9 Rapidly Expanding Hedges to Conceal Your Garden

Posted on 17/05/2025

9 Rapidly Expanding Hedges to Conceal Your Garden

Are you seeking the most effective, fast-growing privacy hedges to shield your garden from prying eyes? Whether you want to create a secluded retreat, mute traffic noise, or simply add lush green boundaries, rapidly expanding hedges can transform your outdoor space in record time. In this comprehensive guide, we unveil nine of the best fast-growing hedging plants that offer both beauty and privacy, turning your garden into a verdant sanctuary.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges?

Rapidly expanding hedges are ideal for gardeners impatient for privacy and eager to see results within a few seasons. Quickly growing hedge plants not only provide an immediate living fence but also add year-round interest, reduce noise, and offer habitats for wildlife.

• Privacy: Shield your home from neighbors and create intimate outdoor spaces.
• Noise reduction: Dense foliage dampens street sounds and traffic noise.
• Windbreak: Protect delicate plants and outdoor seating areas from harsh winds.
• Wildlife haven: Offer shelter and food for garden-friendly birds and insects.

Let's dive into the top rapidly expanding garden hedges to help you achieve quick coverage and maximum privacy.

1. Leylandii (Cupressus x leylandii)

Leylandii remains a classic choice for fast-growing hedge screens. With an astonishing growth rate of up to 90cm (3 feet) per year, it can swiftly establish a tall, dense boundary. The lush, evergreen foliage forms an almost impenetrable wall, perfect for complete garden concealment.

Benefits of Leylandii

• Grows exceptionally fast, quickly reaching desired height.
• Dense, evergreen coverage all year round.
• Easy to shape with regular pruning.
• Effective at reducing noise and air pollution.

Tip: Prune regularly to maintain your preferred size and prevent it from becoming unmanageable.

2. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Cherry Laurel offers a substantial, rapidly expanding green hedge that thrives in various conditions. Its wide, glossy leaves create a robust, wind-resistant boundary, enhancing privacy and adding a luxurious feel to garden edges.

Key Features

• Growth rate: Up to 60cm (2 feet) per year.
• Broad, evergreen leaves provide thick screening.
• Tolerates shade and different soil types.
• White flower clusters attract pollinators in spring.

For an immediate impact, plant Cherry Laurel as a hedge and watch it swiftly form a living fence.

3. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

Well-known for its speedy growth and adaptability, Privet is a favored option for those seeking a low-maintenance, rapidly developing shrub fence. With quick establishment and lush foliage, it's ideal for both formal and informal gardens.

Advantages of Privet Hedges

• Annual growth up to 60cm (2 feet).
• Tolerates pruning and shapes easily.
• Ideal for topiary and shaped hedges.
• Varieties available: evergreen and semi-evergreen.

Privet is particularly valued for its resilience and willingness to thrive in urban settings or challenging sites.

4. Griselinia littoralis (New Zealand Broadleaf)

For coastal gardens or milder climates, Griselinia is a fantastic, fast expanding hedge plant. Its waxy, bright green leaves and bushy habit provide year-round privacy screening in as little as two years.

Griselinia's Strengths

• Growth rate: up to 45cm (18 inches) per year.
• Salt, wind, and pollution tolerant.
• Evergreen with dense, attractive foliage.
• Low-maintenance--rarely troubled by pests.

Note: Thrives best in milder climates with minimal frost risk.

5. Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin'

Photinia 'Red Robin' is a dynamic, rapidly growing shrub celebrated for its distinctive red-tipped new leaves. This hedge choice not only delivers quick coverage but also injects color and vibrancy into the landscape.

Photinia's Unique Appeal

• Reaches up to 30-40cm (12-16 inches) growth per year.
• New foliage emerges in striking crimson-red.
• Evergreen and dense when regularly trimmed.
• Thrives in sun and part-shade.

If you want a fast-growing, colorful hedge, Photinia 'Red Robin' is hard to surpass.

6. Bamboo (Phyllostachys species)

For a modern, super-fast-growing living screen, few plants compare to Bamboo. Certain Phyllostachys varieties can soar up to 1 metre (3 feet) per year, offering unrivaled speed and suitability for narrow hedge beds.

Bamboo Hedge Advantages

• Virtually instant privacy--establishes thick canes quickly.
• Ideal for small gardens thanks to upright habit.
• Creates a lush, green tropical atmosphere.
• Excellent wind and noise buffer.

Important: Choose clumping bamboo varieties or use root barriers to prevent unwanted spreading.

