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Introduction Of Fast Growing Privacy Trees
Last summer, my nosy neighbor decided to build a second-story deck—directly overlooking my backyard oasis. Talk about a privacy nightmare! By August, I was hiding inside rather than enjoying my hammock. We’ve all been there, right? That desperate need for a green barrier between your sanctuary and the outside world. Whether it’s headlights flooding your living room or just wanting to sunbathe without an audience, privacy matters. And when you need it now, not ten years from now, fast-growing trees become your best friends in the garden.
Why Speed Matters in Privacy Planting
Most folks think good privacy trees take forever to grow—not true! I originally made this mistake with my first home, planting tiny yews that grew maybe 3 inches yearly. Complete waste of time! The real secret is choosing varieties specifically bred for rapid growth without sacrificing longevity or strength.
I’ve tested dozens of species in my Zone 6b garden over the years. Some shot up 5-6 feet in a single season, while others barely budged despite the bag promising “rapid growth.” Weather patterns are getting weirder too—last year’s drought followed by this spring’s monsoon-like conditions means traditional growth expectations are basically useless now.
The Magnificent Seven: Fastest Privacy Trees
1. Hybrid Willow (Privacy Hedge)
These aren’t your weeping grandma willows! Hybrid willows might be my all-time favorite privacy solution—they’re absolutely bonkers fast. I planted six 4-foot saplings along my western border, and they hit 12 feet within 18 months. No joke.
They do need regular water that first year, though. I hooked up some leaky hose to mine and basically forgot about them. By year three, I was actually trimming them back because they were shading my vegetable garden too much!
The downside? They’re thirsty beasts and their roots are aggressive. Keep them at least 30 feet from septic systems or water lines. Learned that one the hard way with a $600 plumbing bill.
2. Leyland Cypress
The classic privacy tree for good reason! My Leylands grow roughly 3-4 feet yearly when established. They create this gorgeous feathery wall of green that stays full year-round.
I’ve had mixed experiences depending on spacing. Initially planted mine 6 feet apart (as recommended), but they grew together way too densely and developed some fungal issues during a particularly wet spring. Would recommend 8-10 feet spacing instead.
One warning—they don’t regenerate from hard pruning. My neighbor scalped his back and they never recovered, just brown sticks now. Heartbreaking!
3. Green Giant Arborvitae
Possibly the most bulletproof option on the list. After deer decimated my first privacy attempt (expensive Japanese cedars—gone in one weekend!), I switched to Green Giants. They grow 3+ feet yearly once established and deer mostly ignore them.
Mine survived the polar vortex winter (-22°F) without a single brown needle. The same cold snap killed half my “hardy” boxwoods! Green Giants also handle dry periods better than Leylands in my experience.
The only drawback? They’re victims of their own success—can reach 60 feet tall if not maintained. I trim mine annually to keep them around 15 feet, which takes a Saturday and several ibuprofen.
4. Nellie Stevens Holly
For something different than the typical conifer screen, these broadleaf evergreens are stellar performers. Their growth isn’t quite as explosive—expect 2-3 feet yearly—but the glossy leaves and winter berries make them worth the slight trade-off.
I planted a zigzag row of these between my patio and the street. The birds absolutely love them in winter, and they stay dense right to the ground unlike some privacy trees that go bare-legged with age.
Pro tip: get at least one male holly somewhere in your yard for better berry production. I didn’t know this initially and wondered why my first hollies were berry-free for years!
5. Eastern White Pine
If you’re going for a naturalistic privacy screen rather than a formal hedge, white pines are magnificent. I’ve measured growth of 2-3 feet yearly on mine. They develop this gorgeous soft, billowy texture that sways gracefully in the breeze.
The catch? They’ll drop lower limbs if crowded or heavily shaded. I learned to keep them in full sun and prune the leaders occasionally to encourage fullness. Also, they’ll eventually reach 50+ feet, so not for small yards unless you’re committed to regular maintenance.
I lost one during an ice storm—the soft needles collected ice until the weight snapped a major branch. Still worth it for their beauty, though.
6. Lombardy Poplar
The speed demons of the tree world. Mine grew an astonishing 6 feet in one season! They create this dramatic vertical accent that’s completely different from other privacy options.
The trade-off is lifespan—they typically decline after 15-20 years, often developing diseases. I use them as a quick-fix while slower, more permanent trees mature behind them. Kind of like the understudies of my garden privacy plan.
They’re also messy in fall, dropping leaves EVERYWHERE. My pool filter still hasn’t forgiven me.
