Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (2024)

Gardening

Shrubs

By

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (1)

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry's most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40+ years of experience and 20+ years of writing experience. Mary is also a member of The Spruce Gardening and Plant Care Review Board.

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Updated on 03/13/24

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (2)

Reviewed byKathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and horticulturist with over 30 years of experience in organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens,aworking sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column.

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Fact checked by

Elizabeth Maclennan

Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (3)

Fact checked byElizabeth Maclennan

Elizabeth MacLennan is a fact checker and editor with a background in earth sciences and sustainability. Elizabeth holds an M.S. from The University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

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Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (4)

Privacy shrubs should be fast-growing to quickly turn your property into a retreat. A six-foot privacy hedge is usually all you need to create a secluded yard. The hedge can hide unsightly views, serve as a living backdrop to specimen plants, or simply provide privacy from neighbors.

When selecting shrubs look for those with a fast growth rate of two to three feet per year. Other important considerations are the mature size of the plants, planting and maintenance requirements, and whether the plants are evergreen or deciduous.

As you make your selections, consider the growing conditions in your hardiness zone including sun exposure, soil conditions, and watering requirements.

Here are 21 top choices for fast-growing privacy shrubs.

Tip

Annual or semi-annual pruning is key to shaping fast-growing plants into a hedge. Many of these plants can quickly get out of hand if you neglect regular pruning for height, width, and overall shape.

Best Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs

  • 01 of 21

    Arborvitae

    There are many varieties of evergreen arborvitae (Thuja) with very different rates of growth and mature sizes. A good choice for large privacy hedges is the fast grower 'Green Giant', which can reach 50 to 60 feet tall (with a spread of 12 to 20 feet). If you want a more compact hedge 2 to 14 feet tall, with a spread of 3 to 4 feet, 'Emerald Green' arborvitae is a better, but slower-growing option.

    • Name: Arborvitae (Thuja)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-8b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy
    • Mature Size: 12–60 ft. tall, 4–12 ft. wide, depending on type
    • Deer Resistant:No

  • 02 of 21

    Yew

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    Yews (Taxus) areshade-tolerant evergreen plantsthat will thrive in north-facingfoundation plantings or they can be grown in full sun. Yew have red or burgundy berries but grow more slowly than other shrubs, so expect only a foot a year. All parts of yew shrubs aretoxic to humans and animals.

    • Name: Yew (Taxus)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b
    • Light: Full, partial, shade, depending on type
    • Water: Moist, semi-drought tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 4-60 ft. tall, 4-20 ft. wide, depending on the variety
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 03 of 21

    Privet

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    Privet (Ligustrum spp.) is a familiar evergreen hedge selection. It is a fast-growing shrub (two feet a year), prunes nicely, and has flowers that lead to winter fruit clusters.

    While Ligustrum vulgare was once the most common type of privet planted, it has lost popularity to some of the more ornamental varieties, such as Japanese privet (L. japonicum). The fruits and leaves of privet are toxic to humans and pets.

    • Name: Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
    • Hardiness zone: 4a-10b, depending on cultivar
    • Light: Full sun to part sun
    • Water: Drought tolerant once established
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, rich soil
    • Mature Size: 4–15 ft. tall, 4–10 ft. wide, depending on cultivar
    • Deer Resistant:Most of the time

  • 04 of 21

    Cherry Laurel

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    Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus), commonly called English laurel, is a good option for those in warmer climates. In ideal conditions, it can grow up to three feet per year with glossy evergreen leaves and creamy white spring flowers.

    A popular cultivar, Schip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus'Schipkaensis') grows as a goblet-shaped shrub 10 to 15 feettall and 5 to 7 feet wide.

    • Name: Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5b-9b, depending on the cultivar
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 10-20 ft. tall, 5-10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

    Continue to 5 of 21 below

  • 05 of 21

    Red Twig Dogwood

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (9)

    The deciduous red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea) stands out as a handsome privacy hedge in winter although the leaves, berries, and flowers have disappeared thanks to its signature fire-red bark color. It is a fast-growing shrub adding two feet of height annually.

    • Name: Red twig dogwood (Cornus sericea)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2a-7b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Semi-drought tolerant once established
    • Soil Needs: Rich, fertile, moist soil
    • Mature Size: 5–9 feet tall, 5-10 feet wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 06 of 21

    Mock Orange

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    Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius) is a wonderfully fragrant shrub in the hydrangea family. The blooms and growth rate of about two feet annually make this deciduous shrub a welcome hedge selection.

    • Name: Mock orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy soil
    • Mature Size: 10–12 ft. tall and 8-10 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Most of the time

  • 07 of 21

    Common Lilac

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    Like mock orange, the traditional and common lilac (Syringa vulgaris) is a spectacular spring shrub with fragrant flowers. It will grow about two feet a year but sheds its leaves each fall.

