Best Fast-Growing Evergreens for Instant Privacy

For homeowners seeking quick, reliable privacy screens, a well-chosen evergreen can transform outdoor spaces. The following selections emphasize rapid growth, year-round foliage, and manageable maintenance. Each entry highlights defenses against nosy neighbors while boosting curb appeal. Below is a quick snapshot of the featured products to help you compare options at a glance.

Product Key Benefit
Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 1 Gallon 5-Pack Dense, fast privacy with versatile pruning
Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 3 Gallon Rapid growth to form a tall, wide screen
Leyland Cypress Trees (20 Pack) Very fast, broad property coverage
10 Murray Cypress Trees (10 Pack) Dense, feathery foliage for refined screening
Perfect Plants Nellie Stevens Holly 1 Gal. Year-round privacy with glossy foliage

Each selection has distinct strengths. Thuja Green Giants offer rapid, tall screens with evergreen color. Leyland and Murray cypress provide robust, wide-form privacy quickly, especially suited for larger borders. Nellie Stevens Holly adds dense, year-round coverage with a classic hedge look. Consider climate, soil, and maintenance preferences to choose the best fit for your landscape.

Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 1 Gallon 5-Pack

Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 1 Gallon 5-Pack

Check Price on Amazon

The Thuja Green Giant is noted as a premier fast-growing privacy tree for many parts of the United States. This large evergreen features dense, dark green foliage with a pleasant Christmas-tree scent when broken. It grows with a broad, pyramidal base and can reach up to 60 feet tall and 20 feet wide at maturity. It is highly adaptable and can be pruned to maintain your desired size, making it versatile for hedges, screens, or framing a garden.

Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 3 Gallon

Perfect Plants Thuja Green Giant 3 Gallon

Check Price on Amazon

This larger container size accelerates privacy gains, with growth rates up to 3 feet per year and a mature silhouette of about 40 feet tall and 20 feet wide. It serves well as a dense screen or a commanding living fence. Note that shipments to California or Arizona may require cancellation due to state regulations. The plant excels as a focal privacy specimen or an integrated screen in landscape designs.

Leyland Cypress Trees (20 Pack)

Leyland Cypress Trees 20 Pack

Check Price on Amazon

Leyland Cypress trees are a classic choice for rapid privacy screens. In a 20-pack, these seedlings grow quickly—typically 3-4 feet per year—delivering immediate visual screening and year-round evergreen color. They tolerate full sun and various soils, making them adaptable for many yards. This option is well-suited for long property borders, driveways, and noise reduction along fences or streets.

20 Murray Cypress Trees (20 Pack)

20 Murray Cypress Trees

Check Price on Amazon

These Murray Cypress reach 3-4 feet of growth annually, creating a dense, impenetrable privacy screen quickly. The foliage is feathery and refined, offering a textured hedge appearance that’s often admired in professional landscapes. The 20-pack is ideal for rapid coverage along fences, property lines, or to define outdoor living spaces with a natural, elegant backdrop.

10 Murray Cypress Trees (10 Pack)

10 Murray Cypress Trees

Check Price on Amazon

A smaller option in the Murray Cypress family, this 10-pack still delivers rapid privacy growth of 3-4 feet per year. It is well-suited for mid-sized yards or for supplementing existing screens where a tighter, more refined hedge is desired. The feathered foliage provides a lush, natural look that works well in modern or traditional landscapes alike.

Perfect Plants Nellie Stevens Holly 1 Gal. Pot

Nellie Stevens Holly 1 Gal. Pot

Check Price on Amazon

The Nellie Stevens Holly is a dense, quick-growing privacy hedge with deep green foliage that remains evergreen. It produces small white flowers in spring, followed by bright red berries in fall, adding seasonal interest. Plants can reach up to 25 feet tall and 15 feet wide, making them a strong choice for privacy screens or living fences. It offers reliable performance with relatively easy maintenance.

Buying Guide

  • Climate compatibility: Match the species with your USDA hardiness zone and local climate to ensure winter tolerance and summer vigor.
  • Site conditions: Consider sun exposure, soil type, drainage, and space. Fast-growing screens need steady soil moisture and adequate root space.
  • Mature size planning: Know the eventual height and width to avoid future pruning conflicts or overcrowding of installed plants.
  • Maintenance needs: Some varieties respond well to regular pruning and shaping, while others are best left to natural forms.
  • Longevity and wildlife: Hollies provide berries that attract birds; pines and cypresses offer year-round greenery with different wildlife considerations.
  • Root behavior: Large evergreen screens may extend roots widely; ensure subterranean space isn’t restricted by sidewalks or utilities.
  • Warranty and shipping: Check seller guarantees and shipping restrictions, particularly for regulated states.

When selecting a privacy screen, a layered approach can maximize effectiveness. Combining tall, fast-growing evergreens with denser, feathery plants can reduce gaps and create a more natural, multi-dimensional barrier. For example, pairing Thuja Green Giants with Murray or Leyland Cypress can yield both height and fullness, while Holly varieties add seasonal color and texture to the screen line. Ensure proper spacing and ongoing maintenance to sustain a healthy, long-lasting privacy wall that enhances your yard’s aesthetics and privacy year-round.