1 - Green Leylandii
2 - Photinia Red Robin
3 - Western Red Cedar
4 - Portuguese Laurel
5 - Beech

What are the fastest growing hedges? It’s a question we’re often asked. It’s an understandable one.

When most of us plant a hedge, we don’t want to wait years before we have a lovely bushy hedge. Whether you’re a gardener at home, a professional landscaper or a developer you need hedging plants which will grow quickly. Though why you’ll plant a hedge will differ depending on circumstances.

For the home gardener a hedge makes a great alternative to a wooden fence. A fence is boring. A hedge on the other hand looks great, provides plenty of interest all year round and attracts wildlife. But there’s other advantages. A hedge won’t blow down in a storm, won’t need repairing and doesn’t cost anything (apart from time) to maintain.

Professional landscapers will often use hedging to accentuate their designs, to provide natural divides between planted areas or to create boundaries. Developers too will use hedging to make a physical barrier between properties and to provide a natural border to their development.

In each of the scenarios we’ve discussed the hedge has to mature quickly. So, what are the fastest growing hedges? Here’s a selection we’d recommend.

Top five fastest growing hedges

1 Green Leylandii

No surprise here. Green Leylandii is probably the most popular of all hedging plants. It’s very hardy and can grow around three feet per year. It’ll flourish in most conditions except waterlogged soil. As well as being one of the fastest growing hedges around Leylandii is also very good value for money and perfect for planting all year round especially in autumn.

If you’re on a budget or have a large area to plant Green Leylandii is for you. But if you prefer a more attractive conifer Golden Leylandii is a good choice. Though the golden variety will only grow up to two feet in the year.

2 - Photinia Red Robin

Although it’s higher maintenance than other types of hedging the effort put into a Photinia Red Robin will be well rewarded. For a hedge the Red Robin looks great. Spring growth is red before turning a lovely dark green. It does take some looking after and will benefit from pruning in late spring but in any year, you can expect up to two feet of growth.

3 - Western Red Cedar

It can grow around two feet annually which means it’s one of the fastest growing hedges around. But Western Red Cedar (Thuja Plicata Gelderland) is also one of the most attractive hedging plants you can find. Its glossy dark leaves give it a more striking appearance than Green Leylandii for example. It’ll grow well in most soils and doesn’t mind exposed conditions.

4 - Portuguese Laurel

Although other Laurel varieties will provide slightly more growth the Portuguese will still sprout 18 inches or more. But it looks great and is very easy to look after. It’s also a hedge that isn’t seen all that often. Which is a shame because the dark berries and small white flowers it produces make a very unusual and attractive hedge which keen gardeners will enjoy.

5 - Beech

Not always one of the fastest growing hedges with growth of one to two feet per year. But it does quickly become very dense. So, while it may not have the exceptional vertical growth of Leylandii it does quickly develop mass. Which is just as important when planting a hedge. Beech is also very attractive with a variety of foliage.

There are of course many other types of hedging trees which you can choose above the five we’ve highlighted above. But any of the hedging plants we’ve discussed will provide a good-looking hedge in next to no time.

However, results do vary of course depending on whether, soil and conditions. Mother Nature is anything other than predictable. So, do be prepared to see higher or lower rates of growth.