Fast-Growing Shrubs for Privacy Hedges Full Guide of 2023

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Looking to add some privacy to your outdoor space? Fast-growing shrubs are the perfect solution! Not only do they provide an extra layer of security, but they can also be cultivated into beautiful hedges and borders.

From Pearl Beautyberry to Redtwig Dogwood, we’ll explore the top fast-growing shrubs that will help keep prying eyes away from your backyard. We’ll also discuss what it takes to maintain these plants so you can achieve maximum growth quickly.

Some popular fast-growing shrubs include Barberry, Boxwood, and Honeysuckle. Barberry offers vibrant foliage and thorns that deter trespassers. The dense growth of Boxwood makes it ideal for hedges and screens. Fragrant Honeysuckle blooms heavily in spring and summer.

When planting fast-growing shrubs, prepare the soil with compost or manure to encourage healthy root development. Space plants appropriately for the expected mature size. Water new plantings thoroughly and continue regular watering the first two years.

Apply mulch around the base to retain moisture. Prune frequently in the first couple seasons to promote bushiness.

Top 4 Fast-Growing Shrubs to Grow for Privacy

Gardener, prepare to cultivate some swift, dense shrubs for instant seclusion and color in your yard! Select a Pearl Beautyberry for vivid purple leaves and autumn berries, a mottled Willow for elegant three-color dimension, a Redtwig Dogwood for winter curiosity, or fragrant single-flower Mock Orange for spring charm.

1. Pearl Beautyberry Shrub Dark Purple Foliage Violet Berries

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You’ll be as pleased as punch with the Pearl Beautyberry shrub’s rapid growth and vibrant color for your privacy screen. This Proven Winners beautyberry cultivar packs a visual punch with its deep purple spring foliage and showy violet-purple fall berries.

Its upright growth habit and deer resistance make it ideal for a space-saving, low maintenance privacy hedge.

Simply situate in full sun, provide moderate water, and watch it thrive year-round in USDA zones 5-8.

Enjoy the beautyberry’s striking hues and energetic growth as an easy way to add privacy.

2. Salix Hakaro Nishiki Dappled Willow Shrub 3 Size Container

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Sounds like this graceful dappled willow will elegantly accent your landscape with its tri-colored foliage while providing vibrant plant texture. The Salix hakaro nishiki’s white, green and pink variegated leaves offer year-round interest and elegance.

Plant this moisture-loving, cold hardy bush in zones 4-8 for optimal growth and enjoyment.

Reviewers praise the generous size and health of the plants upon arrival, though packaging could be improved. With proper planting and care, this easy-growing shrub delivers striking, tri-colored foliage sure to elevate your garden.

3. Redtwig Dogwood Shrub

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Adding visual interest in your garden, the Redtwig Dogwood shrub’s bright red winter stems contrast nicely against the snow. For example, my neighbor Barbara planted several in her front yard last fall and was thrilled to see them light up the landscape all winter long.

This deciduous shrub thrives with full sun exposure and moderate watering, growing 5-7 feet tall and wide. The red stems really shine after the leaves drop in winter. Come spring, attractive white blooms appear, followed by white berries.

While new growth starts out reddish, the stems turn fiery red in the cold months.

The multi-stemmed habit and red twigs make it a standout.

4. Mock Orange Single White Blooms Shrub

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A delightful bonus, this fragrant mock orange delivers romantic white blooms when planted properly. Bring privacy and tranquility to your outdoor sanctuary by cultivating this old-fashioned classic. Though challenging to transport, its sweet perfume and graceful arching branches can transform your garden into an ethereal dream.

Your patience will be rewarded with elegance if you take time to nurture the roots and acclimate this beauty to dappled sunshine. Let your senses immerse in the magic of spring when mock orange unfurls delicate white petals amid deep green leaves.

Interested in Purchasing?

Wanna snag some of those beauties for your yard?

• Check out our Buyer’s Guide featuring the best online nurseries and local garden centers to find these ideal shrubs.
• Use the Plant Selection tips to choose varieties suited to your region’s climate.
• Follow the Maintenance Tips to ensure your new shrubs thrive.

