15 Fast-Growing Privacy Trees & Shrubs (Living Screen)

A wall of living green is one of the most satisfying upgrades you can make to a yard: it blocks the neighbor’s window, softens road noise, and looks far better than any panel of vinyl. The trick is choosing trees and shrubs that grow fast enough to give you privacy soon, but not so aggressively that they outgrow their spot or threaten your foundation. This guide walks through 15 of the best fast-growing privacy trees and shrubs for U.S. yards, plus how to space them, how quickly they fill in, and which ones to keep well away from your house.

How to choose: evergreen vs. deciduous, fast vs. forever

Before you fall in love with a plant, decide what the screen actually has to do. Evergreens hold their leaves or needles all year, so they block sightlines in January as well as July—the right choice for most privacy screens. Deciduous plants drop their leaves in fall, which means a few months of bare branches; they can still work for summer-only privacy around a patio or pool, and many leaf out so densely they read as solid from spring through autumn.

“Fast” is a trade-off, too. The quickest growers (hybrid poplar, willow hybrid, Leyland cypress) put on several feet a year but tend to be shorter-lived, weaker-wooded, or disease-prone. Slower, sturdier choices like holly and boxwood take patience but reward you for decades. A smart screen often mixes a fast “starter” layer with a slower, permanent backbone. Whatever you pick, match the plant’s mature size to your space—crowding a 40-foot tree into a 6-foot side yard creates a maintenance headache and unhappy neighbors. For more on designing the whole yard around your screen, see our outdoor living guide.

Top evergreen conifers for a fast screen

Thuja Green Giant (Thuja standishii × plicata)

The go-to privacy tree across much of the country. Growth rate is fast at 3–5 feet per year, with a mature size of 30–50 feet tall and 12–20 feet wide. Hardy in USDA zones 5–8 and fully evergreen. It’s deer-resistant, disease-resistant, and far less prone to the problems that plague Leyland cypress, which is why it has largely replaced it for new plantings. Space 5–8 feet apart for a solid wall.

Leyland cypress (× Cupressocyparis leylandii)

The original “instant hedge,” still loved for speed: 3–4 feet per year, maturing at 40–60 feet tall and 15–25 feet wide in zones 6–10. Evergreen and very dense. The catch is that it’s prone to bagworms and to fungal diseases (canker, needle blight), especially when crowded or stressed. Plant it with elbow room and good airflow, or choose Thuja Green Giant instead in disease-prone regions.

Emerald Green arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’)

The best pick for tight spaces. Slower and tidier at 1–2 feet per year, topping out around 12–15 feet tall but only 3–4 feet wide, in zones 3–8. Evergreen, narrow, and naturally columnar—little to no shearing needed. Space 2–3 feet apart for a slim, formal screen along a property line or driveway where a giant conifer won’t fit.

Italian cypress (Cupressus sempervirens)

The dramatic, pencil-thin spire you see in Mediterranean and Southwest landscapes. Moderately fast at 1–3 feet per year, reaching 30–40 feet tall but just 3–6 feet wide, in zones 7–10. Evergreen and architectural rather than a true dense screen—use a tight row of them for a striking vertical privacy line in hot, dry climates. They dislike soggy soil and humid summers.

Fast-growing broadleaf evergreens & shrubs

Nellie Stevens holly (Ilex × ‘Nellie R. Stevens’)

A workhorse evergreen for the South and mid-Atlantic. Growth rate is 2–3 feet per year, maturing at 15–25 feet tall and 8–12 feet wide in zones 6–9. Dark, glossy foliage and red winter berries make it ornamental as well as functional. Pyramidal and dense; space 5–6 feet apart for a screen, more if you want individual specimens.

Holly (Ilex species)

Beyond Nellie Stevens, American holly and many hybrids make excellent evergreen screens. Growth is moderate at 1–2 feet per year, with mature sizes from 10 to 30 feet depending on variety, across zones 5–9. The spiny foliage doubles as a friendly deterrent to anyone—or anything—cutting through your yard, and berries feed birds in winter.

Wax myrtle (Morella cerifera)

A tough, fast Southern native. It grows 3–5 feet per year to 15–20 feet tall and wide in zones 7–10, and stays evergreen. Wax myrtle tolerates salt, wet soil, and poor sites, making it ideal for coastal and difficult spots. It can be left billowy and informal or limbed up into a small multi-trunk tree.

