Home> Fast Growing Hedges
Fast-growing hedges are always in high demand! The main uses are:
- Privacy
- Peace and Quiet
- Hiding eyesores (fences, sheds, AC units, etc.)
- Shade
Regardless of the reason for wanting a rapidly-growing tall hedge or privacy screen, we haveexcellent options for any space. These varieties will grow more than 1 foot per year (some can growup to 4 feet per year in ideal conditions). They are all well-suited to hedging, so they can also bepruned to remain tight and kept at any desired height. Some are fastgrowing evergreen trees for privacy, some are deciduous. These plants are fastest growing shrubs in Florida and other states. We’ve includeddetailed information on each with the best ways to use and maintain them.
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7 Varieties of Fast Growing Hedges
ENCOURAGING FAST GROWTH
It is important to note that, although these varieties do growfast when compared with some other types, a big factor in the growth rate is the environment. Fast growing privacy hedge and shrubs that are stressed from lack of water,extreme temperatures, or the wrong exposure (i.e. too much sun or too much shade), will grow much slowerthan the typical growth rates.
If getting a tall hedge fast is important to you, you will need tomake sure to do the following 5 things:
1. Choose the right hedge for the right space.
If you don’t plant your hedge in the right site, fast growing shrubswill never thrive. Full sun plants need to be planted in full sun. Plants that are borderlinehardiness will be damaged each winter by frost. Water-loving varieties can’t be planted indeserts. Do your research before planting, choose a plant that suits your site, and you will bejust fine. Keep in mind that a plant that tolerates both shade and sun will generally growfaster in more sun.
2. Plant your hedge at the right time.
Planting an Amur Maple hedge in the middle of July in full sun with limited supplemental wateris going to set the plants back significantly. The ideal time to plant is fall, after the hedgesare dormant. You can also safely plant fast growing evergreen trees for privacy through thewinter in areas where the ground does not freeze hard, and spring is also a good time. Doingthis for fast growing shrubs saves your work and worry and saves the plants a lot of stress.
3. Water for the first 1-2 years
Once your hedge has been in the ground for several years and has had a chance to send roots deepinto the soil, it will need very little supplemental water, if any. However, it is important toprovide ample water during the first 1-2 growing seasons after planting. The best way to do thisis to lay a drip line along the length of your fast growing shrubs and run for an hour at a timeevery few days to water deeply.
4. Fertilize
Fast growing shrubs are very low-maintenance, but if you want optimum growth, applying ahigh-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer will help. It is best to apply in the spring right beforegrowth begins.
5. Prune at the right times
Spring is generally the best time to prune, as this stimulates new growth and ensures that notender new shoots will be frozen if they emerge too close to winter. Yearly pruning, although itseems counterintuitive for a fast-growing hedge, really helps create a nice, dense hedge. You’llbe glad you did it!
FLAME AMUR MAPLE
Acer Ginnala ‘Flame’
Flame Amur Maple is our favorite deciduous fast-growing hedge. It has outstanding fall color in fiery reds, oranges, and yellows. It is very cold-hardy (down to -40ºF!) and can be grown in most parts of the US.
It can easily be grown as a hedge thanks to its multi-stemmed natural habit and can be maintained bypruning once per year.It thrives in full sun to part shade, and it is quite drought-tolerant once established.
Flame Amur Maple makes one of the best fast growing shrubs screens that provide shade in the summer andstill allows light through in the winter.
NAME Acer ginnala ‘Flame’ (Flame AmurMaple)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Deciduous (Fiery fallcolor)
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 3-8
GROWTH RATE Fast (Up to 2 feet per year)
GROWTH HABIT Multi-Stemmed
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS Deer
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Screening (Shade in summer,light in winter)
ENGLISH LAUREL (CHERRY LAUREL)
Prunus Laurocerasus
English laurel (or Cherry Laurel) can make an enormous fast-growing hedge. Under the right conditions,it can grow up to 3 feet per year! It does very well in heat.It has glossy evergreen foliage and makes a very attractive large hedge with regular pruning 1-2 timesper year.English laurel grows in full sun to partial shade. It tolerates a wide variety of soil types and is verydrought-tolerant once established. It is smog and salt tolerant, and deer will not touch it.English laurel makes a tough-as-nails, versatile, and seriously fast-growing hedge. The perfect fastgrowing shrubs for large spaces where privacy is needed. The hedge is considered as one of the best fast growing evergreen trees for privacy in the USA.
NAME Prunus laurocerasus (English orCherry laurel)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Broadleaf EvergreenGlossy green leaves
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 6-9
GROWTH RATE FAST Up to 3 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Large, Rounded
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS None
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy Thick, evergreen hedge
SCHIP LAUREL
Prunus Laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’
Schip laurels (or Skip laurels) are a very popular shrub to use for an evergreen fast-growing hedge.They can easily make a tall and narrow hedge with pruning once per year and occasional shaping. They arefast growing evergreen trees for zone 5. It has the advantage over most other fast-growing hedge typesof tolerating full sun to full shade. Schip laurels fast growing shrubs also grow well in a wide varietyof soil types, is drought-tolerant once established, and is not bothered by smog or salt. It does wellin heat and is cold hardy to zone 6 or even warmer parts of zone 5.Schip laurel makes a durable fast-growing hedge that is ideal for privacy and for hiding fences.
