Fast Growing Bushes for Hedges | Privacy In A Season

A fast-growing hedge like Leyland cypress or Green Giant arborvitae can add 3 to 5 feet per year, quickly turning a bare yard into a private one.

Few landscaping jobs reward you faster than planting a hedge. The right fast growing bushes for hedges can screen a nosy neighbor or block a road view within a couple of seasons — but only if you pick species suited to your site and give them the right start. Here’s what actually grows quickly, what it costs in care, and the mistakes that slow even the fastest shrubs down.

Which Bushes Grow Fastest?

The fastest hedge shrubs fall into two camps: evergreens that build a year-round screen, and deciduous options that grow even quicker but drop leaves in fall. Growth rates vary by soil and water, but the numbers below reflect what healthy plants manage under good conditions.

• Leyland cypress — the speed champion, adding up to 90 cm (about 3–5 feet) per year once established. A classic evergreen screen, though it needs regular trimming to stay dense.
• Green Giant arborvitae — a close second at 3–5 feet per year, with a softer, more manicured look that fits suburban yards better than Leyland’s wilder growth.
• Cherry laurel — 40–60 cm (roughly 1.5–2 feet) per year with broad, glossy evergreen leaves that make a solid privacy wall.
• Privet — the classic hedge shrub, easy to shape and quick to fill in, though it’s semi-evergreen and thins out in cold winters.
• Photinia — an evergreen with striking red new growth, fast enough for screening and popular across the South.
• Forsythia — a deciduous option that explodes with yellow blooms in early spring and grows vigorously, ideal for a colorful boundary rather than year-round privacy.

Wax myrtle also ranks among the quickest privacy options in warmer regions. If you’re weighing which of these fits your yard, our roundup of established tested bushes for hedges compares the most reliable picks side by side.

What Makes A Hedge “Fast Growing”?

Horticulturists generally treat anything above 40 cm (about 1.5 feet) per year as fast. Most hedge plants grow between 10 and 100 cm annually, so a shrub doing 3 feet is in the top tier. But that speed only shows up when the plant is happy — the fastest genetics in the world stall in the wrong spot.

Site fit matters more than any growth claim. A sun-loving photinia planted in deep shade will sulk; a water-hungry Leyland on dry sandy soil will brown. Before you buy, check your USDA hardiness zone and match the species to your sun, soil, and space. That one step separates a thriving screen from a row of struggling sticks.

Planting And Care That Keeps Them Moving

Fast growth is earned in the first couple of years. Get establishment right and the shrubs do the rest.

Plant in fall when possible — cooler soil lets roots establish before summer heat arrives. Dig a trench 30–40 cm deep and 50 cm wide, or individual holes at least three times the size of each root ball, loosening the soil thoroughly so roots can spread. Water deeply for the first 2–3 summers; the first two growing seasons are critical, and a generous weekly soak beats a daily sprinkle every time.

Fertilize each spring with a high-nitrogen slow-release formula if maximum growth is the goal. Prune yearly, usually in spring, to force branching low down — a hedge that’s never cut grows tall but thin at the base, and that’s the opposite of privacy. Regular trimming is what builds the dense wall you actually want.

Check local restrictions before planting it or any species flagged in your region — a fast hedge you later have to rip out is no bargain.

Common Mistakes That Slow Hedges Down

• Skipping the establishment phase. Fast growers still need consistent water for their first year or two; expecting speed without watering is the most common failure.
• Ignoring site fit. The wrong light or soil turns a fast shrub into a slow one, no matter its genetics.
• Never pruning. Uncut hedges lose density at the base and can’t screen what you need them to.
• Trusting evergreen speed claims blindly. Growth depends on soil, water, and pruning — a claimed rate only holds under decent conditions.

The payoff is worth the patience: a well-sited, well-watered hedge planted this season can give you real privacy within two years. Pick the right species for your zone, give it a proper start, and the growth takes care of itself.