7. American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis)
More affordable than Green Giant but still respectable growth at 1-2 feet yearly. I lined my driveway with these after moving into a fishbowl-like new construction neighborhood.
The standard varieties need more protection from winter winds—mine got pretty bronzed their first winter until I sprayed them with anti-dessicant. The cultivar ‘Techny’ performed much better in my windy site.
I’ve found they respond incredibly well to organic fertilizer. Mine nearly doubled their growth rate after I started top-dressing with compost each spring.
Planting for Maximum Growth Speed
After 15+ years of gardening, I’ve learned the secret to fast-growing trees isn’t just variety selection—it’s proper planting that makes or breaks success. The traditional advice about digging massive holes? Mostly overkill.
I focus instead on thorough soil preparation in a wider area. Last spring, I planted a privacy screen using a technique I call “the landmine method”—digging normal-sized holes but removing all sod in a 3-foot diameter circle around each tree. This eliminated competition and my trees grew nearly twice as fast as previous plantings.
Mulch is non-negotiable for speed growth. My experiments with different mulch depths showed 3-4 inches is ideal—less didn’t suppress weeds, more started causing trunk issues.
Counterintuitively, I avoid fertilizing at planting. I made this mistake early on, burning tender roots with “starter fertilizer.” Now I wait until they’ve been in ground about 6 weeks, then use half-strength organic fertilizer. My success rate jumped from about 70% to nearly 100%.
Essential Establishment Schedule
Here’s my hard-earned timeline for fast privacy trees:
Weeks 1-2: Water deeply every other day (unless it rains)
Weeks 3-4: Water twice weekly, adding mycorrhizal fungi supplement
Weeks 5-8: Water weekly, starting gentle organic fertilization
Months 3-6: Water during dry spells exceeding 7 days
Year 2: Spring and fall deep watering during dry periods only
I keep a ridiculous water tracking spreadsheet—my husband thinks I’m nuts, but my trees outgrow the neighbors’ every time!
Regional Considerations for Privacy Trees
The USDA zone system is helpful but incomplete. My Zone 6b garden has microclimates ranging from what feels like Zone 5 (north-facing slope that stays frozen forever) to almost Zone 7 (south-facing area against the brick house).
In the Southeast and Gulf states, Cryptomeria japonica (Japanese cedar) outperforms nearly everything on my list—growing 3-4 feet yearly with better heat and humidity tolerance. My cousin in Georgia created an incredible privacy screen with these in just 3 years.
For brutal northern zones, American arborvitae cultivars like ‘Techny’ or ‘Nigra’ handle -40°F better than Leyland cypress, which turns to mush in extreme cold.
Western gardeners deal with water restrictions that make willows and poplars problematic. I’ve heard from gardening friends in Colorado that Austrian pines offer decent growth speed (about 1-2 feet yearly) while handling drought conditions that would kill other options.
Garden Factors Comparison Table
| Factor | Traditional Approach | My Personal Approach | Results I’ve Seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spacing | By mature width (often 5-6 feet) | 75% of mature width for faster privacy | Complete screen 1-2 years sooner, occasional thinning needed later |
| Watering | “1 inch weekly” standard | Decreasing frequency but increasing volume | Deeper roots, better drought resistance after year one |
| Fertilizing | Starter fertilizer at planting | Wait 6+ weeks, then organic only | Nearly zero transplant shock losses |
| Pruning | “Let them establish first” | Light tip pruning first year | 30% denser growth pattern by year three |
| Protection | Individual tree shelters | Wind break fabric first winter | Dramatically reduced winter burn in evergreens |
My Privacy Tree Disasters & Triumphs
Spring 2018 was my ultimate privacy tree failure. I splurged on twelve 6-foot Emerald Green arborvitae for the front yard—$1,200 worth!—and planted them during a cool April weekend. Two weeks later, temperatures hit 88°F, and despite regular watering, eight slowly browned and died by July. Absolutely heartbreaking to watch them decline day by day.
The autopsy: I’d listened to the nursery guy who swore their root balls were fine even though they came in those tiny containers. Classic rookie mistake! Their roots were completely circling inside, basically strangling themselves. I should’ve root-pruned aggressively before planting.
On the flip side, my western boundary Green Giants have been my greatest success. Planted as 3-foot babies (barely knee-high) in 2016, they now tower over 18 feet and form an impenetrable green wall. The secret was amending our heavy clay with coarse sand and pine bark before planting—something I’d read about but doubted would matter much. The difference compared to my neighbor’s struggling identical trees planted in unamended soil is dramatic.
