6 Fast-Growing Hedges That’ll Give Your Yard Privacy (and Beauty) in No Time

Wax Leaf Privet

Wax leaf privet (Ligustrum japonicum), also called Japanese privet, is an evergreen shrub with dense, waxy leaves that make an excellent living privacy wall. Just prune it regularly to maintain its shape and size. 

“The wax leaf privet stands out as one of my preferred fast-growing privacy hedges because it reaches 2 to 3 feet per year, enabling quick transformation into a living screen,” says Tammy Sons, founder and CEO of TN Nursery.

• Hardiness Zone: 7 to 10
• Light: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Clay, loamy, sandy, well-drained
• Growth Rate: 2 to 3 feet per year
• Height at Maturity: 6 to 12 feet

Forsythia

Forsythia is a deciduous flowering shrub with dense foliage that’s perfect for privacy. “The forsythia plant offers vibrant early-season color combined with fast growth, reaching heights between 8 and 10 feet while thickening beautifully when pruned regularly,” Sons says.

• Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Moist, well-drained soil
• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Height at Maturity: 3 to 10 feet

American Arborvitae

American arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a low-maintenance, fast-growing evergreen tree that offers a tall privacy hedge. “American arborvitae stands as a timeless evergreen option,” Sons says. “The American arborvitae maintains structural integrity throughout every season while achieving annual growth up to 2 feet.”

• Hardiness Zone: 3 to 7
• Light: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Moist, well-drained
• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Height at Maturity: 20 feet to 40 feet

Thuja ‘Green Giant’

The fast-growing ‘Green Giant’ arborvitae  (Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Thuja standishii x plicata) is a versatile and malleable privacy hedge. This coniferous evergreen gives year-round screening and can also be a great backdrop for deciduous trees, shrubs, and perennial borders.

“This is one of the fastest-growing plants for hedging,” explains Andrew Bunting, VP of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. “This hybrid arborvitae has a strong central leader and can grow 2 to 4 feet a year and even more quickly once established.”

Bunting adds that the Green Giant can reach over 60 feet tall, but can easily be kept to the size you want through shearing and pruning.

• Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
• Light: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Loamy, clay, well-drained  
• Growth Rate: 2 to 4 feet per year or more
• Height at Maturity: 40 to 60 feet

Japanese Cedar

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria Japonica), also called sugi, is an evergreen conifer that is hardy and fast-growing. “This selection of the Japanese red cedar grows 2 to 3 feet a year,” Bunting says. “This conifer has a dark green color with a billowing texture. It can be selectively pruned, but it makes more of an informal hedge versus a hedge that can be sheared.”

• Hardiness Zone: 5 to 8
• Light: Full sun
• Soil: Moist, well-draining
• Growth Rate: 2 to 3 feet per year
• Height at Maturity: 50 to 60 feet

Frans Fontaine

Frans Fontaine (Carpinus betulus), also called European hornbeam, is a fast-growing, dense-leafed deciduous tree that can give you privacy in your outdoor space and reach heights of up to 60 feet.

“This selection of the European hornbeam is a fast-growing, upright deciduous tree,” Bunting says. “Once established, it can grow 2 to 3 feet a year. If planted 6 to 8 feet apart, it quickly establishes an upright hedge that can be left unpruned or pruned into a more formal form.”

• Hardiness Zone: 5 to 7
• Light: Full sun or partial shade
• Soil: Moist, well-draining
• Growth Rate: 2 to 3 feet per year
• Height at Maturity: 40 to 60 feet