Create a private oasis with 9 fast-growing hedges

Posted on 18/08/2025

Create a Private Oasis with 9 Fast-Growing Hedges

Are you dreaming of a serene backyard retreat, hidden from prying eyes and city hustle? Transform your outdoor space into a lush sanctuary with fast-growing hedge plants. Serving both functional and aesthetic purposes, hedges offer natural privacy, noise reduction, and greenery that enhances the charm of any landscape. In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore nine of the best quick-growing hedges to help you create your own private oasis.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Privacy?

A living privacy screen not only shields your garden from neighbors and street views, but also adds beauty, wildlife habitat, and increased property value. Unlike wooden or metal fencing, which can feel cold and uninviting, fast-growing hedges soften boundaries while creating a tranquil, green haven. Here are the key reasons to opt for rapid-growing privacy hedges:

• Quick results: Enjoy privacy in just a few seasons instead of waiting years for maturity.
• Noise reduction: Dense foliage buffers unwanted sound, delivering peacefulness.
• Eco-friendly: Natural hedges promote biodiversity and absorb carbon dioxide.
• Year-round interest: Many fast-growing hedge species are evergreen, maintaining cover all year.
• Versatility: Choose from flowering, evergreen, or colorful options to suit your taste.

How to Select the Best Fast-Growing Hedges

To create a private oasis with hedges, consider these factors when choosing plants:

• Growth rate and mature height
• Climate suitability (hardiness)
• Sun and soil requirements
• Maintenance level
• Evergreen or deciduous preference

Select hedges for privacy that thrive in your specific region and fit your desired aesthetic. Below, we introduce nine outstanding fast-growing options that fit a variety of needs.

9 Best Fast-Growing Hedges to Create a Private Oasis

1. Leyland Cypress (x Cuprocyparis leylandii)

Arguably the fastest-growing privacy hedge available, Leyland cypress is revered for its speed and density. It can grow up to 3 to 4 feet per year, quickly forming an impenetrable evergreen barrier.

• Growth rate: Extremely rapid
• Height: Up to 60 feet (often maintained at 10-20 feet for hedges)
• Best for: Large properties and spacious gardens
• Advantages: Disease resistant, cold hardy, year-round privacy
• Care tip: Frequent pruning to control size and shape

2. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Perfect for formal hedging, privet hedges offer lush foliage and fast growth of up to 2 to 3 feet per year. Their small, dense leaves easily form a green wall.

• Growth rate: Rapid
• Height: 4-15 feet (depending on variety and pruning)
• Advantages: Easily shaped, tolerant of pollution--excellent for urban gardens
• Flowers offer fragrance; attracts pollinators
• Care tip: Regular trimming keeps shape dense and manageable

3. Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

With striking dark-green leaves and red stems, Portuguese laurel is a premium choice for fast-growing hedges. It balances rapid growth (up to 18 inches a year) with elegant appearance, offering dense coverage and low maintenance needs.

• Growth rate: Moderate to fast
• Height: 10-18 feet
• Features: Evergreen, fragrant white flower clusters
• Well-suited for most soil types and conditions
• Care tip: Annual light trimming

4. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata 'Green Giant')

Arborvitae 'Green Giant' is a favorite hedge for privacy because it combines vigor and resilience. These trees rapidly reach heights of 40+ feet if left unpruned, but are typically trimmed for hedging.

• Growth rate: 3+ feet per year
• Height: 15-40 feet
• Advantages: Disease resistant, deer resistant, drought tolerant
• Soft, fan-shaped foliage provides luxurious texture
• Care tip: Minimal pruning required, excellent for low-maintenance screens

5. Bamboo (Clumping Varieties)

For a contemporary look, clumping bamboo hedges are unbeatable in speed and drama. Unlike invasive running bamboo, clumping bamboo expands slowly outward while shooting up quickly. Some species can reach full privacy in just 2-3 years.

• Growth rate: Rapid vertical growth
• Height: 10-35 feet (species dependent)
• Advantages: Exotic appeal, rustling sound in wind, evergreen in milder climates
• Care tip: Requires rich soil and moisture but minimal pruning

6. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

This hardy, evergreen hedge has glossy leaves and grows up to 2 feet per year, providing year-round coverage. It tolerates shade and difficult soils--ideal for tricky garden spots or boundaries.