    • Name: Common lilac bushes (Syringa vulgaris)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a-7a
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Loamy soil
    • Mature Size: 8–15 ft. tall, 6–12 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 08 of 21

    Forsythia

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    When forsythia flower buds start to burst, spring is here. Among the earliest spring flowering shrubs, the plants make yellow "walls" of privacy, growing at about two feet annually. They are deciduous plants that spread rapidly.

    • Name: Forsythia (Forsythia spp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-8b
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Requires regular watering
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 3–10 ft. tall, 4-7 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Most of the time

    Continue to 9 of 21 below

  • 09 of 21

    Cotoneaster

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (13)

    The branching of cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis) is stiff and dense, giving the plant a rather bristly look. Stems shoot off the branches in what is often referred to as a herringbone pattern. the shrub is evergreen to deciduous depending on the cultivar. Cotoneaster is a fast grower at two feet annually.

    The cultivar,C. lucidus, grows 6 to 10 feet high and wide. The red berries of cotoneasters are toxic to humans and animals, but safe for birds.

    • Name: Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster horizontalis)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-7b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Semi-drought tolerant once established
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained, evenly moist
    • Mature Size: 2-10 ft. tall; 6-10 ft. wide, depending on cultivar
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 10 of 21

    Beautyberry

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (14)

    Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is such afast-growing deciduous shrub adding two feet annually that many recommend pruning it down to within a foot or so of the ground in early spring. The resulting new growth, laden with berries by autumn, is sufficiently large to make for a compelling display and privacy hedge.

    • Name: Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-10b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 3–6 ft. tall, 3–6 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:No
    See Also
    Great hedge and screen plants for privacy | Pacific Nurseries

  • 11 of 21

    Common Ninebark

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    Common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) was named for its exfoliating bark which makes a showy display for this deciduous shrub. The Diablo cultivar offers more than an interesting bark. The dark burgundy foliagemakes it one of the so-called"black" plants.

    All ninebarks are such fast-growing shrubs they may reach their mature height in one year.

    • Name: Common ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2a-8b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought and wet soil tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Clay or loamy soil
    • Mature Size: 5-10 ft. tall,6-10 ft. wide, depending on cultivar
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 12 of 21

    puss* Willow

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (16)

    The puss* willow (Salix discolor), displays its characteristic fuzzy white catkins even before the arrival of forsythia's yellow blooms.

    puss* willows are extremely fast growers and can potentially add four to six feet of height a year before shedding their leaves in the winter. Another willow shrub that grows quickly is the Flamingo Japanese willow.

    • Name: puss* willow (Salix discolor)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 2a-7b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Requires consistent moisture
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained
    • Mature Size: 10-20 ft. tall, 8-12 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:No

    Continue to 13 of 21 below

  • 13 of 21

    Loropetalum

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (17)

    Loropetalum, also called Chinese fringe flower (Loropetalum chinense), is anevergreen, multi-stemmed shrub well-known for its delicate, fragrant, and frilly pink, magenta, or white blooms.It has a fast growth rate of two feet annually.

    • Name: Loropetalum (Loropetalum chinense)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 7b-9b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Extremely drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained, loamy, acidic soil
    • Mature Size: 6-8 ft. tall, 6-8ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 14 of 21

    Canadian Hemlock

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (18)

    Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) can be an evergreen tree or shrub depending on the cultivar and hardiness zone. These are fast-growing and cold-hardy shrubs or trees, growing two feet a year forming dense privacy walls.

    • Name: Canadian hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a-7b
    • Light: Part sun to part shade
    • Water: Moderately drought tolerant but prefer regular watering
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist
    • Mature Size: 40-70 ft. tall, 25-35 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 15 of 21

    Burning Bush

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (19)

    Burning bush (Euonymusalatus) is an invasive shrub in North America but it is a fast grower at two feet annually with a terrific fall color and berries that range from red to pinkish-red.

    • Name: Burning bush (Euonymusalatus)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 4a-8b
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Prefers consistent moisture
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy soil
    • Mature Size: 15-20 ft. tall, 15-12 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 16 of 21

    Leyland Cypress

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (20)

    Leylandii, commonly known as Leyland cypress (x Hesperotropsis leylandii) is a hybrid of Alaskan cedar and Monterey cypress. It is an aggressive evergreen grower, capable of growing up to three feet per year. With annual or semi-annual pruning, leylandii makes an excellent privacy hedge or windbreak. Leyland cypress may be slightly toxic to grazing animals.