Privet (Ligustrum species)

Classic hedge material: very fast at 2–3 feet per year, reaching 8–15 feet in zones 5–8 and shears beautifully into a formal wall. It’s semi-evergreen in milder areas and deciduous in cold ones. Note that some privets are considered invasive in parts of the U.S.—check your state’s list and consider sterile cultivars or a native alternative.

Photinia (Photinia × fraseri, “red tip”)

Popular for its bright red new growth. Fast at 2–3 feet per year, maturing around 10–15 feet in zones 7–9, and evergreen. It makes a colorful sheared hedge but is notoriously susceptible to Entomosporium leaf spot, which can defoliate a crowded planting. Give it air circulation and avoid overhead watering, or choose a more disease-resistant option.

Viburnum (Viburnum species)

A versatile genus with evergreen and deciduous members, many fast at 1–3 feet per year and sized 6–15 feet across zones 4–9. Beyond screening, you get flowers, berries, and pollinator value. Evergreen types like ‘Pragense’ work as year-round screens; arrowwood and other natives give a looser, wildlife-friendly hedge.

Boxwood (Buxus species)

The choice for low, formal, evergreen hedges rather than tall screens. Slow at under a foot per year, with most varieties maturing at 3–8 feet in zones 5–9. Boxwood is the gold standard for clipped garden walls and borders; be aware of boxwood blight in your region and buy from clean nursery stock. Pair it as a low edge in front of taller screening trees.

Speed champions & clumping bamboo (use with care)

Hybrid poplar (Populus × canadensis and similar)

One of the fastest woody plants you can grow: 5–8 feet per year, reaching 40–50 feet in zones 3–9. It’s deciduous, so it screens only in the growing season, and the wood is weak and relatively short-lived (15–30 years). Treat it as a temporary “nurse” screen that buys time while slower evergreens mature, and keep it far from structures and pipes—the roots are aggressive.

Willow hybrid (Salix × ‘Austree’ / hybrid willow)

Marketed as a near-instant hedge: up to 6–10 feet per year, maturing around 35–45 feet in zones 4–9, deciduous. Extremely fast but thirsty, weak-wooded, and short-lived, with water-seeking roots. Like hybrid poplar, it’s best used as a quick temporary screen well away from foundations, septic fields, and sewer lines—not as a forever tree.

Clumping bamboo (Fargesia and Bambusa species)

Bamboo gives a lush, exotic screen fast—but only plant clumping types, never running bamboo. Running bamboo spreads by underground runners and can invade your yard and your neighbor’s, and it’s banned or restricted in some areas. Clumping bamboo (cold-hardy Fargesia in zones 5–9, tropical Bambusa in zones 8–11) stays in a tidy mound, grows 1–3 feet per year, and reaches 8–20 feet while remaining evergreen. Even with clumpers, leave room for the clump to widen over time.

Spacing, fill-in time & avoiding problem trees

Correct spacing is what separates a clean screen from a crowded, disease-prone mess. A good rule is to set plants at about half to two-thirds of their mature width apart: roughly 5–8 feet for Thuja Green Giant, 2–3 feet for Emerald Green arborvitae, and 5–6 feet for Nellie Stevens holly. Planting closer fills in faster but invites the fungal problems that hit Leyland cypress and photinia, so resist the urge to jam them in. For two solid rows of coverage, stagger plants in a zigzag rather than lining them up.

How fast will you actually get privacy? With a fast evergreen like Thuja Green Giant planted at a 5–6 foot size, expect a usable screen in 3–5 years and a tall wall in 7–10. Willow and poplar can screen in 2–3 years but won’t last; slower hollies and boxwood may take 5–8 years. Starting with larger nursery stock shortens the wait, at a higher upfront cost. If you need privacy immediately, a fence plus young plants is the fastest combo—see our fence ideas to pair hardscape with greenery.

Finally, plant for the future. Large or fast trees with aggressive roots—poplar, willow, Leyland cypress—belong well away from your house, driveway, septic system, and underground utilities. As a guideline, keep big trees at least 15–20 feet from the foundation and never plant tall species under overhead power lines. Always call 811 before digging to locate buried lines. When in doubt, choose a narrow, well-behaved evergreen near the house and save the giants for open property edges. For planting technique, read our guide on how to plant a tree, and if you garden in a tropical climate, our notes on hedge & screening plants cover warm-zone options.

Frequently asked questions

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