These fast-growing shrubs’re sure to create a lush privacy screen or evergreen hedge with minimal effort. Shop smart and plant right to enjoy their unmatched beauty. With proper planning, any yard can be transformed into a secluded sanctuary.

Nature provides the solutions – we simply guide you to the ideal conditions for healthy, rapid growth.

Arborvitae

As we shift from shopping options, let’s examine the functional evergreen arborvitae. This sought-after shrub touts striking perks as a privacy divider and hedge. When strategically planted, arborvitae makes a living barricade that obstructs undesirable sights and muffles noise.

With appropriate care, these robust shrubs hold their lush greenery year-round. For quick, foolproof growth, select vigorous varieties like Green Giant that can gain 3-5 feet yearly. Space multiple plants at least 2-4 feet apart to shape a tight, even hedge. Provide them full sunlight, keep soil moist, and fertilize in spring.

With the ideal settings, arborvitae will fast grow into a tall, full privacy fence brimming with life.

So mull over arborvitae’s potential to encounter your seclusion and charm requirements in any period.

Variety	Growth Rate	Mature Height
Green Giant	3-5 ft/year	60 ft
Emerald Green	1-2 ft/year	12-14 ft
Techny	1-2 ft/year	15 ft
Holmstrup	12-18 in/year	10-15 ft

Butterfly Bush

You’ll attract lots o’ pollinators by plantin’ those fragrant butterfly bushes in the backyard. Look for varieties like the Black Knight, with its deep purple blooms, or the Pink Delight, burstin’ with rosy flowers.

Prune butterfly bushes in early spring, cuttin’ ’em back by a third to keep ’em bushy an’ full.

Space butterfly bushes three feet apart for a pollinator-friendly, fast-growin’ hedge. Avoid wet soil that can lead to root rot. Mulch well and fertilize in early spring an’ midsummer.

With bright blossoms from summer to frost, butterfly bushes make a statement in beds, borders an’ containers. Fragrant an’ free-flowerin’, they’ll bring winged beauties flockin’ from miles around.

Plant butterfly bushes this season an’ enjoy the show!

Hydrangea

Hydrangeas offer lush flower heads in ravishing colors to enhance your garden’s privacy. Give these beauties moist, well-draining soil and they’ll reward you with abundant blooms. Prune in late winter to promote growth, cutting back by one-third to one-half. Remove dead stems and thin inner branches for ample airflow.

Choose Endless Summer, Let’s Dance, or Tuff Stuff varieties for repeat flowering. For fast growth, select Quick Fire or Limelight panicles. With simple care of pruning, watering, and fertilizing, hydrangeas create a lush, flowering hedge to increase privacy.

Their breathtaking blossoms unfold in a captivating palette to complement your personal sanctuary.

Pyracantha

Pyracantha is an excellent choice for fast-growing privacy hedges. Their dense, thorny branches make them a natural deterrent. With fiery clusters of orange-red berries in autumn and white spring blooms, they’re beautiful too.

For best growth, choose full sun and well-draining soil. Space plants 2-3 feet apart for a thick hedge. Prune in winter to shape. Varieties like ‘Mohave’ grow vigorously. ‘Fireburst’ offers brilliant color.

Watch for fireblight and scab disease. Scout for pests like aphids. They’re hardy in zones 5-9. With proper care, you’ll be rewarded with a striking, fast-growing Pyracantha hedge for security and seclusion in just a few seasons.

Lilac

Lilac’s fragrant blooms invite you in, even as its height shuts the world out.

As a fast-growing shrub for privacy and fragrance, lilac offers versatility. With varieties ranging from 5-15 feet tall, select a size that fits your landscape needs. Most thrive with full sun and well-draining soil.

Prune soon after blooming by removing the oldest canes to the ground, shaping remaining branches. This maintains size and promotes abundant blooms. Browse available types like dwarf, re-blooming, and dwarf re-blooming to find your perfect lilac.

Beyond the spring spectacle, heart-shaped leaves on green stems persist in summer. Some add winter interest. With care, lilacs live for decades, only improving with time.

Let lilac transform your outdoor space into a fragrant sanctuary that delights year after year.