NAME P. laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’(Schip laurel)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Broadleaf EvergreenGlossy green leaves
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 6-9
GROWTH RATE FAST Up to 2 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Wide Vase
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Full Sun to FullShade
DEER/PESTS None
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy, Hiding Fences Tall,narrow evergreen hedge
PORTUGUESE LAUREL
Prunus Lusitanica
Portuguese laurel is a stunning fast-growing evergreen hedge that works well for warm, coastal regions.It grows quickly but is easy to maintain due to its mostly spreading habit. With pruning once per year,it quickly makes a very dense hedge.Portuguese laurel thrives in warm climates and does well in drought, smog, and salt. It grows in a widerange of soils, including poor soils. It is deer-resistant. It can take full sun and partial shade.Though a little slower-growing than the English laurel or Schip laurel, Portuguese laurel makes anexcellent fast-growing hedge with less maintenance required. Its thickness makes it one of the best hedges forprivacy, wind-block, and noise-block. It is also perfect for hiding fences.
NAME Prunus lusitanica (Portugueselaurel)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Broadleaf EvergreenGlossy green leaves
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 7-9
GROWTH RATE Fast Up to 1.5 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Broad Column
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS None
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy, Hiding Fences Thick,dense hedge
AMERICAN ARBORVITAE
Thuja Occidentalis
American Arborvitae is a popular plant for evergreen fast-growing hedges. It is extremely cold-hardy soit is especially useful in the Northern US.They are fast growing shrubs but easy to maintain as a clipped hedge with one pruning per year.It is low-maintenance and fairly drought-tolerant once established. It does well in urban environments.Unfortunately, deer can be a problem.American Arborvitae make a wonderful, low-maintenance, evergreen, fast-growing hedge. It worksespecially well as a privacy hedge.
NAME Thuja occidentalis (AmericanArborvitae)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Evergreen Dark green,thread-like foliage
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 2-8
GROWTH RATE Fast Up to 1-2 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Upright
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS Deer
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy Low-maintenance privacy
GREEN GIANT ARBORVITAE
Thuja X ‘Green Giant’
Green Giant Arborvitae is the big exception to the rule that Arborvitae grow slowly. This hybrid Thujatypically grows 3 feet per year, with some reports circulating of it growing 5 feet in one year!If you need a fast-growing, large, evergreen Arborvitae hedge, Green Giant is a perfect choice. It willtake some work to maintain if you want to keep it as a medium-sized hedge, but one pruning per year willsuffice for a large hedge.Green Giant grows in full sun to partial shade and is resistant to many diseases and pests, includingdeer. It tolerates many soils, but consistently damp and poor-draining sites should be avoided. It growswell in the humidity of the Southeastern US.Green Giant Arborvitae is a classic fast-growing hedge. It is a popular choice for privacy andwind-breaks, and will remain healthy in many areas where other Arborvitae would struggle.
NAME Thuja x ‘Green Giant’ (Green GiantArborvitae)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Evergreen Dark green,thread-like foliage
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 5-8
GROWTH RATE FAST Up to 3-5 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Pyramidal
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS None
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy, Wind-break
VIRESCENS WESTERN RED CEDAR
Thuja Plicata ‘Virescens’
Virescens Western Red Cedar is a wonderful fast-growing hedge for warmer regions where other Arborvitaemight not thrive. It has a unique upright-branching habit and responds well to hedging.Virescens naturally grow tall and narrow, so it lends itself well to a tall privacy hedge. One pruningper year is sufficient to maintain a nice hedge.Native to the Pacific Northwest, Virescens does well everywhere that isn’t too hot or too cold. Ittolerates partial shade as well as full sun, and it holds its green color all year. Deer leave it alone.Virescens Western Red Cedar is so well-suited to forming a fast-growing hedge that it requires verylittle maintenance. Virescens’ fast growing shrubs make a very handsome privacy hedge and hide fenceswell. So if you are looking for a non-toxic privacy hedge to hide ugly fence of neighbors or yourbreakfast area that looks ugliest like never before then this is one of the best fast growing privacyhedges to consider.
NAME Thuja plicata ‘Virescens’ (VirescensWestern Red Cedar)
EVERGREEN/DECIDUOUS Evergreen Brightgreen, thread-like foliage
HARDINESS ZONE Zones 5-8
GROWTH RATE Fast Up to 2 feet per year
GROWTH HABIT Upright, Pyramidal
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS Sun to Part Shade
DEER/PESTS None
MAINTENANCE Prune 1 time per year
BEST FOR Privacy, Hiding Fences
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