Best Fast-Growing Hedges

The best fast-growing hedge is not necessarily the species with the greatest annual growth. A successful hedge must also suit the soil, light, available space and amount of maintenance you are prepared to provide.

Leyland cypress can produce extremely rapid growth, but it requires regular trimming. Cherry laurel creates broad evergreen coverage, while privet provides a more traditional appearance. Hornbeam and hawthorn offer deciduous or seasonal screening with greater wildlife value.

This guide compares the principal fast-growing hedges and explains where each is most useful.

If you are ready to select plants, visit our fast-growing hedging collection.

What Counts as a Fast-Growing Hedge?

A hedge may be described as fast growing if it can produce approximately 30–60cm or more of new growth during a favourable growing season.

Some particularly vigorous species may exceed this once established. Actual growth depends on:

  • Plant species

  • Starting size

  • Soil condition

  • Drainage

  • Available moisture

  • Sunlight

  • Exposure

  • Competition from grass and weeds

  • Planting quality

  • Pruning

  • Establishment and aftercare

Growth-rate figures are guides rather than guarantees. A suitable plant in properly prepared soil will usually establish more successfully than a supposedly faster species planted in poor conditions.

The Best Fast-Growing Hedges at a Glance

Our principal choices are:

  • Leyland cypress for maximum evergreen growth

  • Cherry laurel for broad-leaved evergreen screening

  • Western red cedar for a softer conifer hedge

  • Green privet for adaptable traditional hedging

  • Photinia ‘Red Robin’ for evergreen foliage colour

  • Portuguese laurel for a more refined evergreen appearance

  • Hornbeam for heavier soil and seasonal screening

  • Hawthorn for wildlife and native boundaries

  • Hazel for informal native hedging

  • Alder for reliably moist ground

The best choice depends on the garden rather than growth rate alone.

Leyland Cypress: The Fastest Evergreen Option

Leylandii hedging is one of the fastest-growing evergreen hedges available.

In favourable conditions, established plants can make very strong annual growth. This makes Leyland cypress useful where height and dense year-round screening are required relatively quickly.

Advantages of Leylandii

  • Very fast growth

  • Dense evergreen foliage

  • Effective visual screening

  • Useful for exposed boundaries

  • Can form a tall hedge

  • Generally adaptable once established

Disadvantages of Leylandii

  • Requires regular trimming

  • Can become extremely large

  • May overwhelm a small garden

  • Old brown wood may not regenerate

  • Can create neighbour disputes if neglected

  • Produces dense shade

Leylandii should only be selected if its future maintenance is understood. It is not a plant to establish quickly and then ignore.

Maintain the hedge from an early stage rather than waiting for it to reach excessive height and width.

Cherry Laurel: Broad-Leaved Evergreen Privacy

Cherry laurel hedging is one of the most popular choices for fast evergreen screening.

Its large glossy leaves create substantial visual coverage. It can suit urban, suburban and rural gardens where a dense broad-leaved hedge is preferred to a conifer.

Advantages of Cherry Laurel

  • Evergreen foliage

  • Broad leaves create effective coverage

  • Relatively fast growth

  • Tolerates sun and partial shade

  • Responds well to regular pruning

  • Suitable for privacy and screening

Disadvantages of Cherry Laurel

  • Can become wide

  • Needs regular maintenance

  • Large leaves can look untidy if cut with a hedge trimmer

  • May dominate narrow gardens

  • Unsuitable where toxic plant material presents a site-specific risk

For the neatest finish, individual leaves and stems can be cut with secateurs rather than repeatedly slicing through the foliage with a hedge trimmer.

Cherry laurel needs enough room to develop. It is not always the best option where the finished hedge must remain extremely narrow.

Western Red Cedar: Softer Evergreen Screening

Western red cedar hedging creates a dense evergreen hedge with softer, more textured foliage than Leyland cypress.

It can provide relatively fast growth while responding more reliably to pruning into green growth.

Advantages of Western Red Cedar

  • Evergreen screening

  • Attractive, aromatic foliage

  • Softer appearance than Leylandii

  • Suitable for formal hedges

  • Can provide useful wind reduction

  • Strong year-round structure

Disadvantages of Western Red Cedar

  • Still requires routine trimming

  • Needs reliable watering while establishing

  • Can become substantial if neglected

  • Is not suitable for every very dry or exposed site

Western red cedar is worth considering where a conifer hedge is required but the appearance of Leylandii feels too coarse or severe.