I’ve become downright evangelical about mycorrhizal fungi supplements too. Half my Nellie Stevens hollies got the treatment, half didn’t. Three years later, the treated ones are consistently 30% larger. Not subtle at all!
Essential Tools for Privacy Tree Success
These are tools I personally use and recommend after years of privacy tree planting:
Fiskars PowerGear Loppers (32 inch)
★★★★★
I’ve owned these for six years and they’re still sharp enough to cut 1.5-inch branches cleanly. The gear mechanism multiplies cutting force, saving my aging wrists during pruning sessions. About $45 but outlasted three cheaper pairs I had previously. I use them primarily for maintenance pruning of established privacy trees, especially removing inward-growing branches that create dead zones.
Dramm ColorStorm Soaker Hose (50 ft)
★★★★☆
After trying five different brands, these have lasted longest without developing leaks or cracks—going on four years now. I have three connected in series along my arborvitae row. They cost more ($40 each) than hardware store versions but deliver water more evenly. The bright yellow color means I stop accidentally cutting them with the string trimmer (did that twice with the black ones).
Root Slayer Shovel by Radius Garden
★★★★★
Game-changer for planting in our rocky, clay soil. The serrated edge cuts through roots and small stones that stopped my regular shovel dead. At $50, it’s definitely an investment piece, but I’ve planted probably 30+ privacy trees with it. The narrower blade also lets me dig precisely between existing plantings when adding to established screens.
Espoma Holly-tone Fertilizer
★★★★☆
I’ve experimented with numerous fertilizers, and this organic granular formula consistently produces the densest growth on both my evergreen and broadleaf privacy trees. One 36-pound bag ($30) lasts me a season for about 25 mature trees. I apply it about twice yearly—early spring and mid-summer—and have noticed significantly better color compared to synthetic fertilizers.
ArborTie Green Garden Tape
★★★★★
After losing two young Leyland cypress to winter winds, I now stake everything for the first year. This flat woven tape ($13) doesn’t damage bark like wire or string can. I’ve reused the same pieces for multiple seasons—just store them out of direct sun between uses. Much better than those cheap green stake kits that snap in the first strong wind.
Good tools make all the difference, but honestly, don’t go crazy buying everything at once. Start with a quality shovel and build your collection as needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: My HOA only allows certain trees—what’s the fastest privacy option that stays relatively small (under 15 feet)?
A: In my garden, Emerald Green arborvitae have provided the best balance of speed and contained size. They grow about 6-10 inches yearly and top out around 12-15 feet. Skip Emerald Greens if you’re in the deep South though—they melt in high humidity. Southern gardeners should consider Wax Myrtle instead, which grows quickly to about 10-12 feet.
Q: The deer destroy everything in my Pennsylvania garden. Any truly deer-resistant fast growers?
A: Nothing’s 100% deer-proof when they’re hungry enough, but I’ve had excellent results with Green Giant arborvitae once they’re past the first 2-3 feet in height. My hungry local herd leaves them completely alone while decimating hostas just feet away. For the first year, I still use deer repellent spray until they reach about chest-height. Southern magnolia also tends to be overlooked by deer and grows reasonably quickly (2+ feet yearly) in warmer zones.
Q: I need privacy NOW. Should I just buy the biggest trees available?
A: Counter to what you might expect, smaller trees (3-5 gallons) typically outpace larger specimens within 2-3 years. I’ve planted both simultaneously as an experiment, and the smaller ones always catch up and surpass the expensive big ones. The transplant shock on 10-15 foot instant privacy trees can set them back years. The sweet spot I’ve found is buying 4-5 foot tall trees, which establish quickly but give you some immediate height. The exception is if you’re hiring professionals with equipment to plant and maintain them—then larger trees can work well.
Conclusion
After years of soil under my fingernails and countless privacy planting projects, I’ve learned that creating living barriers is more art than science. Weather throws curveballs, animals munch your carefully chosen specimens, and sometimes trees just decide not to cooperate despite perfect care.
But when it works—when that green wall finally fills in—there’s nothing more satisfying. My backyard sanctuary went from “fishbowl” to “private retreat” in just under three years. Worth every drop of sweat and every dollar spent.
This spring, take the plunge! Plant those privacy trees even if they look ridiculously small against your problem view. Take before pictures because you’ll be shocked how quickly transformation happens with the right choices.
Happy planting, and may your garden always remain your own private paradise!
~Sandy at AllTipsGarden