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Who needs a fence to maintain their privacy when you can use plants to block nosy next-door neighbors and hide ugly views from your yard? Fast-growing plants not only provide seclusion but also add beauty to your backyard or patio area! In this blog post, we will explore various fast-growing privacy plants that offer lush coverage and year-round greenery.
You’ll learn about robust, fast-growing evergreen trees such as the Emerald Green Arborvitae and resilient shrubs like Holly and Inkberry. Additionally, we’ll discuss pruning practices to maintain desired height while ensuring healthy growth, container-friendly options for small spaces, climbing vines perfect for fences and walls, seasonal screens using flowering bushes, and local regulations concerning plant height restrictions.
By the end of this post, you’ll be well-equipped with knowledge on creating an excellent privacy fence using fast-growing plants that suit your specific needs for your yard.
Table of Contents:
- Fast-Growing Privacy Plants
- Emerald Green Arborvitae
- Bamboo
- Holly
- Japanese Holly
- Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
- Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) & Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
- Evergreen Options for Year-Round Coverage
- Container-Grown Choices for Quick Cover-Ups
- Climbing Plants Providing Added Seclusion
- Fast-Growing Trees and Shrubs for Privacy
- Vines That Quickly Cover Fences
- Upright Growing Plants Offering Higher Screening Levels
- Popular Choices with Rapid Growth Rates
- FAQs in Relation to Fast Growing Plants for Privacy
- Conclusion
Fast-Growing Privacy Plants
For a rapid and effective way to ensure privacy in your garden, fast-growing plants and shrub varieties are an ideal choice. These plants not only provide an excellent privacy screen but also add beauty and charm to your outdoor space. I like to buy my plants from Eden Brothers, Perfect Plants nursery, Etsy, or on Amazon.
Here are some of the fastest-growing backyard plants:
Emerald Green Arborvitae
The Emerald Green Arborvitae is a popular evergreen tree that can grow up to 15 feet tall, making it perfect for creating a living privacy fence. Its dark green foliage remains lush throughout the year, providing year-round privacy.
Bamboo
Bamboo, with its rapid growth rate and dense hedge-like appearance, makes an ideal choice for screening purposes. Just be sure to choose clumping varieties rather than running types, which can become invasive if not properly contained. These tall plants make a great privacy fence and provide shade as they become taller.
Holly
This resilient plant features glossy green leaves and red berries that attract birds during winter months. The American Holly (Ilex opaca), in particular, is known as one of the best hollies for use as a privacy shrub due to its dense growth habit.
Japanese Holly
Similar to the American Holly, Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) is an evergreen shrub variety with dark green leaves and small black berries. It can tolerate shade better than most hollies, making it a good option a versatile option for privacy screening.
Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
This robust evergreen plant features dark foliage and grows up to 15 feet tall, providing excellent coverage. The white flowers that bloom in spring add a touch of elegance while still serving as an effective privacy screen.
Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea) & Roughleaf Dogwood (Cornus drummondii)
Both of these deciduous shrubs offer rapid growth rates and vibrant red stems during winter months when their leaves have fallen. They’re perfect for creating seasonal screens or adding visual interest to your garden’s border.
Fast-growing privacy plants are a great way to quickly add some greenery and seclusion to your garden. For even more coverage, evergreen options can provide year-round protection for your home or yard.
Key Takeaway:
Looking for a natural barrier around your property? Consider adding fast-growing privacy plants to your garden. Emerald Green Arborvitae, Bamboo, Holly, Japanese Holly, Inkberry and Red Twig Dogwood are some of the fastest-growing options that not only provide an excellent privacy screen but also add beauty and charm to your outdoor space.
Evergreen Options for Year-Round Coverage
If you’re looking for year-round privacy, evergreen trees and shrubs are the way to go. These plants maintain their lush, dark green foliage throughout all seasons, providing a robust evergreen plant option that will keep your backyard hidden from prying eyes. Let’s explore some popular varieties of evergreens that can serve as excellent privacy screens.
Juniper Trees
Juniper trees are known for their rapid growth and dense hedge-like appearance. They can reach heights of around six feet tall while providing dense foliage perfect for creating a living privacy fence. Junipers also tolerate shade well, making them suitable even in areas with less sunlight exposure.
