9 Quick-growing Hedges to Establish a Private Sanctuary

Posted on 24/05/2025

9 Quick-Growing Hedges to Establish a Private Sanctuary

Transforming your outdoor space into a tranquil retreat can be as simple as planting fast-growing hedges. Whether you desire a natural privacy screen, windbreak, or a beautiful green backdrop, quick-growing hedges provide privacy and add elegance to gardens of all sizes. In this comprehensive guide, discover the best fast-growing hedging plants to create your own private sanctuary, along with expert tips on cultivation, care, and landscape design strategies.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedging Plants?

Fast-growing hedges offer multiple benefits for homeowners and landscapers. They serve as living fences that shield your property from prying eyes, muffle noise pollution, and provide safe habitats for wildlife. The best quick-growing hedges also enhance curb appeal and may increase property value.

• Swift privacy: Get results in as little as one growing season.
• Natural windbreak: Protect your garden and living spaces from harsh winds.
• Aesthetic value: Attractive foliage and seasonal blooms elevate landscape design.
• Wildlife-friendly: Shelter and food for birds, bees, and beneficial insects.

Main Considerations for Choosing Fast-Growing Hedging Shrubs

Before selecting your ideal hedging plants, consider:

• Growth speed: Some species can grow up to 1 meter or more per year.
• Mature height and width: Ensure sufficient space for growth.
• Evergreen or deciduous: Evergreens provide year-round coverage, while deciduous hedges may offer brilliant fall color.
• Climate suitability: Choose varieties adapted to your local environment.
• Maintenance needs: Some hedges require regular pruning, others are low-maintenance.

9 Quick-Growing Hedges for Privacy and Beauty

Create your private garden paradise quickly with these top-performing hedging plants. Each choice below delivers lush foliage, rapid growth, and stand-out features for diverse climates and gardens.

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressus x leylandii)

• Growth rate: Up to 90cm (3 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 12-18m (40-60 feet), easily maintained at desired height
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Tall living privacy screens and windbreaks

Few plants rival the Leyland cypress for speed and reliability. This hybrid conifer is famed for its dense, feathery foliage and impressive height. When planted closely and pruned regularly, Leyland cypress forms a formidable privacy hedge within just a couple of years. Thriving in full sun to partial shade and tolerating many soil types, it's a go-to choice for both rural and suburban sanctuaries.

2. Privet (Ligustrum species)

• Growth rate: 30-60cm (1-2 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 1.5-4m (5-13 feet)
• Type: Semi-evergreen to deciduous
• Best for: Classic, easily-shaped hedges

Privets, including Ligustrum ovalifolium and Ligustrum vulgare, are staples of formal European gardens. Their fast growth and resilience make them a favorite for establishing quick privacy. They prosper in urban settings, withstand pollution, and can be shaped into crisp, dense walls. Bonus: they produce fragrant white flowers in summer, attracting pollinators.

3. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth rate: 60cm+ (2+ feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 5-8m (16-26 feet) but easily pruned
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Broadleaf, glossy privacy screens

With its bold, shiny leaves and ability to grow rapidly in both sun and shade, cherry laurel is a superb candidate for quick-growing privacy hedges. This tough shrub tolerates drought and urban conditions, filling gaps in record time. Its robust growth also makes it ideal for blocking sightlines and creating dense backdrops.

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

• Growth rate: Up to 30cm (1 foot) per year
• Height at maturity: 3-4m (10-13 feet)
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Colorful foliage and year-round interest

Popular for its brilliant red new growth, 'Red Robin' photinia is a show-stopper in mixed borders and formal hedges alike. It recovers well from hard pruning and maintains a thick, lush habit. This quick-growing hedge plant does best in full sun and moderately fertile soil. Use it to add color and interest to your privacy barriers.

5. Bamboo (Clumping varieties such as Fargesia and Bambusa)

• Growth rate: Up to 1-1.5m (3-5 feet) per year in ideal conditions
• Height at maturity: 3-6m (10-20 feet)
• Type: Evergreen grass
• Best for: Modern, tropical-style privacy

Bamboo hedges make a dramatic statement and grow much faster than most woody shrubs. Opt for clump-forming bamboo varieties to avoid invasiveness. They provide year-round screening, swaying gracefully in the breeze and introducing a calming sound element. Bamboo tolerates a variety of soil types and is perfect for contemporary and Asian-inspired garden sanctuaries.