Green Privet: Traditional and Adaptable

Green privet hedging is an adaptable choice for urban and suburban gardens.

It can establish quickly and responds well to regular clipping. Depending on the climate and exposure, privet may be evergreen, semi-evergreen or partially deciduous.

Advantages of Privet

  • Relatively quick establishment

  • Tolerates regular trimming

  • Suitable for formal hedges

  • Can be kept narrower than laurel

  • Adaptable to many garden situations

  • Traditional appearance

Disadvantages of Privet

  • May lose foliage during cold winters

  • Requires regular clipping for a formal finish

  • Can become bare at the base if badly maintained

  • Is not reliably evergreen in every location

Privet is a practical choice where a conventional clipped hedge is required but a large-leaved evergreen would be too broad.

Golden privet provides brighter foliage but may not create the same dark, solid appearance as green privet.

Photinia ‘Red Robin’: Fast Growth and Foliage Colour

Photinia ‘Red Robin’ hedging is an evergreen shrub known for its bright red young foliage.

It can create attractive screening while adding seasonal colour to a boundary.

Advantages of Photinia

  • Evergreen foliage

  • Colourful red new growth

  • Relatively fast establishment

  • Responds to clipping

  • Suitable for contemporary gardens

  • Less visually heavy than some laurels

Disadvantages of Photinia

  • Performs best in a reasonably sheltered position

  • Young growth may be damaged by severe frost

  • Can become sparse in unsuitable shade

  • Requires space and routine pruning

  • May be affected by leaf-spot problems

Photinia is best where its coloured growth can be seen and appreciated rather than hidden in a distant boundary.

Portuguese Laurel: Refined Evergreen Hedging

Portuguese laurel hedging has smaller, darker leaves and red-toned stems.

Its growth is normally more controlled than cherry laurel, but it can still establish into a substantial evergreen hedge.

Advantages of Portuguese Laurel

  • Evergreen foliage

  • More refined texture than cherry laurel

  • Suitable for formal hedging

  • Responds well to pruning

  • Attractive red young stems

  • Can be maintained as a dense screen

Disadvantages of Portuguese Laurel

  • Usually slower than Leylandii or vigorous cherry laurel

  • Needs reliable watering during establishment

  • Requires suitable soil and drainage

  • Still needs regular trimming

Portuguese laurel is a good choice when appearance and long-term manageability are more important than achieving the maximum possible growth rate.

Hornbeam: Fast Seasonal Screening for Heavier Soil

Hornbeam hedging is a strong deciduous choice for heavier and more moisture-retentive soil.

Its ribbed green leaves turn yellow and brown during autumn. A regularly clipped hedge may retain some dried foliage over winter, but it should not be treated as fully evergreen.

Advantages of Hornbeam

  • Tolerates heavier soil

  • Responds well to clipping

  • Suitable for formal or rural settings

  • Provides useful seasonal screening

  • Supports wildlife

  • Strong native character

Disadvantages of Hornbeam

  • Not fully evergreen

  • Winter screening is less consistent than laurel or conifers

  • Needs watering while establishing

  • May become broad if not maintained

Hornbeam is particularly useful where beech would struggle because the soil remains too heavy or damp.

Hawthorn: Fast Native Hedging for Wildlife

Hawthorn forms the backbone of many traditional British field hedges.

It develops quickly in suitable conditions and produces spring blossom followed by red haws.

Advantages of Hawthorn

  • UK-native species

  • Strong wildlife value

  • Spring blossom

  • Autumn berries

  • Tolerates exposed rural conditions

  • Thorny growth provides security

  • Suitable for mixed native hedges

Disadvantages of Hawthorn

  • Deciduous

  • Thorny stems may be unsuitable beside narrow paths or play areas

  • Less formal than laurel, yew or privet

  • Requires maintenance to remain dense

Hawthorn is particularly appropriate for rural boundaries, wildlife gardens, agricultural settings and mixed native hedges.

Hazel: Informal Native Screening

Common hazel hedging is useful within mixed native hedges and informal boundaries.