Yew Trees
Yew trees, another resilient plant choice, offer thick leaves and dark green coloration that create an impenetrable barrier against nosy neighbors or unwanted views. Yews grow quickly and can be planted close together to form a solid wall of greenery within just a few years.
Elderberries
In addition to their lovely dark foliage, elderberries (Sambucus) provide added benefits by attracting birds with their almost-black berries – perfect if you have small children who enjoy watching wildlife. While not as fast-growing as junipers or yews, elderberries still offer a pleasant privacy plant option that doubles as an attractive addition to your garden.
Remember, when selecting evergreen trees or shrubs for your privacy screen, consider the specific needs of each variety. Some may require more sunlight than others, while some might need regular pruning to maintain their shape and size.
With proper care and attention, these fast-growing plants will provide you with lush coverage and year-round seclusion in no time.
For those seeking year-round coverage, evergreen options like juniper trees, yew trees, and elderberries are great choices. For a more temporary solution to privacy needs, container-grown plants such as pampas grass, butterfly bushes, and bamboo containers may be the way to go.
Container-Grown Choices for Quick Cover-Ups
Container-grown plants offer the flexibility of being moved around your garden or patio as needed, and they can also be a great solution if you have limited space.
Pampas Grass
Pampas grass is an eye-catching option with its tall, feathery plumes that sway gracefully in the breeze. This resilient plant grows quickly and provides lush coverage while adding a touch of elegance to your outdoor space. Keep in mind that pampas grass can grow quite large, so it’s best suited for larger containers.
Butterfly Bushes
Butterfly bushes (Buddleia), as their name suggests, attract butterflies and other pollinators with their fragrant blooms. These fast growers provide excellent privacy screening when planted close together in containers.
They come in various colors like purple, pink, white, or red flowers throughout summer until frost, making them not only functional but beautiful too.
Bamboo Containers
Growing bamboo in containers is another popular choice for creating a living privacy fence quickly. Bamboo varieties such as Fargesia robusta or Phyllostachys aureosulcata ‘Spectabilis’ are excellent options for container gardening due to their rapid growth and dense foliage.
Be sure to choose a clumping bamboo variety, as running bamboos can become invasive if not properly contained.
Remember that container-grown plants may require more frequent watering than those planted in the ground, so be prepared to give your privacy screen some extra attention. With these fast-growing plants at hand, you’ll have an excellent privacy screen in no time.
Container-grown choices for quick cover-ups provide an easy and attractive way to add privacy to your outdoor space. Climbing plants are another great option that can be used to create a wall of foliage, adding even more seclusion.
Climbing Plants Providing Added Seclusion
Consider using climbing plants such as Boxwoods, which are often used in topiary designs, or Japanese laurel with its dense foliage, making it a fantastic privacy climber. Clematis is a showy vine that attracts butterflies and quickly covers fences to provide added seclusion.
These climbers can be an excellent choice for those who want a more decorative privacy screen.
Boxwood Plants
Boxwoods are versatile evergreen shrubs that can be shaped into various forms, including hedges and topiaries. They feature small, glossy green leaves that create dense coverage when planted close together, offering year-round privacy while adding visual interest to your garden. We live in Zone 5b in Mke, Wisconsin, and we have three of these in our front yard along our front porch, and they are so beautiful. We bought ours from Home Depot.
Japanese Laurel
A resilient plant known for its rapid growth and lush coverage, Japanese laurel (Aucuba japonica) boasts large dark green leaves with yellow speckles that form an excellent privacy screen. This robust evergreen plant thrives in both sun and shade environments, providing you with the flexibility to choose where you’d like additional seclusion in your backyard.
Clematis
If you’re looking for something more ornamental yet still effective at providing privacy screening, consider planting clematis vines. With their vibrant flowers and fast-growing nature, clematis will quickly cover fences or trellises while attracting pollinators like butterflies to your garden space.
There are numerous popular varieties of clematis to choose from, ensuring you’ll find the perfect match for your aesthetic preferences and privacy needs.
Climbing plants can be a great way to add extra seclusion and privacy, especially when planted near windows or balconies. Fast-growing trees and shrubs are also great options for those looking for more substantial coverage from their greenery.
Fast-Growing Trees and Shrubs for Privacy
For those seeking to establish a private space, fast-growing trees and shrubs are excellent options. Two popular options are the American hornbeam tree and the Rose of Sharon.
