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With a hedge in the garden, numerous projects can be implemented artistically and practically. Whether you need fast-growing hedge plants for privacy or a species that is hardy and evergreen, hedges are the focal point. Some species can reach considerable sizes within a few years and the plants are a suitable nesting place for birds due to their growth form and attract all kinds of insects that make your garden a unique habitat.
hedge plants
20 Fast Growing Hedge Plants
As with all other groups of plants, there are species that grow faster than others. This also applies to the hedge plants, which are based on a wide variety of trees and shrubs that do not only come from the local regions. Each hedge is also personally tailored to the taste of the gardener, since in the best case they can be easily trimmed with a topiary. One thing that all fast-growing hedges have in common is the annual growth of at least 30 centimeters, although there are species that can even grow up to 60 centimeters a year.
The advantages of hedges are:
- fast growth rate ensures privacy within two years
- dense growth
- most species tolerate pruning
- undemanding
If you opt for a fast-growing hedge plant, you have to be aware that they have to be cut more often a year. Although the maintenance effort is lower, especially if the location is optimally chosen, the cut is one of the most important maintenance steps for hedge plants. But they inspire with their wealth of variants and the heights that they can reach. You can keep the following plants as a hedge and benefit from the rapid growth rates.
privet hedge
- Leyland Cypress
- ivy
- bamboo
- Book
- Yellow cypress
- tree of life
- rowan
- Common wolfberry
- blackberry
- field maple
- Real honeysuckle
- Evergreen honeysuckle
- Black elder
- Gold Goat Snare
- hornbeam
- cherry laurel
- liguster
- willow
- medlar
- Chinese reed Eulalia
Notice: Please note that not all of the above species are evergreen or perfectly hardy. However, if the location is well chosen, the majority of the hedges can withstand even cold winters and delight with a handsome bloom and foliage.
plant examples
Plants from B to C
bamboo
Bamboo is also known for its fast growth, which is between 50 and 60 cm in the first year, at least for the species that can grow in Central Europe. Phyllostachys and Fargesia are particularly recommended. Fargesia is also hardy and does not form runners. For this reason, you do not have to use a rhizome barrier for this fast-growing species. Phyllostachys, on the other hand, needs a rhizome barrier. The lush green of the two hedge plants is a real feast for the eyes in the garden and is extremely suitable for Asian projects. In addition, they are non-toxic and Fargesia sprouts are edible.
Fargesia murielae, umbrella bamboo, Muriel bamboo
blackberry
The blackberry is also a fast-growing hedge plant that is known in Germany primarily for its berries. Blackberry hedges grow wild and cannot be shaped, but due to their dense growth they are perfect as privacy screens. Rubus sectio Rubus is one of the hedge plants that can reach a height of one meter in one year with the right climbing aid. Overall growth heights and widths of three to five meters can be expected, which is particularly suitable for large plots of land. Attention: Blackberries have thorns.
Book
The following types of beech (bot. Fagus) are suitable as fast-growing hedge plants.
- copper beech
- European beech
Even if the copper beech is purely a mutation of the common beech, it is still different in appearance and the name already indicates the deep red coloring of the leaves. Even if the beech actually grows as a tree, it can be grown as an opaque, fast-growing hedge and reach heights and widths of up to 45 centimeters in the first year. The maximum growth height is around 45 meters, as a hedge at two meters.
European beech, Fagus sylvatica
Chinese reed Eulalia
With a possible growth of one meter from the first year, Miscanthus sinensis 'Gracillimus' is probably one of the fastest growing hedge plants for the garden. The Chinese reed seduces with silver-white fronds and is fully grown after about 18 months with a maximum height of 160 centimetres.
Chinese reed
Plants from E to F
rowan
Its good pruning tolerance and rapid growth in the first few years makes Sorbus aucuparia excellent for planting hedges. Mountain ash, also known as rowan berries, are not immediately considered hedge plants, but with the right pruning their growth is made for it. Although it reaches heights of up to 25 meters as a wild form, it reaches a maximum of 15 meters as a hedge. It is known for its red fruits, the rowan berries, which are mistakenly called poisonous, which is not true. Although the parasorbic acid it contains causes stomach problems, it is not harmful in the long term.