It produces catkins and nuts and can be managed through pruning or coppicing.

Hazel is not the best choice for a narrow formal screen, but it works well where a looser, more natural hedge is appropriate.

Alder: Fast Hedging for Moist Ground

Common alder hedging is associated with rivers, wet ground and moisture-retentive soils.

It can grow strongly on sites where less moisture-tolerant hedging struggles.

Alder is normally most suitable for informal, rural or landscape-scale planting. It is not generally used for a tightly clipped ornamental hedge.

Visit our advice on hedging for wet ground if drainage is a major concern.

Evergreen or Deciduous Fast-Growing Hedging?

Evergreen Hedging

Evergreen hedges retain foliage throughout the year and provide more consistent privacy.

Fast-growing evergreen options include:

  • Leyland cypress

  • Cherry laurel

  • Western red cedar

  • Photinia

  • Portuguese laurel

  • Privet in suitable conditions

Evergreen hedges can create dense shade and require regular maintenance to control their size.

Deciduous Hedging

Deciduous hedges lose their green foliage during autumn and winter.

Options include:

  • Hornbeam

  • Hawthorn

  • Hazel

  • Field maple

  • Alder

  • Beech

Deciduous hedging often provides better seasonal change and wildlife value. Some clipped beech and hornbeam hedges retain a proportion of their dried leaves, but coverage varies.

Which Fast-Growing Hedge Is Best for Privacy?

For dense year-round privacy, the main choices are:

  • Leylandii

  • Cherry laurel

  • Western red cedar

  • Portuguese laurel

  • Photinia

  • Privet in suitable conditions

The decision should then be refined by considering:

  • Required hedge height

  • Available width

  • Soil

  • Sun and shade

  • Exposure

  • Desired appearance

  • Maintenance frequency

  • Safety around animals and children

  • Relationship with neighbouring properties

A fast-growing hedge that is too vigorous for the available space will create a maintenance problem rather than a successful privacy solution.

Read our hedging for privacy and screening guide before making the final choice.

Which Hedge Is Best for a Small Garden?

In a small garden, manageability is normally more important than maximum growth.

Privet or a carefully maintained Portuguese laurel hedge may be easier to control than Leylandii or cherry laurel.

Consider the hedge’s mature width as well as its height. A broad hedge can remove a significant amount of usable garden space.

If only elevated privacy is required, pleached trees may provide screening above a wall or fence without filling the whole boundary at ground level.

Explore our pleached hornbeam hedging.

Which Hedge Is Best for Clay Soil?

Hornbeam is often a strong choice for heavy clay and moisture-retentive ground.

Cherry laurel may also tolerate clay where the soil is not permanently waterlogged. Other species will depend on the structure, drainage and exposure of the particular site.

Improving only the individual planting hole may create a sump in poorly drained clay. Ground preparation should address the wider planting strip.

Which Hedge Is Best for Shade?

Cherry laurel can tolerate partial shade and is frequently used where a dense evergreen screen is required.

Privet and hornbeam can also tolerate some shade, although growth may be slower and less dense than in better light.

No hedge will perform well in every heavily shaded position. Competition from established trees and dry soil may be as important as the lack of sunlight.

Which Hedge Is Best for an Exposed Garden?

Hawthorn and mixed native hedging can perform well in exposed rural settings.

Western red cedar, hornbeam and certain other species may also be suitable, depending on the soil and severity of the exposure.

New hedging in windy positions needs secure support and consistent watering. Wind can loosen roots and increase moisture loss before the plants establish.

How Quickly Will a New Hedge Provide Privacy?

The time required depends on:

  • Initial plant height

  • Plant width

  • Spacing

  • Growth rate

  • Soil preparation

  • Watering

  • Weather

  • Light

  • Maintenance

Small fast-growing plants may still take several seasons to create substantial screening.

Larger rootballed or container-grown plants provide greater immediate height and coverage, even if their annual growth is not the fastest.

If privacy is needed straight away, instant hedging may be more appropriate than relying on rapid future growth.

Bare-Root, Rootballed or Container-Grown?

Bare-Root Hedging

Bare-root plants are normally available during the dormant season. They are economical for long hedges but usually provide less immediate coverage.

Rootballed Hedging

Rootballed plants are lifted from nursery fields with soil retained around their roots. They are usually supplied during the dormant planting season and can provide greater initial size.

