Achieve serenity with 9 competitive fast-growing hedging options

Posted on 17/05/2025

Achieve Serenity with 9 Competitive Fast-Growing Hedging Options

Looking to transform your outdoor space into a peaceful retreat? A living hedge provides privacy, reduces noise, and brings natural beauty to your garden. Finding the right fast-growing hedging plant is key to quickly realizing these benefits. In this comprehensive guide, discover nine exceptional hedging options that deliver rapid growth, robust health, and competitive edge in transforming gardens into tranquil havens.

Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedging Plants?

Serenity comes faster when you select hedge varieties that establish quickly and thrive with minimal fuss. Fast-growing hedges offer:

• Privacy and screening within a short period
• Effective windbreaks and noise reduction
• Enhanced biodiversity for your landscape
• Increased property value and curb appeal

However, it's essential to select competitive species that won't overrun nearby plants, require frequent maintenance, or succumb to disease. That's why our top 9 options combine fast growth with resilience, manageability and visual appeal.

The 9 Best Fast-Growing Hedging Options for Serenity

Each plant featured below is hardy, competitive, and strong-enough to handle challenging conditions while delivering thick, lush cover. Learn about their growth rates, soil requirements, and ideal uses to pick your perfect fast-growing hedge.

1. Leyland Cypress (X Cuprocyparis leylandii)

• Growth Rate: 3-4 ft per year
• Best for: Tall privacy hedges, windbreaks
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Leyland Cypress is perhaps the number one choice for rapid hedging. Its dense, feathery foliage forms a solid green wall in just a few seasons, making it one of the most competitive fast-growing hedging options in temperate regions. It tolerates poor soils and air pollution, ideal for both rural and urban gardens. Regular trimming keeps it tidy and contained.

2. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)

• Growth Rate: 2-3 ft per year
• Best for: Formal shapes, dense screens
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to shade

Privet is famous for its robust growth and adaptability. It's among the quickest to fill out--making it perfect for privacy seekers eager to achieve serenity. Privets respond well to frequent clipping and can be sculpted into tight, formal hedges. They flourish in varied soils and conditions, enhancing their competitiveness among hedging plants.

3. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

• Growth Rate: 2 ft per year
• Best for: Broad-leafed evergreen screens
• Sun Exposure: Sun or shade

Cherry Laurel features large, glossy leaves and rapid coverage. It's highly competitive--outgrowing many shrubs in both sun and deep shade. Its dense growth is not only good for privacy but also buffers noise and is resilient against pollution, drought, and urban stresses.

4. Photinia (Photinia x fraseri 'Red Robin')

• Growth Rate: 1.5-2 ft per year
• Best for: Colourful contemporary hedges
• Sun Exposure: Full sun for best color

If you crave a splash of color with competitive growth, Photinia 'Red Robin' is outstanding. Young leaves emerge bright red, creating vibrant contrast in hedges. Fast-growing hedging plants like Photinia not only provide privacy but also year-round visual interest for serene outdoor spaces.

5. Bamboo (Clumping Varieties)

• Growth Rate: Up to 3 ft per year
• Best for: Modern, exotic screens
• Sun Exposure: Sun or partial shade

Bamboo is legendary for rapid vertical growth. Use non-invasive clumping types such as Fargesia or Bambusa for privacy screens without spreading concerns. Bamboo is drought tolerant once established, evergreen, and creates a calm ambiance with its rustling foliage--one of the best fast-growing competitive hedging options for contemporary landscapes.

6. Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)

• Growth Rate: 1.5-2 ft per year
• Best for: Deciduous, formal hedges
• Sun Exposure: Sun or shade

Hornbeam is a hardy competitor that forms thick, formal hedges. It holds its brown leaves over winter, providing privacy year-round. Ideal for areas with heavier, moist soils where others might struggle, hornbeam brings serenity, shelter, and classic beauty to any garden scene.

7. Escallonia (Escallonia spp.)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 ft per year
• Best for: Flowering evergreen hedges
• Sun Exposure: Full sun

Escallonia shines wherever a flowering, evergreen hedge is desired. With glossy foliage and clusters of vibrant flowers from spring through autumn, it's both competitive and cheerful. Escallonia thrives in coastal areas and resists salt, making it a serene solution for seaside gardens.

8. Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata)

• Growth Rate: 2-3 ft per year
• Best for: Tall, formal conifer hedges
• Sun Exposure: Sun to light shade

Western Red Cedar is revered for its stately appearance and rapid upward growth. It forms a solid wall of evergreen foliage with a soft texture. Its competitiveness allows it to dominate hedge rows, offering year-round privacy, wind protection, and that much-desired serenity.

9. Griselinia (Griselinia littoralis)

• Growth Rate: Up to 2 ft per year
• Best for: Coastal hedges, evergreen screens
• Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Griselinia is favored for mild, frost-free regions. With lush, apple-green leaves and a tolerant nature, it's quick to cover boundaries in exposed and coastal gardens. One of the most serene fast-growing hedging solutions for seaside privacy with minimal maintenance.

Factors to Consider When Choosing Competitive Fast-Growing Hedging Plants

Before selecting your hedging plant, consider these essential aspects to ensure long-term serenity and satisfaction:

• Soil type - Match to your hedge's preferences.
• Climate hardiness - Make sure the variety thrives in your region.
• Ultimate height and width - Factor in available space and maintenance needs.
• Sun exposure - Some plants tolerate more shade than others.
• Evergreen or deciduous - Year-round privacy or seasonal interest?
• Wildlife value - Flowering and fruiting hedges attract more birds and beneficial insects.

Planting and Caring for Your Fast-Growing Hedging Options

To achieve dense, healthy hedges and optimal competitive growth, follow these practical tips:

• Soil preparation: Dig a trench or individual holes and enrich the soil with compost.
• Spacing: Allow sufficient room for each plant's mature size (typically 2-3 feet apart).
• Watering: Keep young hedges well-watered in their first two years.
• Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer in spring to encourage lush growth.
• Pruning: Trim at least once or twice a year for dense, tidy hedges--and to contain vigor for competitive fast-growing species.
• Mulching: Helps retain soil moisture and suppress weeds, further aiding serenity in garden care.

A regular maintenance routine ensures your hedge remains a vital, competitive force in your landscape, delivering serenity, shade, and shelter year after year.

Frequently Asked Questions: Fast-Growing Competitive Hedging

How quickly can I expect privacy from fast-growing hedging plants?

With proper planting and care, many species in this list will give you solid privacy within 2-3 years, with some (like Leyland Cypress and Privet) starting to provide screening in their first season.

Which fast-growing hedging option is best for wildlife?

Cherry Laurel, Hornbeam, and Escallonia are especially good for birds and pollinators, offering shelter, flowers, and sometimes fruit. Plant diversity in your hedges further increases wildlife visitation, adding natural serenity to your space.

Are bamboo hedges invasive?

Some bamboo types can be invasive, but clumping varieties are well-behaved and ideal for hedging. Always avoid aggressive runners unless you have containment measures in place.

Do fast-growing competitive hedging options require a lot of maintenance?

Most competitive, fast-growing hedge plants respond well to pruning and occasional feeding. Fast growth does mean more frequent trimming, but this also allows for shaping and encourages bushy, attractive hedges.

Conclusion: Enjoy Year-Round Serenity with Smart Hedging Choices

Achieving serenity in your garden is more accessible than ever with the right choice of competitive fast-growing hedging options. Whether you prefer the towering elegance of Leyland Cypress, the glossy glamour of Cherry Laurel, or the exotic charm of bamboo, there's a hedge to meet your needs.

• For quick, tall screening - consider Leyland Cypress, Privet, or Western Red Cedar.
• For coastal and windy spots - Griselinia or Escallonia excel.
• For color and flowers - Photinia and Escallonia light up the landscape.
• For dense, formal hedges - Hornbeam and Privet deliver classic structure and serenity.

Invest in the competitive edge of fast-growing hedging to create privacy, reduce noise, and cultivate a peaceful retreat. With expert planting and maintenance, these nine options will transform your outdoor environment--helping you achieve serenity and naturally enhance your property for years to come.

Ready to Transform Your Garden?

Choosing the right hedge is the first step to serene, private outdoor living. Explore local nurseries or speak with a landscape expert about the competitive fast-growing hedging options best for your region. With the right start, serenity is just a hedge away!