Rowan, Rowan
Real honeysuckle
The real honeysuckle (bot. Lonicera caprifolium) also grows 50 centimeters a year in good site conditions and makes a good ornamental hedge that inspires with its numerous fragrant flowers. They can grow up to 10 meters tall, but are more likely to be found in the 1.5 to 3 meter range as a fast-growing hedge plant. The white, pink or yellow flowers stand out strongly against the rich green of the leaves during the flowering period from May to June and attract all kinds of insects, especially moths.
honeysuckle, honeysuckle, lonicera
ivy
Ivy is probably one of the best-known climbing plants and, with a suitable climbing aid, is perfect as a hedge. Hedera helix grows at the following rates per year.
- Young plant up to the third year: 35 - 40 cm
- from the third year: 100 - 200 cm, depending on location
- from ten years (age form): 100 cm
This is what makes ivy so popular, because within a few years it can grow into a state privacy screen that doesn't need a lot of sun and is even hardy. The plant prefers the shade, but has to be cut more often a year. Caution: Leaves and berries are poisonous.
Ivy, Hedera helix
field maple
With growth of 50 centimeters a year, high tolerance to pruning and undemanding in terms of care, the field maple is probably one of the most suitable, fast-growing hedge plants. Acer campestre will form a dense hedge three to five meters tall, reaching a solid height after planting in the first year. It is non-toxic and hardy and can actually be planted anywhere in Germany. Simply an unproblematic plant with a lot of potential.
Field maple, Acer campestre, Maßholder
Plants from G to H
Yellow cypress
The yellow cypress (bot. Chamaecyparis lawsoniana 'Ivonne') grows "only" 30 to 35 centimeters a year, but it impresses with its classic cypress growth and the green-yellow color, which radiates a strong Mediterranean flair. It's not so good at protecting you from prying eyes, at least not in the first few years, but it's all the more elegant because of its shape. Make sure here that the cypress is not non-toxic and that in all parts of the plant.
White cypress, Chamaecyparis thyoides
Common wolfberry
The common wolfberry (bot. Lycium barbarum) is known in Europe as dodder, in the USA as goji, after the tasty fruit of the plant of the same name. Lycium barbarum can grow more than 50 centimeters a year, 90 centimeters are only possible in China. In addition to the edible fruits, the plant inspires with a true splendor of flowers in violet shades, which then turn into red berries. Unfortunately, wolfberry hedges are not opaque, but completely non-toxic.
Wolfberry, Lycium barbarum, Goji
medlar
The photinia (bot. Photinia Fraseri Red Robin) is becoming increasingly popular and is found more frequently in German gardens due to the annual color gradient of the leaves. The fast-growing hedge turns from an intense dark green to a bright red in spring, but this does not cover the entire plant. The red shoots stand out aesthetically on the hedge plants and thanks to the growth of at least 30 centimeters a year, you quickly have an opaque and frost-hard hedge in the garden.
photinia 'Red Robin'
Gold Goat Snare
The growth of the gold honeysuckle (bot. Lonicera tellmanniana) is about 50 centimeters a year and the growth and the overall shape are reminiscent of honeysuckles. The flowers are golden yellow and look like small dots in the rich, dense green of the hedge plants. However, it grows as a creeper and is well suited as a hedge as soon as they provide a climbing aid after planting. Deciduous and conditionally hardy, it likes to seduce with its scent, which also attracts insects of all kinds.
honeysuckle, honeysuckle, lonicera
hornbeam
With a growth of 40 centimeters a year, the fast-growing Carpinus betulus presents itself in the garden. Due to the following properties, it is one of the most popular hedge plants in Germany and has been a greening classic for decades.
