If you want a property line that actually blocks the view in a season or two, the Best Fast Growing Bushes For Privacy come down to more than just a big yearly height number. We looked at how dense they get, how low the branches start, what zones they handle, and what real homeowners say after a couple of seasons. The winner is a shrub with an established track record and enough speed to turn a bare fence line into a living border quickly.
Our top pick for most yards is the Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae, a sturdy evergreen hybrid that puts on 3 to 5 feet of growth once the roots settle. But a few of these plants are better for specific spots, like a neat front boundary or a fast, budget-friendly willow fence along a wet edge. The comparison table below shows exactly how they sit against each other.
🏆 Best Overall
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Comparison Chart of Best Fast Growing Bushes for Privacy
| Product | Details | Rating | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
Editor’s Choice
| ★★★★☆4.2/5 | ||
Top Pick
| ★★★★★5/5 | ||
Best Budget
| ★★★★☆4.3/5 | ||
| ★★★★☆4.3/5 | ||
| ★★★★☆4/5 |
List of Top 5 Best Fast Growing Bushes for Privacy
Each of the five choices below earned a spot either because of verified buyer feedback, manufacturer spec records, or through the lingering reputation of the species itself. We weighed actual growth speed, leaf density, maintenance needs, and what you sacrifice when you choose one over the other. Below are the list of products:
1. 5 Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae Trees/Hedges
This is about as close to a hedge guarantee as you’ll find. The five young plants from the seller arrive in 2.5-inch pots and measure 6 to 12 inches tall, but once they root, they take off at a serious pace. It’s the blend of “evergreen” and “fast” that makes this a common pick.
Evergreen screen
Zones 5-9
5 pack
3-5 ft/yr
Why I picked it
Thuja Green Giant is the benchmark that most privacy hedges get measured. It holds dense foliage from ground level, which is the difference between a real blockade and just a row of skinny trunks. The varietal is also a lot more forgiving about wet roots and winter weather than other arborvitaes, so we can recommend it to most homeowners.
Key specs
- 5 plants, each in a 2.5-inch pot at arrival
- 6-12 inches tall on delivery
- Grows 3-5 feet per year once established
- Mature height from 30 feet if you let it
- Full sun to partial shade
- Evergreen, keeps its needles all year
Real-edition experience
Reviewers who plant these along a fence line report about a 3-4 inch growth spurt in the second season, when the roots are settled. A smart setup for a quick result is to water deeply during the first two spells and mulch around the base. In the Midwest and mid-Atlantic areas, they thank the heavy summer rain, while dry-bit city folks say drip irrigation is the only way to keep them stress-free.
- Fast at 3-4 ft per year
- Dense low branching gives true screen
- Evergreen, year round
- Tolerates moisture better than most
- Needs steady water the first season
- Gets huge if left unclipped, ready for tree pruning
- ✔ You want a solid evergreen screen in two to three years
- ✔ You have enough space for a larger hedge
- ✔ You want a forgiving plant that stays healthy
- ✖ You only need a short clipped hedge
- ✖ You can’t keep up with first-year watering
This is the safest pick if you want a screen without a lot of fuss. When you up for a space longer than ordinary, you start the plants a little closer and view the hedge as a continuous wall.
2. 6 Highlander Boxwood Fast-Growing Upright Evergreen
The Highlander Boxwood takes the opposite approach to the arborvitae. It won’t turn into a forest in a few years, but it grows into a tidy, dense, upright evergreen that works nicely when you don’t have the full to go the biggest. These six plants in 3.5-inch cubes are a smart pick for formal beds and boundaries that get trimmed every year.
Upright
Low upkeep
5.0 rating
6 plants
Why I loved it
The lineups stand out because Bristol sempervirens ‘Highlander’ is one of the faster upright boxwoods. The height profile is from top, so it works where you want a year-round green wall that doesn’t stir up neighbors. Keep it as a cube of 3.5 feet stable and it gives clean rows of texture, especially along a walkway or simply a gap between steps.
The right specs
• 6 live plants in growing cubes
• Species: Buxus sempervirens 'Highlander'
• Upright, dense growth habit
• Evergreen, national color
• Great for zones that let mixing sun
• Shearing is one or two diagonals per year
Real-practical moment
The busiest use we saw in feedback was rows along a low trough or a bed around a patio. Because the plants arrive as light green sprigs, they need a warm spot for a few weeks. After that, they ask for a deep watering every week and a light feed in spring, and they firm up quickly into that classic box look.
- Clipped into a tight, formal hedge
- Evergreen and very low mess
- Compact and good for smaller yards
- Nice survivor rate per reviews
- Slower cover than the tall guys
- You will need to prune to get a neat shape
- ✔ You want a neat low screen that keeps its shape
- ✔ You have a patio garden or a front bed
- ✔ You like the idea of consolement and a simple line
- ✖ You want a tall screen in one summer
- ✖ You’d rather let a plant grow wildly without you pruning
Choose the boxwood when the purpose is a more polished, lived-in look. It’s the best hedge in this list when you want to drop a crisp level and know a row of trimmed balls will look good from both sides. It doesn’t try to hide a tall mass, so adjust your fear of speed accordingly.
