Fast Growing Hedges

/Home/Garden Basics/Bushes, Shrubs, Hedges, and Ground Covers/Types of Hedges/Fast Growing Hedges

Fast Growing Hedging Plants
hedging plants are usually cheaper when bought in bulk

Canadian Hemlock Tsuga canadensis - tall and one of the fastest. Evergreen
Arborvitae - American Thuja occidentalis 'Nigra' - not so quick or so tall, but more elegant. Evergreen
Douglas Fir Pseudotsuga Taxifola - good for wind break or background planting. Evergreen
Privet - Amur Ligustrum Amurense - quick and restrained to about 10ft. Evergreen
Hybrid Poplar Populus hybrida - One of the fastest. Deciduous
Siberian Elm Ulmus Pumilla - one of the fastest growers. Deciduous
Forsythia - Yellow spring flowers. Deciduous

Hedge or Fence?

Advantages of a hedge

Disadvantages of a hedge

An attractive living boundary that changes with the seasons
Can be a part of a mixed border, doesn't have to be uniform
Height easily variable to suit requirements
Can be made intruder-proof by selection of plants
Good at filtering wind
Requires regular maintenance
Takes time to get established
"Greedy" hedging plants often prevent other plants growing close by.
Advantages of a fence

Disadvantages of a fence
Instant barrier, no waiting
Can plant right up to the fence
Fence can be used as a support for climbers or shrubs
Unattractive (subject to opinion!)
More prone to wind damage than hedge, not such a good wind filter
Size

Along with maintenance, the ultimate size of a hedge causes the greatest concerns. In a perfect world, the hedge would grow rapidly and thickly to a preset height and then stop dead in its tracks.

The reality is that if you want a "fast" hedge, one that will grow to the desired height and thicken up just as quickly, it will tend to keep on going upwards and outwards just as vigorously past the optimum size as it did to get there in the first place.

This is the cause of the great Lleylandii curse, a much used hedging plant in the UK. They rapidly form an excellent hedge, but require regular cutting back and the subsequent disposal of large quantities of material if they are not to get out of hand or even become the subject of a dispute between neighbors.

Fast growing plants means the hedge is effective sooner, but then requires more maintenance to keep it under control



Slower growing hedges will take several years to form an effective barrier, but will require less clipping and will live longer.


Maintenance
The other major issue with hedges is the need for regular maintenance. All hedges need trimming at least once a year, some more often. Regular light pruning is better for the hedge, and easier to carry out, than infrequent heavy pruning, there's also a lot less material to dispose of, if it's small twiggy stuff it can be fed though the garden shredder.

A powered hedge trimmer can be used for light pruning, (though not for heavy cutting back) this can speed up the trimming process and help to give a more uniform finish with straight lines.

More on hedges and hedging plants

Fast growing doesn't usually equate to a closely trimmed or "classic" hedge. There's no-one to tell the plants when to stop growing and just start being a hedge.

If you want fast growing, what you get is essentially fast growing trees that can be planted close together to form a quick barrier. The barrier will be informal - or it will require trimming 2-3 times a year if you want to keep it looking neat and tidy. Either way regular trimming to keep the plants under control is a good idea and will thicken and strengthen the hedge.

It will not be long-lived as far as hedges go, though it's all relative. You should get a few decades out of the quickest hedge rather than centuries for yew or the like. Certainly more than you'd get for a wooden fence.

Copyright © Paul Ward 2000 - 2012