A fence gives you privacy today, but a living hedge gives you privacy that gets better every year — softer, greener and far better looking. The problem is patience: nobody wants to wait a decade for a screen. The good news is that the right shrubs grow surprisingly fast. Planted at the right spacing and watered well in their first two seasons, the 15 shrubs below can close the gaps along a fence line in just a few years, and several of them will start screening within the very first season. For each one you will find its mature height, how fast it grows per year, the spacing to plant it at, and where it grows best — so you can pick the hedge that fits your yard, your climate and how long you are willing to wait.

1. Thuja ‘Green Giant’ Arborvitae

The benchmark fast hedge conifer. Grows about 3 feet per year once established and reaches 30–40 feet tall, though it is easily kept trimmed at 12–20 feet. Plant 5–6 feet apart for a solid screen. Hardy in zones 5–8, deer-resistant once mature, and dense from the ground up.

2. Privet (Ligustrum)

The classic instant hedge. Privet grows 2–3 feet per year, reaches 10–15 feet, and responds so well to clipping that it forms a wall quickly. Plant 1.5–2 feet apart for a tight formal hedge. Zones 6–10 for the common types; semi-evergreen in colder areas.

3. Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)

Big glossy leaves and serious speed — about 2–3 feet per year, reaching 12–18 feet if untrimmed. It tolerates shade better than most hedging shrubs, which makes it ideal for the dark side of a fence. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 6–9.

4. Photinia ‘Red Robin’

Grows roughly 1.5–2 feet per year to 10–13 feet, and its new spring growth flushes bright red before turning deep green — privacy with built-in colour. Plant 2–3 feet apart and trim lightly after each flush to keep it dense. Zones 6–9; give it sun and some air flow to keep leaf spot away.

5. Leyland Cypress

The fastest screen on this list — 3–4 feet per year is normal in good soil, reaching 40–60 feet if left alone, so only choose it where you have space or plan to trim it yearly. Plant 6–8 feet apart. Zones 6–10. Best for large yards and long boundaries.

6. Wax Myrtle (Morella cerifera)

A loose, natural-looking evergreen screen for warmer climates, growing 2–3 feet per year to 12–20 feet. Its fragrant foliage and small berries feed birds, and it shrugs off heat, sandy soil and coastal wind. Plant 4–5 feet apart. Zones 7–11.

7. Nellie Stevens Holly

Pyramidal, dark green and dense all the way down, with red berries in winter. Grows 2–3 feet per year to 15–25 feet. Plant 5–6 feet apart for a screen you never have to shear into shape. Zones 6–9; one of the toughest evergreen options for hot summers.

8. Elaeagnus (Silverberry)

Silvery-backed leaves that shimmer in the wind, tiny fragrant autumn flowers, and growth of 2–3 feet per year to 10–15 feet. Elaeagnus fixes its own nitrogen, so it thrives in poor soil where other hedges sulk. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 6–9. Check local rules first — it can spread in some regions.

9. Viburnum (Sweet Viburnum & Leatherleaf types)

Fast, flowering and bird-friendly. Sweet viburnum grows 2–3 feet per year to 10–15 feet with scented white spring flowers; leatherleaf types are slightly slower but fully evergreen with bold foliage. Plant 3–5 feet apart depending on type. Zones 7–10 (sweet), 7–9 (leatherleaf).

10. Forsythia

The fastest informal hedge for cold climates: 2 feet or more per year, 8–10 feet tall, and covered in yellow flowers before the leaves even open. It is deciduous, so winter privacy is partial — mix it with an evergreen behind it if you need year-round cover. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 5–8.

11. Lilac

Beloved scent and 1–2 feet of growth per year to 8–15 feet. A lilac hedge is a privacy screen and a spring perfume wall in one, but like forsythia it drops its leaves in winter. Plant 3–5 feet apart, in full sun, and prune right after flowering. Zones 3–7.

12. Camellia (Sasanqua types)

Slower than most here — about 1–1.5 feet per year — but sasanqua camellias give you a polished evergreen hedge (8–12 feet) that flowers in autumn when little else does. Worth it where winters are mild and you want a hedge that looks expensive. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 7–9.

13. Euonymus (Manhattan & Green Spire types)

Reliable, glossy and easy: 1–2 feet per year to 6–10 feet, happy in sun or shade and tolerant of clipping. A good choice for shorter boundaries and side yards where a 30-foot screen would be overkill. Plant 2–3 feet apart. Zones 5–8 (Manhattan is evergreen in zones 6–8).

14. Pittosporum (Silver Sheen & tenuifolium types)

Light, airy foliage on dark stems, growing 2–3 feet per year to 10–15 feet in mild climates. ‘Silver Sheen’ moves beautifully in a breeze and makes a softer, more modern-looking screen than a clipped conifer wall. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 8–11; needs winter protection in zone 7.

15. Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus ‘Schipkaensis’)

The shade problem-solver: a compact laurel growing 1.5–2 feet per year to 10–15 feet, notably hardier than cherry laurel and tolerant of deep shade and poor soil. Plant 3–4 feet apart. Zones 5–9. If one side of your yard never sees the sun, this is your hedge.

How to plant a privacy hedge that fills in fast

• Spacing decides everything. Planting at the distances above (roughly half to two-thirds of the mature width) makes shrubs knit together into one wall instead of a row of separate lollipops.
• Water deeply for the first two seasons. Fast growth is mostly water. A soaker hose along the row, run weekly in dry spells, beats daily sprinkling.
• Feed once in spring with a balanced slow-release fertiliser while the hedge is establishing; stop pushing growth once it reaches the height you want.
• Trim little and often. Light, frequent clipping keeps the outer layer leafy and dense; one hard annual cut lets the inside go bare.
• Mix for insurance. Two alternating species (for example Green Giant + Nellie Stevens Holly) still read as one hedge, and a disease that hits one rarely touches the other.

Quick picker: Fastest overall — Leyland Cypress and Green Giant. Best for shade — Skip Laurel and Cherry Laurel. Best for small yards — Euonymus and Photinia. Best for hot, dry or coastal sites — Wax Myrtle and Elaeagnus. Best winter colour — Nellie Stevens Holly (berries) and Photinia (red new growth).