:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/duranta-repens-flowers-1165812886-074ff56ef2fa4d5dbe501e7591d69a04.jpg?resize=1500%2C600&ssl=1 "10 Fast-Growing Hedges That Add Privacy to Your Yard in No Time")
If you’re looking for that “wow” factor to add to your front or backyard, consider planting some fast-growing hedges. You won’t have to wait long to enjoy their foliage. Some fast-growing hedges can also flower, making them a beautiful, showy addition to your current garden. Ready to get planting? Consider these 10 expert-recommended hedge varieties and witness your landscape transform in just a few months.
Green Buttonwood
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A mid-sized tree with attractive, twisting bark and soft foliage that can be grown easily as a hedge, the green buttonwood (Conocarpus erectus) grows in full sun and is tolerant of many soil conditions, says Stephen McFarlane, regional landscaping manager of Sandals Resorts.
- Zone: 10 to 11
- Mature size: Up to 40 feet high x 20 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; clay or sandy soil; moderate water; salt air and water tolerant
Oleander
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A beautiful, easy-to-grow flowering shrub with a rapid rate of growth, if left unpruned, oleander (Nerium oleander) can reach heights of 15 feet, but pruning will create more privacy. “This plant does best in full sun and will tolerate the poorest of soils,” says McFarlane.
- Zone: 9 to 11
- Mature size: 15 feet tall x 12 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil, but tolerant of poor soil; minimal watering
Oleander is highly toxic to both humans and animals. Always wear protective coverings when working with your oleander plant.
Golden Dewdrop
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“An extremely fast-growing evergreen shrub, the Golden dewdrop (Duranta erecta) can reach heights of 15 to 18 feet tall,” says MacFarlane. “Clusters of violet-blue flowers arch from branchlets and turn to golden berries at maturity—beware, the leaves and berries are poisonous.”
- Zone: 10 to 11
- Mature size: 15 to 18 feet tall
- Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; rich, loamy soil; moderate watering
Small Leaf Clusia
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A good choice for hedging, the small leaf clusia (Clusia guttifera) has a fast growth rate (growing a couple of feet per year) and dense, attractive foliage, according to MacFarlane. “It needs full sun to grow rapidly and prefers well-draining soil rich in organic matter,” he says. “Clusia is relatively drought-tolerant when established.”
- Zone: 10 to 11
- Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall
- Care requirements: Full sun; well-draining soil; minimal watering
Seagrape
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The seagrape (Coccoloba uvifera) is a fast-growing multi-stemmed, vase-shaped shrub or tree with course, leathery leaves that can be easily pruned into a dense hedge 10 to 30 feet tall. Salt and drought tolerant when established, it can be grown in clay to sandy, well-drained soils and prefers full sun, especially when grown as a hedge. It even produces edible fruit in the fall.
- Zone: 9 to 11
- Mature size: 10 to 30 feet tall
- Care requirements: Full sun; clay to sandy, well-drained soil; drought tolerant
Hibiscus
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Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) offers beautiful, tropical-looking flowers. “A very fast-growing flowering shrub that comes in many different shapes and colors, some hibiscus varieties can reach heights of 15 to 20 feet if left unpruned, making them great as an informal hedge,” says MacFarlane. “These plants are moderately salt-tolerant and love the sun but will tolerate partial shade and prefer a soil with ample organic matter and compost.”
- Zone: 9 to 12
- Mature size: 15 to 20 feet tall
- Care requirements: Full sun to partial shade; rich soil with organic matter
Sweet Viburnum
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“The sweet viburnum (Viburnum odoratissimum) grows to be a large shrub up to 20 feet,” says Beth Bolles, horticulture agent with the University of Florida IFAS Extension Escambia County. “Spring blooms will be fragrant and the plants grow well in full sun with some moisture or partial shade. Once established, plants are drought-tolerant and grow well with average rainfall.”
- Zone: 7 to 9
- Mature Size: Up to 20 feet tall x 20 feet wide
- Care Requirements: Full sun to partial shade; moist soil; moderate watering
Saltbush
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“A native evergreen shrub with a more open growth habit, the saltbush plants (Baccharis halmifolia) are tolerant of salt spray and moist soils but can grow well in a landscape,” says Bolles. “Cottony white or pale yellow flowers cover the shrub in the fall. Grows well in sun and is often visited by butterflies and bees when in flower.”
- Zone: 5 to 9
- Mature size: 12 feet tall x 6 feet wide
- Care requirements: Full sun; moist soils; moderate watering
Cleyera
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Many cleyera cultivars make attractive hedges and are fast growing, says Bolles. “Plants are evergreen with shiny green or red foliage (new leaves) while white flowers occur in late May that are visited by many pollinators,” she says.
- Zone: 5 to 9b
- Mature size: 6 to 8 feet tall for Juliet; 8 to 10 feet tall for Bronze Beauty; over 10 feet tall for Leann
- Care requirements: Full sun or partial shade; rich, well-drained soil; water established plants when rainfall is lacking for several weeks
Florida Anise
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“The Florida anise (Illicium floridanum) is an evergreen shrub for a shady site,” says Bolles. “Green leaves are very aromatic and plants are covered with small red star-shaped flowers in late winter/early spring. Plants prefer some moisture in the soil to grow best.”
- Zone: 7 to 10
- Mature size: 6 to 10 feet tall
- Care requirements: Full shade; moist soil; moderate watering