    • Name: Leyland cypress (x Hesperotropsis leylandii)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-10b
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loamy, sandy
    • Mature Size: 60–70 ft. tall; 10—15 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:Most of the time

    Continue to 17 of 21 below

  • 17 of 21

    Butterfly Bush

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (21)

    The Butterfly bush is a must-have for pollinator gardens and makes a flowing, flowering hedge. Depending on the cultivar, the flowers can be pink, white, purple, or lilac. Although deciduous in cooler zones, in zones 9-13 it is evergreen.

    • Name: Butterfly bush (Buddleja Americana)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 9a-13a
    • Light: Full sun to part shade
    • Water: Drought tolerant once established
    • Soil Needs: Loamy to sandy, well-drained soil
    • Mature Size: 4-6 ft. tall, 4-6 ft. wide
    • Deer Resistant:No

  • 18 of 21

    Boxwood

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (22)

    Boxwood (Buxus) includes about 70 species of mainly slow-growing broadleaf evergreens with small, rounded, and leathery leaves. Choose the cultivar Sprinter® (Buxus microphylla) for a faster-growing shrub.B. sempervirens'Suffruticosa',is a popular choice for hedges and topiaries. Boxwoods are easy to grow, take little maintenance, and are suitable for a variety of locations. Boxwood is toxic to animals.

    • Name: Boxwood (Buxus)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Water: Prefers consistent moisture
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loam, or sand
    • Mature Size: 3-8 ft. tall, 3-8 feet wide, depending on cultivar
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 19 of 21

    Holly

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (23)

    Ilexis alarge genus of more than 400 species of trees, shrubs, and climbers. Hollies are known for their evergreen leaves and colorful berries. Male and female plants are usually needed for fruiting. Not all hollies are fast-growing, but cultivars like Needlepoint (Ilex cornuta'Needlepoint') and Nellie Stevens (Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens') can add one to two feet per year.

    • Name: Holly (Ilex)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b
    • Light: Full sun to partial shade
    • Water: Moderate drought tolerance
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loam, sand, well-draining
    • Mature Size: 15-30 ft. tall, 8-10 ft. wide, depending on cultivar
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

  • 20 of 21

    Hydrangea

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (24)

    Hydrangeas offer a variety of flower colors and leaf shapes and thrive in almost all types of soil. With consistent moisture and proper light, this deciduous shrub is a rapid grower averaging two feet or more per year.

    As you plan your privacy hedge, be sure to consider the growth pattern of the cultivar you select. Hydrangeas are toxic to humans and animals if consumed.

    • Name: Hydrangea (Hydrangeaspp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a-9b
    • Light: Partial to full sun
    • Water: Needs consistent moisture
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loam, sand
    • Mature Size: 2-6 ft. tall, 2-6 feet wide
    • Deer Resistant:No

    Continue to 21 of 21 below

  • 21 of 21

    Juniper

    Plant These 21 Fast-Growing Privacy Shrubs for a Secluded Yard (25)

    There are hundreds of species and cultivars of the evergreen juniper that range from tall, narrow forms to low, spreading ground covers. When selecting a juniper for a privacy hedge, pay close attention to the mature height and shape of the cultivar. Some of the best choices for a hedge are Juniperus virginiana, Juniperus communis'Compressa', and Juniperus communis var. communis.

    • Name: Juniper (Juniperus spp.)
    • USDA Hardiness Zones: 3a-10b
    • Light: Full sun
    • Water: Drought-tolerant
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loam, sand
    • Mature Size: 2-20 ft, 2-8 ft depending on species
    • Deer Resistant:Yes

FAQ

  • What is the fastest-growing shrub for privacy?

    Leyland cypress (x Hesperotropsis leylandii) is a fast-growing evergreen conifer adding 3 to 5 feet per year.Arborvitae (Thuja x 'Green Giant'), Japanese privet (L. japonicum), and Nellie Stevens (Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens') are also excellent selections.

  • What are the best low-maintenance shrubs for privacy?

    Once these shrubs are well-established, they are the best low-maintenance selections for a privacy hedge: Boxwoods, Arborvitae, and Schip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus'Schipkaensis').

  • Is a hedge cheaper than a fence?

    If the shrubs are planted and maintained properly, a privacy hedge is less expensive than a manufactured fence. The shrubs usually last longer than a wooden fence and can provide beneficial food for wildlife and beautiful berries and blooms.

How to Trim Hedges

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Taxus. North Carolina State University Extension.

  2. Yew.ASPCA.

  3. Safe and Poisonous Garden Plants. University of California.

  4. Toxic and Non-Toxic Plants: Common Privet.ASPCA.

  5. Poisonous Berries. Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

  6. Tsuga canadensis. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  7. Landscaping for horses requires thoughtful planning. Oklahoma State University.

  8. Boxwood. ASPCA.

  9. Hydrangea.ASPCA.

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