• Growth rate: Fast
• Height: 10-20 feet (easily kept lower with pruning)
• Advantages: Strong, glossy evergreen foliage
• Produces white flower spikes and black berries (not edible)
• Care tip: Handles heavy pruning to maintain neat shapes

7. Escallonia (Escallonia spp.)

Looking for hedging with color? Escallonia offers both glossy, evergreen leaves and an explosion of pink or red flower clusters from late spring through autumn. It suits coastal climates and can withstand wind and salt.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: 4-10 feet
• Advantages: Attracts hummingbirds and bees, fragrant blooms
• Tolerates drought and poor soils
• Care tip: Trim after flowering for best results

8. Photinia 'Red Robin' (Photinia x fraseri)

For a striking privacy hedge, the Photinia 'Red Robin' is prized for its fiery red new growth, turning deep green as leaves mature. Fast and dense, this hedge adds color and character to your oasis.

• Growth rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Height: 6-12 feet
• Features: Evergreen, vibrant color in spring and summer
• Drought tolerant once established
• Care tip: Prune to encourage flushes of red leaves

9. Viburnum 'Tinus' (Viburnum tinus)

Popular for urban gardens, Viburnum tinus offers glossy leaves, winter flowers, and a compact habit. It forms a thick screen and is highly resistant to pollution, wind, and pests.

• Growth rate: Moderate to fast (1-2 feet per year)
• Height: 6-10 feet
• Advantages: Year-round privacy, pinkish-white blooms from winter to spring
• Attracts pollinators, minimal maintenance
• Care tip: Trim lightly after flowering to maintain shape

How to Plant and Maintain Fast-Growing Hedges

To truly create a private oasis with fast-growing hedges, proper planting and aftercare are essential. Follow these steps to guarantee success:

Site Preparation

• Measure and mark your hedge line to ensure a straight, uniform row.
• Check soil drainage; amend poor soil with compost before planting.
• Space plants according to their spread--generally 1 to 3 feet apart for quick coverage.

Planting Techniques

• Dig wide holes slightly deeper than root balls; ensure roots are loose and spread out.
• Water thoroughly after planting and mulch to retain moisture.
• Feed with a balanced fertilizer during growing months for maximum vigor.

Maintenance Tips

• Prune regularly to encourage bushy growth and prevent legginess.
• Water deeply in dry spells, especially in the first 2 years.
• Monitor for pests and diseases: Quick action keeps hedges healthy.
• Fertilize annually for dense foliage and fast growth.

Creative Design Ideas Using Privacy Hedges

A fast-growing hedge lets you do more than just mark a property line. Here are a few creative ways to integrate hedges into your landscape and enjoy a unique private oasis:

• Secret garden areas: Use hedges to carve out secluded nooks for meditation, reading, or dining.
• Noise buffer for patios: Plant alongside outdoor seating to muffle road or neighbor sounds.
• Windbreaks: Position hedges in windy spots to shelter delicate plants and reduce chill.
• Backdrops: Soft green walls highlight flower borders or statuary beautifully.
• Wildlife habitat: Choose berrying or flowering hedges to attract birds and beneficial insects.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fast-Growing Privacy Hedges

Q: How quickly do these fast-growing privacy hedges reach maturity?

Most species on our list can provide a solid screen within 2 to 5 years with proper care.

Q: Which hedge is best for dense year-round privacy?

Evergreen species like Leyland cypress, Green Giant arborvitae, and cherry laurel provide thick coverage 12 months a year.

Q: Do fast-growing hedges require a lot of maintenance?

Growth rate correlates with trimming needs. Clipping 1-3 times per year keeps most rapid-growing hedges neat.

Q: Are there deer-resistant options?

Yes! Green Giant arborvitae and Portuguese laurel are reliably deer resistant.

Conclusion: Build Your Private Oasis with Fast-Growing Hedges

A fast-growing hedge for privacy is an eco-friendly, beautiful solution for transforming your yard into a secluded retreat. Whether you crave classic cypress, exotic bamboo, or blooming escallonia, these nine quick-growing hedges offer diversity and versatility for every garden style. With proper planting, thoughtful design, and occasional maintenance, you'll enjoy lush, living privacy--and your own tranquil backyard paradise--for years to come.

Ready to create your private oasis with a fast-growing hedge? Choose the best species for your needs and start your transformation today!