6. Escallonia (Escallonia species)

• Growth rate: Up to 45cm (1.5 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 1-3m (3-10 feet)
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Colorful flowers and coastal hedges

Noted for its glossy green foliage and profusion of pink, red, or white flowers in summer, escallonia thrives especially well in coastal and windy locations. This versatile, fast-growing hedge can be shaped to size and rewards you with months of color while screening your private oasis from view.

7. Viburnum tinus (Laurustinus)

• Growth rate: 30-40cm (1-1.5 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 2-4m (6-13 feet)
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Winter flowering hedges

Laurustinus viburnum offers a dense, leafy screen with dark green foliage and clusters of fragrant white to pinkish flowers from late autumn to spring. This quick-growing hedging shrub is tolerant of both sun and shade, perfect for gardens where year-round interest and reliable coverage are desired.

8. Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

• Growth rate: Up to 60cm (2 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 15-20m (50+ feet), often kept to 3-4m (10-13 feet)
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Lush, aromatic privacy walls

The Western red cedar forms a solid screen of feathery green foliage, ideal for large gardens or creating a backdrop for patios and decks. It responds well to shaping, resists deer and pests, and emits a pleasant fragrance. Known for its resilience, western red cedar is a top option for fast privacy hedging in colder or wetter climates.

9. Elaeagnus x ebbingei (Silverberry)

• Growth rate: 40-60cm (1-2 feet) per year
• Height at maturity: 3-5m (10-16 feet)
• Type: Evergreen
• Best for: Hardy, drought-tolerant hedges

Elaeagnus x ebbingei is appreciated for its toughness and silvery-green foliage. Its inconspicuous flowers are wonderfully fragrant in autumn, and its robust growth ensures quick, attractive coverage. This plant is highly tolerant of dry, poor soils, salty winds, and air pollution, making it an excellent quick-growing hedge for challenging sites.

Planting and Caring for Quick-Growing Hedging Plants

Establishing a lush privacy screen quickly depends on proper planting and routine maintenance. Follow these guidelines to ensure your fast-growing hedges thrive:

1. Site Preparation

• Clear the planting area of weeds and debris.
• Improve soil with organic compost or well-rotted manure.
• Ensure good drainage, especially for species prone to root rot.

2. Spacing and Planting

• Refer to the mature width of your chosen species for optimal spacing--generally 30-100cm (1-3 feet) apart.
• Water plants in well and mulch to retain moisture.
• Stake young trees or tall cultivars in exposed locations.

3. Watering and Feeding

• Keep soil consistently moist for the first growing season.
• Fertilize in early spring with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer.

4. Pruning and Shaping

• Start pruning your hedges early to encourage bushiness from the base.
• For formal shapes, prune at least twice a year.
• Remove any dead, damaged, or diseased branches promptly.

Additional Tips for Establishing Your Private Sanctuary

• Layer with perennials or ornamental grasses in front of your hedge for extra interest and wildlife value.
• Mix evergreen and deciduous hedge plants for seasonal diversity.
• Incorporate flowering varieties to enjoy extended blooming periods and attract pollinators.
• Use strategic planting to create winding paths, secret nooks, or intimate seating areas within your garden sanctuary.

Conclusion: Fast-Track Your Private Garden Sanctuary

With these 9 quick-growing hedges, achieving a serene, private retreat in your own backyard is simpler and faster than you think. From the towering Leyland cypress and aromatic western red cedar to striking Photinia and contemporary bamboo, there's a solution for landscapes of every style and size. By carefully selecting the right fast-growing hedge plants and following best cultivation practices, you'll soon enjoy a flourishing green haven that brings both privacy and beauty--year after year.

Ready to enhance your landscape? Start planning your living sanctuary today with the best fast-growing hedges and enjoy a peaceful, private garden oasis in no time.