Ninebark

Your ninebark’s peeling cinnamon bark offers a cozy winter aesthetic for your secret garden hideaway. Select the right ninebark variety and care for it properly to achieve a fast-growing, hardy privacy screen.

• Coppertina’s dramatic foliage emerges red, matures to deep burgundy.
• Amber Jubilee boasts golden leaves that intensify in fall.
• Tiny Wine®, a dwarf at just 3-4 ft tall, bears rich red leaves.

Though somewhat drought-tolerant when established, deep weekly watering encourages growth. Prune in late winter to shape and remove diseased stems. Apply mulch to maintain soil moisture and discourage weeds.

With proper selection, planting, and care, ninebarks create a graceful, multi-stemmed living screen for secluded sanctuaries.

Loropetalum

Loropetalum’s burgundy foliage will visually enhance your landscape’s vibrancy, although some find the florescent pink blooms too showy. Give this evergreen shrub a prominent place to show out its colorful personality.

With large clusters of bright pink flowers contrasting elegantly against purple-burgundy leaves, loropetalum packs visual impact.

To keep loropetalum looking its best, prune as needed to control size and shape. Fertilize in spring with a balanced feed. Plant in full to part sun locations with well-drained soil. Water during dry periods.

While relatively adaptable, it thrives in USDA zones 7-10. With proper siting and care, loropetalum will reward you with long-lasting beauty.

Viburnum

Viburnum tinus is an evergreen shrub that provides height for your garden. This versatile shrub thrives in zones 7-10 with proper planting and care. When pruned correctly, Viburnum can grow over a foot per year, with varieties like V.

Common care tips include watering weekly and fertilizing in early spring. Use Viburnum tinus as a flowering privacy hedge or backdrop shrub. Its pink buds open to lightly fragrant white blooms in late winter through mid-spring.

The dark green leaves provide great structure and contrast. The red berries that follow attract birds and other wildlife to your landscape.

With its rapid growth, fragrant blooms, and versatility, Viburnum tinus is a great fast growing shrub for privacy.

Spirea

Hope your spirea’s flower spirits soar. To enhance your garden’s privacy and beauty, consider adding spirea. This hardy, adaptable deciduous shrub offers vibrant blooms, fall color, and fast growth.

Prepare soil with compost before planting spirea in full sun or part shade. Most varieties grow 2-4 feet yearly, so prune in spring to shape dense foliage.

Enjoy bright blossoms through summer, from white plumes of ‘Bridal Veil’ to pink cascades of ‘Anthony Waterer’.

With proper care, spirea transforms open landscapes into secluded sanctuaries. Let your spirit rise with this flowering fast-grower.

Red Twig Dogwood

Y’all’d appreciate the brilliant scarlet stems of Red Twig Dogwood come wintertime.

With proper care, your Red Twig Dogwood’ll reward you with a blaze of winter interest year after year. Plant in full sun with neutral to acidic, well-drained soil. Although slow-growing at 1-2 feet per year, it can reach 6 feet tall and wide when mature.

Let Red Twig Dogwood set your winter garden aglow!

Crape Myrtle

You’re gonna love how quickly those gorgeous crape myrtles grow tall to give you more backyard privacy. Crape myrtles are some of the fastest growing shrubs around, shooting up as much as 3 feet per year once established.

Their multi-trunked form and colorful summer blooms add beauty while efficiently blocking views. To keep them tidy, prune annually in late winter. Remove crossing or inward-growing branches along with small twigs and seed pods.

Check recommended height and varieties for your zone like the hardy ‘Natchez’ or ‘Muskogee’ types. With their lush leaves that shift from green to red and orange in fall, crape myrtle brings year-long interest.

Give them full sun and supplemental water for optimal growth. You’ll be amazed how a few small starter shrubs transform into a tall, vibrant hedge in just a couple seasons!

Serviceberry

Your serviceberry, also called shadbush, quickly delivers fragrant spring white blooms and edible berries among tidy green foliage. This versatile landscape plant thrives in zones 4-9 when sited in full sun and provided moderate irrigation.

