-maintenance, dense, and evergreen privacy hedge, newer fast-growing boxwoods offer a perfect balance of traditional charm and modern speed.

Caring for Your Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Tips for Healthy and Attractive Hedges

To maximize the growth and health of your hedge, keep these essential care tips in mind:

• Soil Preparation: Dig in compost and ensure good drainage before planting your hedge.
• Watering: Newly planted hedges require regular watering--especially during dry spells.
• Pruning: Trim regularly to shape growth, increase bushiness, and keep your hedge dense.
• Feeding: Feed with a balanced fertilizer each spring for the best results.
• Spacing: Plant hedges at the correct spacing to ensure rapid coverage.

A little attention goes a long way in ensuring your quick-growing privacy hedge lives up to its potential!

Which Fast-Growing Hedge Is Best for You?

Choosing the ideal quick-growing hedge for your garden depends on several factors:

• Space Available: Large gardens benefit from robust varieties like Leyland Cypress; smaller spaces suit Portuguese Laurel or Boxwood.
• Evergreen vs. Deciduous: For year-round privacy, go for evergreens like Cherry Laurel or Bamboo.
• Style: Formal gardens may prefer clipped Hornbeam or Privet, while informal spaces can host Photinia or Pyracantha.
• Security Needs: Pyracantha offers both privacy and a deterrent to intruders.
• Climate: Always choose hedge species suited to your local climate and soil type.

Benefits of Quick-Growing Privacy Hedges vs. Fences

Still deciding between a natural barrier and a traditional fence? Here are some unique advantages of using hedges for personal space and privacy:

• Aesthetic value: Hedges are lush, beautiful, and can be shaped to your style.
• Biodiversity: They provide habitat and food for wildlife.
• Longevity: Well-maintained hedges can last a lifetime--and mature beautifully over time.
• Wind and noise reduction: Dense foliage buffers both wind and sound more effectively than wood or metal.
• Environmental benefits: Hedges clean the air, sequester carbon, and manage water runoff naturally.

Conclusion: Transform Your Garden with a Quick-Growing Hedge

There's never been a better time to enhance your outdoor privacy with a natural hedge. Whether you need an impenetrable barrier from prying eyes, want to shelter your garden from noise and wind, or simply crave a greener landscape, the nine rapid-growing hedge species above offer the perfect starting point.

Remember to consider your garden's unique needs--from soil and sun to size and style--when selecting the best fast-growing hedge for privacy. With proper care and a little patience, you'll enjoy a lush, living wall that increases your personal security, boosts curb appeal, and supports local biodiversity.

Ready to secure your personal space? Plant one of these quick-growing hedge varieties and watch your garden transform into the tranquil, private haven you've always wanted.

For more landscaping guidance and gardening inspiration, explore our other guides on fast-growing privacy hedges and garden design!