3. Green Wall Willow Privacy Tree Cuttings
A wall of willow sounds like a time machines, but these are cuttingjust waiting to root. They are a great budget way to make a long growing row, windbreak, or living property line. Just don’t forget that willow is really thirsty, so it makes sense for people who have plenty of water and don't need year-round density in any season.
10 cuttings
Very fast
Windbreak
Low cost
Why I picked it
When your ground is long and your budget is short, willow is the classic plant. A single cutting can grow to a very tall bush in one good summer or season along a stream. It gives better the elusive fast screen, and the ten pieces make more for a fence line than you get from the capped packages.
Key specs
- 10 unrooted cuttings ready to plant
- Exceptional near a streams and wet soil
- Multi-stemmed growth for a wall-like edge
- Deciduous, drops bugs in the winter
- Great for blocking wind, not just views
- Can be woven into living fence-style frames
Real-sum environment
Since the roots are layered, you'll often see the first leaves within 10 days of planting them in moist, loose soil. By the end of the season, the structure is fully at now with the wall. The tradeoff is that these are not plants for a dry corner, especially in July, so a white good water or drip slowly is the winning recipe.
- Most affordable way to coverthe path
- Breathtaking speed within a good soil
- Easy to weave into a living fence
- Good for damp areas
- Loses leaves in winter
- Needs regular water when young
- ✔ You have a long driveway or is better fit
- ✔ You have some water source nearby
- ✔ You like planting in an unmanned style
- ✖ You want evergreen privacy
- ✖ You live in a dry area without easy watering
This is the choice for mild gardens that hug a stream or a low spot. If you don’t have steady moisture, the willow will look stuck in the first season, while arborvitae might already be on its third of growth. It’s the best if you plan a cheap, wilder kind of screening.
4. 10 Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae 7-10
The last pack of a full run of Green Giant? Rooted and ready to the world much differently. These are 10 great green giants at a much smaller size, but the density adds flexibility when you’re lining a long boundary between houses and fields.
We like this for variety that are looking for a whole plan of row.
10 pack
Value volume
Fast growing
Heartiness
Why I picked it
Because it's a better deal if you need raw numbers. Instead of five 6-inch plants, you get more smaller starts, and they all grow to the same hedge eventually, so you can space them a few feet while they catch up. In a country setting, where you need a dense area of 30 to 60 feet, this is our pick.
Key specs
- 10 live plants per pack
- Stems are 7-10 inches tall
- Same Thuja as the editor’s choice
- Mature size: large scale, full evergreen
- Growth: about 3-5 ft per year, once rooted
- Best in zones 5-9
Real-world experiences
For a multi-root expansion, we see people talk about preparing a swear line and putting in the whole pack. They came a little more careful about plant the first four weeks, but by the end of summer there’s a clear development row. Homeowners who have the extra year of patience now get the advantage of an established hedge at half the price.
- Quantity of 10 stretch further
- Solid fan of good evergreen
- Two size-class starts deepend
- Make screen along side yards possible
- See your row look younger first
- Watering the extra plants is the user
- ✔ You have a good amount of boundary to plant
- ✔ You’re okay with the comparison larger in the first year
- ✔ You want to build a full green line
- ✖ If you want a faster plant and can’t wait 6 months
- ✖ If you want the launch cover
Essentially, you’re buying the same wall but planned in stages. You don’t want to spend more per plant on a few big ones if you have the time, and can make a 10-pack to shape a longer stretch. The smaller the initial pot, the more you need weed under but the result is a matching hedge in the same species.
5. Hybrid Willow Tree Cuttings
The hybrid willow is the member for cold gardens and sudden wind. It still has the speed of a willow but has the grow to a more fashion. These 10 cuttings are nice if you're just planted and you want a quick structure that also feed a privacy on a hedgerow.
Just keep the soil the first season.
Cold hardy
Quick
10 cutting
Windbreak
Why I picked it
If the Green Wall Willow users already know that growing stream, the hybrid is the less fussier version. It’s selected for cold regions and holds a broader, a little more isolated shape. It’s not as elegant as a box in a vegetable plot and it’s not as tall as the arborvitae, but it fits many North and midwestern front yards where winter can be nasty.
How
Specs at a glance
- 10 live root cutting
- Designed for northern climate
- For protection as screens and hedgerows
- Fast root, youthful growth
- Deciduous, spring-to-autumn screen
- Common in a mixed wildlife barrier
Real-environment notes
In a severe, windy acres, these willowy grew quick and created a good no-see barrier from the start. The use to reduce full on top of the boundary, and their safety lets you stake them upright or pin against a support. Buyers often say it’s the first year and the trying part, but after that the tree is just a thin strip of green.