Container-Grown Hedging

Container-grown plants are available over more of the year, although planting during warm weather creates a greater watering commitment.

Instant Hedging

Instant hedging is supplied as established sections or modules. It provides the greatest immediate density but requires careful delivery, handling and ground preparation.

Read our complete comparison of bare-root, rootballed, container-grown and instant hedging.

Is Fast-Growing Hedging Low Maintenance?

Generally, no.

Fast growth means more material must be cut and removed. Vigorous species may require trimming more than once during the growing season.

Maintenance may include:

  • Formative pruning

  • Routine trimming

  • Controlling height

  • Controlling width

  • Removing dead material

  • Checking supports

  • Watering

  • Weed control

  • Mulching

  • Monitoring for pests or disease

If low maintenance is the main objective, a slower-growing hedge may be more appropriate.

How to Help a Hedge Establish Quickly

Good establishment is more important than simply selecting the fastest species.

Prepare the Entire Planting Strip

Remove weeds and relieve compaction across the hedge line. Check drainage and improve the wider soil where appropriate.

Use the Correct Spacing

Planting too widely delays coverage. Planting too closely creates unnecessary competition.

Use our guide to calculate how many plants you need for a hedge.

Water Thoroughly

New plants need consistent watering while roots develop into the surrounding soil.

A dedicated hedging irrigation system can help provide reliable watering along the complete hedge line.

Control Grass and Weeds

Grass and perennial weeds compete strongly for water and nutrients. Maintain a clear strip around the hedge during establishment.

Apply Mulch

Bark mulch for hedging can help retain moisture and suppress weeds.

Keep mulch away from direct contact with the plant stems.

Begin Formative Pruning Early

Correct early pruning encourages branching and density. Allowing plants to grow upwards without developing side growth may produce a tall but open hedge.

The correct pruning method depends on the species. Do not cut conifers into old brown wood unless the species is known to regenerate from it.

Fast-Growing Hedge or Fence?

A fence provides immediate screening and occupies relatively little width. A hedge takes time to establish but provides foliage, seasonal change and habitat.

The two can also be combined. A fence can provide immediate privacy while a hedge establishes in front of it.

Before deciding, compare trees, hedging and fencing for garden privacy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest-growing hedge?

Leyland cypress is among the fastest-growing evergreen hedging plants. Its speed also creates a significant maintenance commitment.

What is the best fast-growing evergreen hedge?

Cherry laurel is a strong general-purpose option for broad-leaved evergreen screening. Leylandii offers faster growth, while Portuguese laurel provides a more refined but usually slower alternative.

What is the best fast-growing hedge for a small garden?

Privet or carefully maintained Portuguese laurel may be more manageable than Leylandii or cherry laurel. Available width is as important as growth rate.

What is the best fast-growing native hedge?

Hawthorn is a vigorous and wildlife-friendly native choice. Mixed native hedging can combine hawthorn with field maple, hazel, dogwood and other suitable species.

How can I make my hedge grow faster?

Prepare the soil properly, control weeds, water consistently, apply suitable mulch and use correct formative pruning. Excess fertiliser cannot compensate for poor planting or inadequate water.

Should I buy small fast-growing plants or larger hedging?

Small plants are more economical and may establish quickly, but larger plants provide greater immediate coverage. The best option depends on the budget, access and urgency of the screening.

Can a fast-growing hedge be kept narrow?

Some species respond better than others. Privet and Portuguese laurel can be maintained relatively neatly. Cherry laurel and Leylandii need sufficient room and regular pruning.

How often should a fast-growing hedge be trimmed?

The frequency depends on the species and desired finish. A vigorous formal hedge may require more than one trim during the growing season.

Choose the Best Fast-Growing Hedge

Choose according to the garden rather than selecting the species with the largest advertised growth figure.

Think about:

  • Evergreen or deciduous foliage

  • Soil and drainage

  • Sun or shade

  • Exposure

  • Required height

  • Available width

  • Wildlife value

  • Maintenance

  • Plant size

  • How quickly screening is genuinely needed

Once you have compared the options, browse our fast-growing hedging plants.

We supply hedging and offer professional planting across Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Merseyside, Cumbria and other parts of North West England.

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