Best Fast-Growing Trees for Privacy

If you want to create privacy, reduce noise, block unsightly views, or simply surround your home with natural beauty, fast-growing trees are often the best solution. Compared to fences or walls, trees provide living screens that change with the seasons and attract wildlife while increasing property value. Selecting the right fast-growing species for your climate, soil, and space ensures a green barrier that delivers quick results with lasting benefits. Here’s an in-depth look at some of the very best fast-growing trees for privacy, along with planting tips and cultivar details to help you build a lush retreat—fast.gardenia+3

1. Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis leylandii)

Growth Rate: 3–4 feet per year
Mature Height: 40–60 feet
Ideal Zones: 6–10

Leyland Cypress is one of the most popular privacy choices for its rapid growth, dense evergreen foliage, and adaptability to a wide range of soils. Its soft, feathery needles form a thick, impenetrable screen year-round and require little maintenance beyond shaping to desired height. Suitable for hedging, windbreaks, or tall screens, it’s especially prized in suburban and urban landscapes.

Tip: Plant 6–8 feet apart; avoid overwatering to prevent root rot.fast-growing-trees+1

2. Thuja Green Giant Arborvitae (Thuja standishii x plicata)

Growth Rate: 3–5 feet per year
Mature Height: 30–40 feet
Ideal Zones: 5–9

Thuja Green Giant is the gold standard for fast, uniform privacy hedges. Its deep green, aromatic foliage remains lush through winter, never browning or thinning. Exceptionally disease-resistant and tolerant of most soils, it forms a symmetrical, low-maintenance living wall. ‘Baby Giant’ is a similar, compact option for smaller spaces, reaching 10–14 feet.homesteadgardens+1

Tip: Plant 5–8 feet apart for seamless coverage. Little to no pruning is required.

3. Hybrid Poplar (Populus deltoides x nigra)

Growth Rate: 5–8 feet per year
Mature Height: 40–60 feet
Ideal Zones: 3–9

Hybrid Poplar is renowned for its rocket-fast growth—few trees reach height or fill wider gaps more quickly. Its spreading branches and shimmering green leaves create a light, airy screen ideal for large lots, farm borders, or where speed is essential.

Tip: Not as long-lived as evergreens; best for quick cover while slower trees establish.reddit+1

4. Lombardy Poplar (Populus nigra ‘Italica’)

Growth Rate: 5–6 feet per year
Mature Height: 40–60 feet
Ideal Zones: 3–9

With its tall, columnar habit, the Lombardy Poplar is perfect for narrow borders where space is limited but vertical growth is desired. Its quick spread makes it popular for windbreaks and property division.gardenia+1

Tip: Plant in a row for a “living wall”; not long-lived but extremely fast.

5. Weeping Willow (Salix babylonica)

Growth Rate: 4–8 feet per year
Mature Height: 30–40 feet
Ideal Zones: 4–9

Known for graceful, drooping branches, the Weeping Willow makes a dramatic, fast-screening tree—especially near water. It excels in wet soils and large open areas, creating both privacy and a scenic backdrop.

Tip: Not ideal for small gardens due to size and aggressive roots.fast-growing-trees

6. Eastern White Pine (Pinus strobus)

Growth Rate: 2–3 feet per year
Mature Height: 50–80 feet
Ideal Zones: 3–7

This native conifer offers privacy with elegant, soft blue-green needles and provides year-round cover for wildlife. Excellent for large properties and cold climates, it thrives in sun and well-drained soils.

Tip: Space at least 10–12 feet apart for full growth.davey

7. Autumn Blaze Maple (Acer x freemanii)

Growth Rate: 3–5 feet per year
Mature Height: 40–50 feet
Ideal Zones: 3–8

A hybrid of red and silver maple, this tree provides not only rapid screening but phenomenal fall color. Its dense, rounded crown makes an excellent privacy shade tree for spacious gardens.

Tip: Avoid poor or excessively wet soils for best performance.fast-growing-trees

8. Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides)

Growth Rate: 2–4 feet per year
Mature Height: 50–100 feet
Ideal Zones: 5–8

Known as a “living fossil,” the striking Dawn Redwood delivers fast, pyramidal growth with feathery foliage that turns bronze in fall. It works beautifully as a stately privacy screen on larger lots.

Tip: Handle root ball gently during planting; best for moist, deep soils.davey

9. River Birch (Betula nigra)

Growth Rate: 2–3 feet per year
Mature Height: 30–40 feet
Ideal Zones: 4–9

Perfect for privacy by water features, River Birch tolerates wet soils and heat well. Its peeling bark and airy branching pattern offer both beauty and a light privacy screen.

10. Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra)

Growth Rate: 3–5 feet per year
Mature Height: 15–30 feet
Ideal Zones: 7–10

For a lush, contemporary look, black bamboo creates an evergreen screen with slender, dark canes. Fast and tall, but must be contained to prevent spreading.fast-growing-trees

Tip: Use root barriers or plant in large containers for control.

Other Notable Choices

• Silver Maple: Fast, shade-giving, with beautiful leaves (Zones 3–9, 2 feet/year).davey

• Crape Myrtle: Colorful flowers and privacy (Zones 7–9, 1–2 feet/year).marthastewart+1

• Osage Orange: Tough, heat-tolerant, natural security hedge (Zones 4–9).gardenia

• Magnolia, Tulip Poplar, Chaste Tree: Excellent for screening and showy seasonal appeal.marthastewart+1

Planting and Care Tips

• Site Preparation: Ensure adequate space and good soil drainage for mature size.

• Spacing: Plant in staggered or straight rows, based on crown width at maturity.

• Watering: Water newly planted trees deeply through first two seasons for rapid establishment.

• Mulching: Mulch to retain soil moisture and suppress weeds.

• Pruning: Most screening trees require little shaping—only to maintain density or height.

• Fertilizing: Apply balanced fertilizer in spring on poor soils or if foliage is pale.

Selecting the Best Tree for Your Privacy Needs

• Climate Adaptability: Match species to your USDA zone, rainfall, and soil conditions.

• Mature Size: Consider available space—some trees need room to grow tall and wide.

• Evergreen or Deciduous: Evergreens offer year-round privacy; deciduous trees provide shade and color in summer.

• Growth Habit: Vertical, pyramidal, or bushy forms suit different garden layouts and privacy needs.

Conclusion

Fast-growing privacy trees transform open yards into secluded, serene havens in just a few seasons. Varieties like Leyland Cypress, Thuja Green Giant, Hybrid Poplar, and Weeping Willow are top choices for quick results and natural beauty. Select trees suited to your region and yard, plant with care, and enjoy living privacy barriers that only improve with time. With the right fast-growers, your landscape will become a private retreat, thriving and changing through the years.homesteadgardens+3