- Tolerant of cold and winds
- High growth from simple air
- Works for rainforest/carbon
- Creates a natural cover
- Loses its leaves in the cold months
- Chunks soil moisture, mind by a wide drip
- ✔ You need a windbreak in a cold, exposed spot
- ✔ You have damp soil that other shrubs can’t handle
- ✔ You want to fill a long boundary on a tight budget
- ✖ You need evergreen privacy through winter
- ✖ You can’t keep up with first-season watering
The hybrid willow trades the year-round wall of arborvitae for raw speed and cold tolerance, which is a fair swap when you’re fighting wind and frost. Give it water and room, and it pays you back with a screen that’s ready before most shrubs have settled in. On a wet, northern property line, this is the pick that makes sense.
How I picked
We evaluated these five shrubs on four benchmarks: documented growth rate, foliage density at eye level, USDA zone hardiness, and what verified buyers report after a full season. We compared manufacturer spec sheets and university extension notes for each species, then filtered that against hundreds of buyer reviews that mention survival, speed, and overall appearance.
We didn't run a multi-year field trial. We focused on things you can verify: Thuja's 3 to 5 feet of annual growth, willow cuttings rooting in 10 to 14 days, and boxwood's tolerance for heavy shearing. Every claim above traces back to a spec sheet or an aggregate of buyer feedback.
We also weighed the tradeoffs honestly. A plant that adds 6 feet in a season is impressive, but if it drops its leaves in winter or needs constant water, it's not right for every yard. That's why the list mixes evergreen screens, formal hedge shrubs, and budget deciduous options.
Several of these picks also block road noise, which matters if your property sits near a busy street.
Buying guide: what actually matters for Best Fast Growing Bushes For Privacy
Growth rate vs. coverage density
Fast growth means little if the plant is bare at the bottom. Thuja Green Giant keeps foliage all the way down, which is why it screens so effectively. Willow grows faster but can stay leggy in poor soil.
Look for a shrub that fills out low, not just one that piles on height.
Evergreen vs. deciduous
Evergreen shrubs like arborvitae and boxwood hold their leaves through winter. Deciduous willows give you a screen from spring to fall, then go bare. In a cold climate, that's a significant difference.
Ask yourself whether you need privacy in January or only during the summer months, because a bare winter screen changes the whole calculation.
Sun, soil, and water needs
All five options want full sun for the fastest growth. The willows are the most water-hungry and will sulk in dry soil, while boxwood tolerates partial shade better than the others. Check your drainage before you buy, since a low spot that holds water will favor willow but can rot arborvitae roots.
For heavy clay, enriching the ground before planting makes a real difference.
Spacing and planting distance
Spacing decides how quickly the hedge closes. For Thuja Green Giant, 5 to 6 feet apart gives a solid wall in a few years; willow cuttings close in at 2 to 3 feet. If you want a defined edge along a path or driveway, boxwood at 2 feet apart shears into a crisp line.
Too wide a gap means a longer wait, and crowding brings its own problems later.
Hardiness and winter survival
The Thuja Green Giant handles zones 5 through 9. The hybrid willow is bred for colder areas, while boxwood generally does fine in zones 5 through 8. Match the plant to your zone on the official hardiness zone map before you buy, or you'll watch a healthy shrub die in its first winter.
Pruning and long-term maintenance
Boxwood needs shearing once or twice a year to hold a formal shape. Thuja Green Giant can be topped to keep it at 8 to 10 feet, but it will fight back with vigorous regrowth. Willows can be cut hard and rebound quickly, which makes them great for coppicing.
If you're layering a screen along a sunny fence, you can also support climbing foliage to fill upper gaps. A spring feeding keeps the hedge dense from top to bottom.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How fast do Thuja Green Giants grow per year?
Once established, Thuja Green Giant puts on 3 to 5 feet of height each year. In ideal conditions with consistent water, some buyers report even more. The first year is slower while roots settle, so don't judge the growth rate until the second season.
By year three, you'll have a real screen.
What is the absolute fastest growing privacy bush?
Willow cuttings are the fastest, often growing 6 to 10 feet in a single season with enough moisture. The catch is that they're deciduous and need steady water. If you want evergreen, Thuja Green Giant is the fastest reliable option.
How far apart should I plant privacy bushes?
For Thuja Green Giant, space 5 to 6 feet apart for a dense hedge. For boxwood, 2 to 3 feet works. For willow cuttings, go 2 feet apart if you want a solid wall in one season.
Always check the mature width of the specific cultivar before planting.
Will these bushes grow in shade?
Most fast-growing privacy shrubs want at least 6 hours of full sun. Boxwood handles partial shade best out of these options. Willows and arborvitae grow slower and thinner in shade, so expect gaps in your screen.
Can I keep privacy bushes small with pruning?
Yes. Boxwood takes shearing well and stays neat at any height. Thuja Green Giant can be trimmed but grows back aggressively, so plan to prune annually.
Willows can be cut hard and will rebound quickly, but they're better left to grow naturally.
Final verdict
Thuja Green Giant is the best overall because it combines real speed with true evergreen density, and it performs across most of the country. If you need a low formal hedge instead of a tall screen, the Highlander Boxwood is the runner-up for its clean shape and easy pruning. The willows win when cost and wet soil are the deciding factors, but they can't match year-round coverage.
Affiliate disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes my recommendation, I only suggest gear I'd actually buy myself.