- heat resistant
- frost resistant
- undemanding
- particularly cheap to buy
- tolerates different locations
Carpinus betulus, hornbeam
The fast-growing hornbeam is only summer green, but it can be grown at all possible heights, as it reaches a height of up to 20 meters. In addition, it is absolutely opaque over the summer, which makes it a suitable privacy screen when barbecuing or sunbathing. This is not the case over the winter, but it is heavily branched and effectively blocks off the property. A true all-rounder, the hornbeam.
Plants from I to K
Evergreen honeysuckle
The evergreen honeysuckle (bot. Lonicera henryi) looks very similar to the true honeysuckle, but is a bit more inconspicuous in terms of flowers. It actually grows like the other honeysuckle, but is evergreen in comparison, making it a dreamy sight of wild green even in winter. Growth also 50 centimeters a year.
honeysuckle, honeysuckle, lonicera
cherry laurel
The cherry laurel (bot. Prunus laurocerasus) is also one of the best-known fast-growing hedge plants, but only manages 30 centimeters a year on average, some species such as 'Caucasica' almost 40 to 50 centimeters. A maximum height of five meters is reached, while the evergreen plant does not wither over the winter and attractively frames your garden. A particular advantage of the laurel cherries is their strong growth in width and the excellent pruning tolerance. Except for too much wet cold in winter, these plants are extremely robust.
Cherry laurel, Prunus laurocerasus
Please note: All parts of the plant, especially the berries and leaves, are poisonous and should not be eaten. Especially keep children away as the berries look quite appealing.
Plants from L to S
tree of life
With a growth of 30 to 40 centimeters, the tree of life, also known as thuja, is also one of the fast-growing plants that you can use as a hedge. The Thuja plicata 'Martin' variant is particularly noteworthy here, as it grows quite narrow in width, but all the higher. Thuja are hardy, evergreen plants, but they must be supplied with sufficient water even in winter in order not to dry out. But they are extremely cut-tolerant.
Thuja hedge
Leyland Cypress
The Leyland cypress is the fastest growing hedge plant on the list. With an annual growth of up to 70 centimeters a year, Cuprocyparis leylandii offers perfect privacy protection within two to three years. In addition, your garden is not only protected from the eyes of strangers, but also from the wind, which gives the conifer a double benefit. Their total height is 15 meters and the young plants should be protected from frost, especially in the year of planting. However, it is evergreen and can even be planted near the German seas due to its robustness.
Bald cypress, Taxodium distichum
Please note: Be sure to wear gloves when cutting, as Leyland cypress can cause allergic reactions on the skin.
liguster
The privet species (bot. Ligustrum vulgare) are fast-growing hedge plants that are not completely evergreen, but appear so. They shed their leaves at the end of winter and sprout again at record speed. The speed of general growth per year here is up to 40 centimeters per year. They are particularly resistant to long periods of drought and with good care, opaque hedges with a maximum height of three to four meters are formed within a few years.
privet hedge
willow
Willow willow (bot. Salix caprea) is a fast-growing shrub that is perfect as a hedge plant. The willow plant is not suitable for a straight cut and only works as wild growth that is cut back, but inspires with growth rates of up to 60 centimeters a year. The final height of the plant with light green foliage is three to five meters, while stature widths of a whopping four meters can be achieved. Regular pruning is therefore necessary for the shrub hedges if you do not want them to become too wide. By the way, in spring you will be greeted by silver catkins, the flowers of the willow.
Willow, Salix
Black elder
Elderberry is also well known and black elderberry (bot. Sambucus nigra) makes good fast growing hedge plants. The shrub is similar to the classic elderberry, but grows much faster with at least 50 centimeters a year. The growth is extremely strong and is not so well suited as a cut hedge, but as a wild accent in the garden. Large properties in particular benefit from the plant, as it can reach heights of ten and widths of five meters. The distinctive white flowers, deep green leaves, and dark berries are mildly poisonous. Only ripe fruits may be used.
Black elder, Sambucus nigra