7. Escallonia

Escallonia combines rapid expansion with attractive, glossy foliage and summer-flowering blooms. Renowned for its robustness and seaside tolerance, it's a prime pick for fast-growing hedges in coastal gardens.

Escallonia's Features

• Growth up to 45cm (18 inches) per year.
• Pink, white, or red flowers attract pollinators.
• Evergreen and salt-tolerant.
• Low-maintenance and drought-resistant once established.

This hedge adds both beauty and strong protection for less sheltered spots.

8. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

For those after a deciduous but dense hedge, Hornbeam brings swift, leafy cover and elegant texture. It is a popular alternative to beech, retaining golden autumn leaves for extended seasonal privacy.

Advantages of Hornbeam Hedges

• Fast-growing (up to 45cm/18 inches per year in favorable conditions).
• Tolerates clay and damp soils.
• Responds well to hard pruning and shaping.
• Provides shelter for wildlife in all seasons.

This classic hedge establishes a sturdy, green boundary and adds sophisticated charm to any garden.

9. Elaeagnus x ebbingei ('Ebbinge's Silverberry')

Elaeagnus x ebbingei is a superstar for fast, dense garden screening. Its evergreen leaves with silvery undersides provide year-round cover, even thriving in tough, coastal exposed positions.

Why Choose Elaeagnus?

• Growth rate: 30-50cm (12-20 inches) annually.
• Highly salt and drought tolerant.
• Bears fragrant, small blooms in autumn.
• Resilient in sun or partial shade.

Elaeagnus stands out for combining toughness with speedy establishment, making it one of the best rapidly developing hedges for concealment in challenging soils.

How to Ensure the Fastest Growth for Screening Hedges

To maximize the speed of hedge establishment, follow these essential tips:

• Soil preparation: Enrich the planting site with compost and loosen compacted soil.
• Watering: Keep new plantings consistently moist until they are well-established.
• Fertilizing: Apply a balanced feed in early spring to stimulate strong growth.
• Spacing: Plant hedges closely enough (according to species) for quick ground coverage.
• Regular trimming: Lightly prune young hedges to encourage bushier growth and density.

Additional Considerations for Fast-Growing Hedging Plants

Selecting the right hedge for your garden depends on several factors:

• Climate and exposure: Some hedges, like Griselinia and Escallonia, thrive in coastal, windy sites, while others (Photinia, Bamboo) prefer sheltered aspects.
• Soil type: Matching your soil condition (chalky, clay, sandy) with the plant's requirements speeds up establishment.
• Desired height and width: Fast-growing species vary in their eventual mature size--trim or select accordingly.
• Maintenance expectations: Rapidly expanding hedges often need regular pruning to remain neat and within bounds.
• Evergreen vs. deciduous: For year-round privacy, prioritize evergreens. Deciduous options like Hornbeam retain some leaf cover during winter.

Summary Table: 9 Rapidly Expanding Hedges for Privacy

Hedge Plant	Growth Rate (per year)	Evergreen?	Best For
Leylandii	Up to 90cm (3ft)	Yes	Maximum, speedy privacy
Cherry Laurel	Up to 60cm (2ft)	Yes	Thick, glossy green screen
Privet	Up to 60cm (2ft)	(Semi-) Evergreen	Versatile, formal/informal shapes
Griselinia	Up to 45cm (18in)	Yes	Coastal tolerance
Photinia 'Red Robin'	30-40cm (12-16in)	Yes	Colorful, low-maintenance screens
Bamboo	Up to 1m (3ft)	Yes	Instant modern screening
Escallonia	Up to 45cm (18in)	Yes	Flowering, coastal hedges
Hornbeam	Up to 45cm (18in)	No (deciduous)	Structured, seasonal privacy
Elaeagnus x ebbingei	30-50cm (12-20in)	Yes	Tough, all-round screening

Conclusion: Transform Your Garden with Rapidly Expanding Hedges

Fast-growing hedges offer an efficient, attractive solution to garden privacy, wind protection, and boundary marking. With so many rapidly expanding hedging plants to choose from, you can find a species suited to your particular climate, soil, and style preferences. Whether you opt for the towering Leylandii, colorful Photinia, or modern Bamboo, these living screens will naturally, swiftly, and beautifully conceal your garden from the outside world.

Ready to plant? Select one of these nine exceptional fast-growing hedges, follow the care tips above, and enjoy a verdant, secluded haven in just a few seasons!