American Hornbeam Trees
Carpius caroliniana, commonly known as American hornbeam trees, offer fine-textured foliage that tolerates flooding and heat, making them suitable in various environments. American hornbeam trees grow rapidly, reaching heights of up to 30 feet and a width of 20-30 feet.
Their dark green leaves provide lush coverage during spring and summer months before turning brilliant shades of yellow-orange in fall.
Rose of Sharon
The Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) is another fast-grower that provides lovely flowers during the summer months but loses its leaves in winter. This deciduous shrub works well as seasonal coverage when you don’t require full-year screening.
It can reach heights between 8-12 feet tall with a similar width, offering privacy while adding visual interest through its large blooms available in various colors such as white, pink, purple, or blue.
To ensure optimal growth for both of these plants:
- Plant them in well-draining soil enriched with organic matter like compost or aged manure.
- Provide adequate sunlight – at least six hours per day for American hornbeams; four to six hours for Rose of Sharon.
- Water regularly, especially during the first year after planting and in times of drought. Be careful not to overwater, as this can lead to root rot or other diseases.
By choosing fast-growing trees and shrubs like American hornbeam or Rose of Sharon, you’ll be able to create an excellent privacy screen that adds beauty and value to your property while keeping nosy neighbors at bay.
Fast-growing trees and shrubs can be an excellent way to provide privacy quickly, but don’t forget about the power of vines. Vines are a great option for covering fences in no time at all.
Key Takeaway:
Looking for fast-growing plants to create a natural barrier around your property? American hornbeam trees and Rose of Sharon are great options. These deciduous trees and shrubs grow quickly, offer privacy, and add visual interest through their lush foliage or large blooms. Just make sure to plant them in well-draining soil with adequate sunlight and water regularly for optimal growth.
Vines That Quickly Cover Fences
If you’re looking for fast-growing plants to create a natural barrier around your property, consider vines like ivy, clematis, or hops. These attractive options not only provide privacy but also add visual interest with their foliage and flowers. Let’s delve deeper into these well-liked choices.
Ivy
Ivy is an evergreen vine that can quickly cover fences, walls, and other structures with its dark green leaves. This resilient plant thrives in various conditions, from full sun to shade, making it a good choice for many locations. However, keep in mind that ivy can become invasive if not properly managed; be sure to trim it regularly to maintain control over its growth.
Clematis
Clematis is another excellent choice for a living privacy fence due to its rapid growth rate and showy flowers that attract butterflies. Available in numerous colors and varieties, this deciduous vine requires support such as trellises or fencing for optimal growth. I think the variety with the purple flowers are the prettiest!
Clematis prefers sunny spots but will tolerate some shade; ensure the roots are kept cool by mulching or planting low-growing ground covers nearby.
Hops
Last but not least on our list of fast-growing vines is the hop plant (Humulus lupulus). Known for their use in beer production, hops can also provide a lush coverage for fences with their rapid growth and dark green foliage. Hops thrive in full sun and well-draining soil; they may require some initial training to climb your fence but will quickly take off once established.
By incorporating one or more of these fast-growing vines into your landscape, you’ll be able to create an effective privacy screen while adding beauty and interest to your outdoor space.
Vines that quickly cover fences can be an effective way to add privacy and create a lush, green backdrop for your outdoor space. Upright-growing plants offer higher screening levels with their larger foliage; azaleas and inkberries are two popular options.
Upright Growing Plants Offering Higher Screening Levels
If you’re looking for privacy plants that offer a higher level of screening, consider adding upright-growing plants like Azaleas and Inkberry (Ilex glabra). These resilient plants not only provide the necessary coverage but also add beauty to your garden with their lush green leaves and attractive flowers.
Azaleas
Azaleas, popular varieties of Rhododendron, are known for their rapid growth rates, glossy green leaves, and beautiful flowers. With dark green foliage providing a pleasant privacy plant backdrop, these multi-branch shrubs can be planted close together to create an excellent privacy screen. My parents live in Virginia, and their Azaleas are gorgeous!
The evergreen azalea grows well in both sun and shade, making it suitable for various locations within your backyard. Trimming may be necessary to sustain the desired size and form of certain varieties.
Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
The robust evergreen plant Inkberry (Ilex glabra) is another fantastic option if you need tall plants for privacy purposes. Known as a hardy and resilient plant even under harsh conditions, Inkberry can grow up to 15 feet tall while featuring long-lasting white flowers and dark green leaves during blooming season (source).