Popular varieties include the Amelanchier canadensis and A. arborea, which yield sweet summer berries for jams, pies, and fresh eating. You’ll enjoy serviceberries in borders, mass plantings, or as specimen trees, where they reach 15-30 feet at maturity.

Space serviceberries 10 feet apart to allow airflow and growth. Prune suckers in spring to prevent leggy growth. Fertilize young plants in fall. Serviceberry care is low maintenance once established.

Play up the graceful growth habit by underplanting with azaleas, rhododendrons, or small shrubs like viburnum.

Euonymus

You’d be wise to avoid planting the invasive euonymus near your property line, lest its unchecked growth deprive your neighbor’s garden of sunlight.

1. Euonymus fortunei, or wintercreeper euonymus, is an aggressive spreader that can damage ecosystems. Its evergreen leaves and hardiness make it appealing, but it spreads rapidly, choking out native plants.
2. Euonymus alatus, known as burning bush, offers brilliant fall color but seeds prolifically, spreading invasively.
3. For a non-invasive alternative, try Euonymus bungeanus ‘Perralder,’ which offers evergreen foliage and rich fall tones without aggressive spreading.

Though euonymus offers attributes like year-round greenery and fall interest, most varieties spread uncontrollably. Seek less invasive options or plant in containers to curtail growth. Thoughtfully match the plant to your site to prevent runaway spreading into natural areas.

Juniper

Land junipers for an evergreen hedge that grows up to one foot per year. Their sharp foliage provides natural privacy and security. Select compact juniper varieties under six feet tall for tighter spaces. Space multiple plants two to three feet apart for a continuous hedge.

Give junipers full sun and well-drained soil. Water newly planted junipers regularly until established. Then let soil dry between waterings. Prune overgrown branches in fall or spring.

Recommended juniper varieties include:

Variety	Height	Spread	Growth Rate
Blue Rug	1-2 ft	4-6 ft	Slow
Blue Star	4-5 ft	4-5 ft	Slow
Sea Green	3 ft	5-6 ft	Moderate
Blue Pacific	4-6 ft	4-6 ft	Fast
Spartan	10-15 ft	3-5 ft	Fast

Pair junipers with other hedge plants like boxwood for an architectural look. With proper care, junipers make durable hedges.

Rose of Sharon

Rose of Sharon’s so unique – its hardiness and vigor make it the darling of many Southern gardens. This old-timey beauty blooms from July through September with flowers in shades of blue, purple, red, and white.

To keep your Rose of Sharon looking its best, prune any dead branches in late winter before new growth emerges.

Watch for common pests like aphids and Japanese beetles, and treat promptly to avoid major damage.

Plant en masse along a property line or as a specimen plant. With some simple care, the Rose of Sharon brings graceful charm and abundant blooms.

Try These Fast-Growing Shrubs in Your Backyard

Surround yourself with natural beauty and Instagram-worthy color this season by planting fast-growing shrubs in your backyard. Before planting, break up and amend the soil with compost to improve drainage and nutrition.

Space shrubs appropriately and water deeply after planting. Apply mulch to retain moisture. Prune spring-flowering shrubs after blooming and those that flower in summer/fall in early spring. Check for pests like aphids and spray insecticidal soap or neem oil if needed. Fertilize with a balanced 10-10-10 formula in early spring.

As your privacy shrubs become established, they’ll reward you with lush greenery, stunning flowers and provide a peaceful sanctuary right at home.

Weigela

You’d never guess this dainty darling could screen your yard so sneakily. Weigela offers a gorgeous solution for gaining privacy through natural beauty. This carefree flowering shrub bursts forth in spring with clusters of pink, red, or white trumpet-shaped blooms.

Then it keeps the show going with colorful fall foliage. With proper siting and occasional pruning, weigela develops swiftly into an impenetrable living fence. It thrives in full sun and tolerates most soils. Plant several together to form a lush, vibrant hedge.

• Wine & Roses® – Deep pink flowers, purple-red leaves
• Spilled Wine® – Dark red wavy leaves, pink-red blooms
• My Monet® – Green leaves with pink, yellow, red edges
• Minuet – Compact with pink and white bicolor flowers
• Red Prince – Vivid ruby red flowers on green foliage

Let weigela bring its romantic charms to your landscape. You’ll gain beauty and privacy in one gratifying package.

