Fastest Growing Bushes for Privacy | Screening Screens

For fast privacy, Leyland cypress and Green Giant arborvitae are the fastest-growing bushes, adding up to 5 feet per year.

If you need to block a view or create a quiet corner of your yard, waiting years for a hedge to fill in isn’t an option. The fastest-growing bushes for privacy put on serious height in a single season, many of them adding 3 to 5 feet each year. But speed alone isn’t the full story—the right pick for your yard depends on your growing zone, how much space you have, and the kind of screen you want to create. Here’s what you need to know before you plant.

Which Bushes Grow The Fastest?

The fastest privacy bushes on the market today are evergreens, meaning they hold their foliage year-round and give you a solid screen even in winter. The table below shows the top performers and how quickly they grow.

How To Choose The Right Fast-Growing Bush

Speed matters, but it’s not the only factor. A bush that grows 5 feet a year is useless if it outgrows your space or can’t survive your winters. Start with your USDA hardiness zone—the ranges above tell you which plants will thrive where you live. Northern gardeners in zone 5 should lean toward North privet or Green Giant arborvitae, while southern gardeners in zones 8 and up have access to Leyland cypress, wax myrtle, and Nellie R. Stevens holly.

Think about mature height and width, since some fast growers become trees rather than manageable shrubs. Leyland cypress and Green Giant arborvitae both reach 40 to 60 feet tall if left unpruned. If you have a smaller yard, a more modest option like forsythia or glossy abelia gives you privacy without towering over everything. For readers ready to compare top-rated options side by side, our roundup of the best privacy bushes breaks down the strongest picks in detail.

Planting And Care Basics

Get the planting right and your hedge takes off. Dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and just as deep, then set the bush so the top of the root ball sits level with the ground. Water deeply after planting and keep the soil moist for the first year while roots establish. Mulch around the base to hold moisture and suppress weeds.

Prune in early spring to shape the hedge and encourage air circulation. The Spruce’s guide to fast privacy shrubs notes that some varieties, like red tip photinia, need regular pruning for both shape and disease prevention. The biggest mistake is choosing only by speed—the fastest plants can outgrow small yards or require heavy annual pruning to stay in bounds. A little planning up front saves years of maintenance headaches.

Which One Fits Your Yard?

Match the bush to your situation and you’ll have a finished screen in a few seasons. For a tall, dense wall that blocks everything, Leyland cypress or Green Giant arborvitae are the proven choices. For a flowering hedge that brings spring color, forsythia delivers quick growth plus yellow blooms. In warm southern climates, wax myrtle grows steadily and tolerates coastal conditions well. Italian cypress works where space is tight since it stays narrow, reaching up to 2 feet per year without spreading wide.

One caveat worth knowing: some fast shrubs slow down with age. Wichita blue juniper grows about a foot per year for its first several years, then tapers off. If you want steady, predictable growth for decades, Green Giant arborvitae is the reliable all-around pick because its dense foliage keeps screening year-round.