This fast grower offers year-round privacy thanks to its dense hedge-like appearance with glossy green leaves.
- Tips:
- For best results, plant Azaleas and Inkberry in well-draining soil with adequate moisture.
- Regularly check for pests or diseases to ensure the health of your plants.
In conclusion, both Azaleas and Inkberries are excellent choices when it comes to creating a living privacy fence. Their rapid growth rates, dark green leaves, and attractive flowers make them perfect additions to any garden requiring tall plants for added seclusion. So why not give these beautiful upright growing plants a try?
Upright-growing plants such as azaleas and inkberry offer higher screening levels than other options, making them a great choice for privacy. Popular choices with rapid growth rates are also available to help create the perfect secluded outdoor space.
Popular Choices with Rapid Growth Rates
When it comes to fast-growing privacy plants, Arborvitae remains one of the most popular choices. This is mainly due to their rapid growth rate and easy maintenance requirements. Arborvitaes thrive in full sun and require regular heavy watering, making them an excellent choice for those looking to create a living privacy fence quickly.
Bamboo, another popular option with similar needs and benefits as arborvitaes, can also provide lush coverage in no time. However, it’s essential to ensure that bamboo doesn’t become invasive by containing its root systems appropriately. You can do this by planting them in containers or using barriers around their roots.
- Thuja Green Giant: One of the most popular varieties of arborvitae available today is the Thuja Green Giant which can grow up to 5 feet per year. Its dense foliage makes it an ideal choice for creating a robust evergreen plant screen.
- Varieties of Bamboo: There are many types of bamboo suitable for creating privacy screens; some favorites include Golden Bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) and Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra). Both species offer rapid growth rates while adding visual interest with their unique coloration.
If you decide pruning is necessary to maintain the desired height and shape of your privacy plants, always research the best practices for your specific variety. This will help you avoid causing damage or stunting future growth. For example, pruning arborvitaes is typically done in late winter or early spring when they are still dormant.
In addition to these popular choices, don’t forget about other fast-growing options like hedge plants, which can also provide excellent privacy screening while enhancing your garden’s overall aesthetic appeal.
FAQs in Relation to Fast Growing Plants for Privacy
What is the Fastest Growing Plant for Privacy?
The fastest-growing plant for privacy is bamboo. Some species can grow up to 3 feet per day, providing a dense and tall screen in no time. However, be cautious with running bamboo varieties as they can become invasive; opt for clumping bamboos instead.
What is the Best Plant to Block Neighbors’ View?
Emerald Green Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’) is an excellent choice to block neighbors’ views due to its dense foliage, fast growth rate, and ability to reach heights of 12-15 feet. It’s also low-maintenance and adapts well to various soil types.
What is the Fastest Growing Evergreen for Privacy?
The Leyland Cypress (x Cuprocyparis leylandii) is one of the fastest-growing evergreens suitable for creating a private screen. It grows at an impressive rate of 2-4 feet per year and reaches mature heights between 30-50 feet while maintaining its attractive green foliage all year round.
What is the Best Bush to Plant for Privacy?
The Holly bush, specifically Nellie R. Stevens Holly (Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’), is a popular choice for privacy due to its dense evergreen foliage, fast growth rate, and ability to reach heights of 15-25 feet. It’s also low-maintenance and produces attractive red berries in winter.
What is the Best Plant to Use as a Screen?
American Hornbeam (Carpinus caroliniana) trees are ideal for creating screens because they have dense foliage that provides excellent coverage throughout the year. They grow at a moderate pace and can reach up to 20-30 feet tall, making them perfect for blocking an ugly view or providing shade.
Conclusion
Fast-growing plants are the best option to provide privacy in your backyard. From evergreen trees like the Emerald Green Arborvitae and lush green foliage Holly to container-friendly options like Golden Euonymus Shrubs, there are many varieties to choose from that can quickly grow and provide year-round coverage.
Pruning practices, climbing vines for fences and walls, seasonal screens using flowering bushes, and local regulations regarding plant height restrictions should also be considered when selecting fast-growing plants for privacy.
If you’re looking for more tips on how to create a private outdoor space with fast-growing plants or need help selecting the right plants for your needs, check out more plant posts on the House Fur blog.