Beauty Bush

You can plant beauty bush for soft pink blooms, as it’s an easy-to-grow deciduous shrub. Come spring, your beauty bush will reward you with abundant light pink flowers on arching branches.

Prepare soil with compost before planting for moisture retention. Watch for pests like scale; use horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Give beauty bush full sun and moderate water. Fertilize in spring with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer.

For plant selection, choose ‘Pink Sprite’ for a dwarf variety or ‘Summer Wine’ for deep pink blooms. With proper care, your beauty bush will thrive for years, offering elegance to your landscape.

Cherry Laurel

Step toward the open gateway of solitude by embracing laurels of cherished memories. Cherry Laurel’s glossy green leaves provide year-round screening while clusters of small creamy white flowers perfume the air in spring.

This fast-growing broadleaf evergreen makes an excellent hedge or specimen planting, perfect for those craving more privacy. Seek out double-flowering cultivars for extra lushness. Prune in early spring before leaf-out.

Space new plants 4-6 feet apart in evenly moist, organically enriched, well-drained soil. Fertilize in early spring. Cherry Laurel’s dense foliage provides shelter for birds while poisonous leaves deter deer.

Let tranquillity take root behind a living wall of Cherry Laurel’s sheltering greenery.

Photinia

Let’s skip the photinia and talk viburnums because those evergreen shrubs thrive with minimal care while blocking views with dense foliage.

Viburnums make excellent hedges or specimen plants. Site them in full sun to part shade. Prune after flowering. With minimal care, these dense shrubs ensure year-round privacy.

Viburnums are a great evergreen option for hedges and screens. They’re low maintenance shrubs that thrive in sun or partial shade. Their spring blooms, fall berries, and year-round foliage provide visual interest.

By choosing varieties that max out at different heights, you can create layered screens for maximum privacy. These beauties will give you a lush, verdant view while blocking what you don’t want to see.

With simple pruning and minimal care, viburnums are evergreen shrubs that just keep on giving.

Buddleja

The butterfly bush grows quickly, shooting skyward in the blink of an eye. It carpets your yard with the wings of happy pollinators in almost no time. With its fragrant, nectar-rich flowers, the buddleja attracts butterflies and hummingbirds from miles around.

Yet this opportunistic shrub requires some know-how to thrive. Though buddleja grows in most soils, good drainage is a must. Situate it in full sun. Prune hard in late winter to promote abundant blooms on new wood.

Cut each stem to 12-18 inches above ground. Remove dead growth in fall. Monitor for pests like aphids.

With proper care, your buddleja will reach its full potential of 4-15 feet tall and wide, depending on variety. Blanketed in blooms, your landscape will buzz with winged visitors. Protect pollinators and privacy in one fell swoop with the remarkable butterfly bush.

Forsythia

The bright yellow blooms of forsythia herald spring’s arrival and instill hope that winter’s chill will soon fade. You eagerly anticipate those bright splashes of color after the dreary grays of winter.

Caring for your forsythia properly ensures an abundant display. Prune immediately after flowering while buds are still small. Thin old branches to the ground to stimulate vigorous new growth. Water during dry periods.

Mass plantings of forsythia create privacy screens or flowering hedges. Interplant with evergreens like arborvitae for year-round screening. For maximum impact, combine forsythia with purple-leaved shrubs. The vibrant contrast sings! Soon forsythia’s cheery blooms will signal winter’s end and warmer days ahead.

Sea Berry

Wonderful in both beauty and purpose, sea buckthorn offers bountiful benefits when used correctly. Though relatively unknown, this versatile superfood deserves a spot in your coastal garden. Sea buckthorn’s attractive silvery foliage and bright orange berries contain exceptional nutritional and antioxidant qualities.

Beyond the health benefits, sea berries make excellent jams, juices, and sauces.

For best results, provide full sun exposure and sandy, well-draining soil. Give sea buckthorn plenty of space, as the thorny bushes reach up to 12 feet across.

With the right conditions, sea berries will reward you for years to come. Treat yourself to the gift of good health and scrumptious sea buckthorn recipes fresh from your garden.

