Secure Your Space with 9 Swiftly Growing Hedges

Posted on 20/05/2025

Is your garden missing a little privacy? Or maybe you need a natural boundary that not only protects but beautifies your property? If so, consider planting swiftly growing hedges. Fast-growing hedgerows are a smart, eco-friendly alternative to fences, offering both privacy and lush green vistas in record time. In this comprehensive guide, we'll walk you through the best fast-growing hedge plants to secure your space while adding style and value to your landscape.

Why Choose Swiftly Growing Hedges?

Hedges serve multiple functions in modern landscapes. Beyond just marking property boundaries, they can:

• Provide privacy from neighbors and passersby
• Reduce noise from roads or busy areas
• Act as windbreaks protecting homes and gardens
• Enhance security by deterring unwanted visitors
• Boost curb appeal with their aesthetic value

The major benefit of swiftly growing hedges is their ability to establish quickly--offering both security and beauty in just a few seasons. Whether you have a large estate or a compact city yard, there's a fast-growing hedge perfect for every space and need.

Main Advantages of Fast-Growing Hedges

• Quick Coverage: Enjoy the benefits of full privacy and boundary definition in months rather than years.
• Environmental Perks: Dense foliage traps dust, absorbs pollutants, and provides habitats for wildlife.
• Cost-Effective: Natural hedgerows are often less expensive and more sustainable than building traditional fences.
• Low Maintenance: Many fast-growing hedge plants require minimal care once established.

Best Practices for Planting Hedges

Before delving into the top choices, make sure you optimize your planting for robust, fast growth:

• Select the right species: Choose a hedge that thrives in your local climate and soil.
• Spacing matters: Most hedges need to be planted 1-2 feet apart for even growth and coverage.
• Prepare the soil: Enrich with compost and ensure good drainage.
• Water and mulch: Keep new plants moist and add mulch to conserve moisture and prevent weeds.
• Regular pruning: Shape, encourage dense growth, and maintain the hedge's health and beauty.

Secure Your Space: 9 Swiftly Growing Hedges for Your Garden

Ready to discover the best fast-growing hedges for privacy, security, and style? Here are nine of the top performers favored by gardeners worldwide:

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 feet per year
• Uses: Excellent for privacy screens, windbreaks, and sound buffers
• Best For: Large properties, quick security barriers

The Leyland Cypress is legendary for its robust, upright growth and dense foliage. Its ability to reach impressive heights quickly makes it ideal for those seeking a green wall in the shortest time.

2. Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

• Growth Rate: 3-5 feet per year
• Features: Evergreen, deer-resistant, responds well to pruning
• Best For: Year-round privacy, low-maintenance borders

This arborvitae variety is especially popular for its resilience in various soil conditions and its impressive height, creating a living fence that's both stunning and enduring.

3. Privet (Ligustrum species)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Features: Semi-evergreen, fragrant flowers, easy to trim into formal shapes
• Best For: Neat, traditional-looking, quick-growing boundary hedges

Privet hedges have adorned gardens for generations, prized for their dense growth and adaptability. With regular trimming, they'll hold a sharp, tidy profile all year round.

4. Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth Rate: 2 feet per year
• Features: Glossy evergreen leaves, shade-tolerant, withstands pollution
• Best For: Urban gardens, roadside screening, shady areas

The Cherry Laurel is a favorite for city homeowners seeking quickly established privacy. Its shiny leaves look vibrant even in dense shade or challenging city conditions.

5. Bamboo (Phyllostachys or Fargesia species)

• Growth Rate: Up to 5 feet per year (for some varieties)
• Features: Tall, exotic appearance, evergreen, excellent windbreak
• Best For: Contemporary gardens, narrow spaces, year-round screening

With its unique looks and explosive growth rate, bamboo can form impenetrable privacy screens quickly. Choose clumping varieties to avoid invasiveness, or use proper underground barriers.

6. Red-Tipped Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Features: Vibrant red new foliage, white flowers, evergreen
• Best For: Colorful boundary hedges, attracting pollinators

The Red-Tipped Photinia offers both fast coverage and seasonal beauty, with its striking red-tipped leaves making it a showstopper in any garden while securing your space.

7. Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)

• Growth Rate: 1-2 feet per year
• Features: Classic look, drought tolerant, dense foliage
• Best For: Formal gardens, shaped hedges, small borders

If you want a combination of elegance and privacy, boxwood is a timeless choice. Its compact, evergreen growth habit is easily sculpted, perfect for both high hedges and compact barriers.

8. Escallonia (Escallonia species)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 feet per year
• Features: Showy blooms, evergreen leaves, salt tolerant
• Best For: Coastal gardens, attracting pollinators, ornamental hedges

Escallonia will thrive where others struggle, offering color and resilience by the seashore and windswept landscapes. The glossy, flower-dotted foliage makes for a cheerful boundary.

9. Hawthorn (Crataegus species)

• Growth Rate: Up to 1-2 feet per year
• Features: Thorny branches, spring flowers, bird-friendly berries
• Best For: Wildlife gardens, natural-looking hedges, added security

Hawthorn hedges have been used for centuries to create picturesque, impenetrable boundaries. Their detail-rich seasonal changes and wildlife value make them both practical and beautiful.

Frequently Asked Questions about Fast-Growing Hedges

How Fast Is "Fast"? What Can I Realistically Expect?

"Fast-growing" varies among species and depends on proper care and ideal conditions. On average, you can expect 1 to 5 feet of new growth per year from the plants listed here. Optimal sunlight, fertile soil, and regular watering will ensure that your hedge grows at its top potential speed.

Are Evergreen Hedges Better Than Deciduous Hedges for Privacy?

Evergreen hedge plants provide year-round screening and security, making them ideal for most privacy needs. Deciduous options--like hawthorn--offer seasonal coverage and additional benefits, such as flowers and fruit for wildlife, but may lose their leaves in winter.

How Soon Will I Have Complete Privacy?

With proper selection and care, full privacy can often be achieved within 2 to 4 years. In the meantime, layered planting and temporary supports (such as trellis or fencing) can enhance screening as your hedges mature.

Can I Mix Different Hedge Species?

Absolutely! Mixing hedges creates visual interest and biodiversity. Just make sure to select plants with compatible growth rates, soil, and sun needs so no single species overtakes the others.

Expert Tips for Thriving Swift-Growing Hedges

• Plant in Spring or Early Fall: This gives roots a head start in mild conditions.
• Water deeply, especially in the first year: Consistent moisture encourages robust root establishment.
• Mulch after planting: Keeps roots cool, moist, and free of weeds, while improving soil around your hedge plants.
• Feed appropriately: Use slow-release, balanced fertilisers suited to your chosen hedge type.
• Prune early and regularly: Encourages bushier, denser hedges that provide more security and privacy.

Conclusion: Transform and Protect Your Property

Securing your space with rapidly growing hedges is an investment in both privacy and beauty. These living walls not only shield your home from prying eyes but also contribute to cleaner air, richer biodiversity, and an inviting landscape that matures over time.

Explore the options, choose species that suit your conditions, and give them the right start. With a little patience and care, your hedge will soon grow swiftly--creating the secure, tranquil retreat you desire.

Ready to Plant Your Hedge?

If you're eager to secure your space with fast-growing hedges, visit your local nursery or garden center today. Consult experts, explore hedge plant varieties, and begin the journey to a greener, more private, and secure outdoor sanctuary!