Hydrangeas

You’re rewarded with large, colorful blooms when nurturing hydrangeas in your private sanctuary. Select the right hydrangea varieties for your soil and light conditions. Most prefer morning sun and afternoon shade in moist, well-drained, acidic soils enriched with organic matter.

Give them a good soaking in dry periods. Improve growth by applying an acidic fertilizer like aluminum sulfate in early spring.

Prune in late winter, removing spent flowers and any crossing branches. Leave most of the old wood to encourage flowering. To change color, amend soil pH – more acidic for blues, more alkaline for pinks.

Control common pests like leafhoppers, spider mites, and powdery mildew. With proper siting and care, hydrangeas transform gardens into retreats bursting with magnificent blossoms.

Viburnum Tinus

Your Viburnum tinus evergreen shrub’ll add substantial height to your garden’s privacy hedge fast. This hardy shrub thrives in USDA zones 7-10 with proper viburnum tinus care. Plant in spring in well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade.

Water regularly the first year, then only during drought. Prune after flowering in spring to shape and thin. Remove crossed branches and inward-facing shoots. Cut back old branches to strong new shoots.

Deadhead spent blooms to encourage new buds. Apply organic mulch to retain moisture. Viburnum tinus responds well to organic fertilizer in early spring. Watch for common issues like leaf spots, rust, and webworms.

With the right viburnum tinus planting and care, your privacy hedge’ll flourish for years of beauty and security. Let this rugged shrub grow wild or maintain with seasonal pruning for a tidy, sculpted look.

Lavender

You’d be surprised by just how quickly fragrant lavender hedges can shield your home. Consider adding this fragrant, fast-growing evergreen to your landscape for an aromatic, flowering privacy screen.

With proper site preparation, planting, and care, a lavender hedge can provide a natural-looking, long-lasting screen that deters trespassers. Enjoy the sensory delights from the blooms and aroma while gaining security. Lavender’s silver-green foliage and abundant blooms transform any outdoor space into a welcoming sanctuary.

Elderberry

Elderberry boasts edible berries and lovely blossoms for your garden. This fast-growing deciduous shrub produces clusters of white flowers in early summer, followed by deep purple berries in late summer.

The berries can be harvested and used to make jams, jellies, pies, and wine. Some elderberry varieties like Adams and Johns produce larger berry clusters for easier harvesting.

Plant elderberry in full sun with well-drained soil. Prune in late winter to early spring to promote flowering and fruit production. Elderberry is relatively pest and disease resistant when grown in the right conditions.

Its multistemmed form and height of 5-12 feet make it ideal for creating garden screens and borders.

Beyond the tasty berries, elderberry offers visual interest with layers of delicate lacecap blooms and deep green foliage. Give this useful shrub a spot in your landscape to enjoy seasonal beauty and fruit.

Cornus

Since elderberry, next consider dogwoods for their crimson stems lending winter cheer. Turn to Cornus for dynamic color when bare trees and dormant bushes leave landscapes appearing stark. Several Cornus varieties create vibrant focal points mixed within foundation plantings or edging walkways.

Prune older stems at the base in early spring to promote new growth with the brightest color.

The intense red and yellow bark pops against snowy backdrops. Cultivars like Cornus sanguinea ‘Midwinter Fire’ and Cornus sericea ‘Flaviramea’ can ignite imagination. Embrace the stark beauty of winter with fiery dogwoods, and anticipate brilliant displays year after year.

Cotoneaster

Cotoneaster offers a nice visual treat with its white summer blooms and attractive fall berries, don’tcha think? These fast-growing deciduous shrubs produce flat clusters of small, fragrant white flowers from spring to early summer.

Come autumn, they develop decorative red, orange, yellow or black berries that attract birds.

With proper pruning of older branches in late winter, you can keep their size in check and encourage new growth. Popular varieties like Cotoneaster horizontalis grow just 2-3 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide.

They’re pretty low maintenance, tolerating drought, salt and pollution. Just plant in full sun to partial shade and prune annually.

With landscaping pillars, archways or along pathways, you can train Cotoneaster into beautiful shapes too.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)