Our selection of 9 evergreen shrubs for a fast-growing hedge

Whether it's to beautify your garden, mark your property, or create year-round privacy, you certainly have many reasons to want to plant an evergreen hedge. 

But, you'd like to avoid waiting 10 years to get the desired result: a tall and opaque hedge. Plus, with all the shrub varieties out there, it's a real headache to choose the plants that would best fit your garden!  

No problem, you're in the right place! At Yoojo, we've sought advice from the  30,000 gardeners registered on our platform, and we've selected for you evergreen hedge varieties that grow super fast and have an impeccable style to perfectly fit your property. 

Photo gallery, technical sheet, and pro tips, find the hedge you need in 5 minutes!

Click on the photo to see the hedge's sheet:

9 Fast-Growing Evergreen Hedge Varieties

Evergreen? Deciduous? Hardy? Sometimes you may be confused by the vocabulary used when describing plants. Not to worry, before delving into the heart of the matter, here's a brief explanation of the terminology that will be used in our article:

• Evergreen: retains its leaves in winter
• Deciduous: on the contrary, sheds its leaves according to the seasons
• Hardy: a hardy plant withstands cold weather well

Got it all down? Now, discover our selection of fast-growing evergreen hedges.

For a Green and Resilient Hedge

The Bay Laurel: A Reliable Choice

The bay laurel, also known as cherry laurel, is the quintessential hedge shrub. A natural insulator and not too demanding, it is one of the most suitable varieties to plant for a privacy hedge!

Pros - Cons:

✅ Easy maintenance

✅ Adapts easily to all types of soil

✅ Not afraid of pruning

❌ Leaves and berries are toxic

Ebbing's Silverberry: Elegant and Resilient

With its silvery green foliage, the Elaeagnus ebbingei, also known as Ebbing's silverberry, adapts to all environments: whether you live by the sea or in the city.

Pros - Cons:

✅ Very fast growth

✅ Extremely resilient (cold, drought, pollution, diseases)

✅ Edible fruits in May

❌ Requires maintenance: regular pruning necessary

Privet: A Privacy Hedge in No Time

Privet, or Ligustrum, is an extremely adaptable hedge plant thanks to its dense foliage, making it an ideal hedge shrub. 

To Add Color to Your Garden

Photinia: Dark Red Leaves in Spring and Autumn

This hedge stands out thanks to its dark red leaves in spring and autumn, which will bring a lovely color shade to your garden. By trimming the photinia in July, you'll get new red leaves as early as September. 

Advantages - Disadvantages: 

✅ Hardy plant and very cold resistant 

✅ Requires little maintenance: no need for regular pruning

✅ Beautiful color changing throughout the seasons

❌ Susceptible to lack of sunlight

Variegated Elaeagnus: A Touch of Subtle Color

Also known as Elaeagnus 'Limelight', this plant has bi-colored yellow and green leaves and adapts to any climate.

Advantages - Disadvantages: 

✅ Adapts to all climates (cold, drought, pollution)

✅ Very easy to maintain

✅ Decorative foliage

Franchet's Cotoneaster: Red Berries in Autumn

Do you love birdwatching? Then we have found the perfect hedge for you: Franchet's cotoneaster. Its colorful berries that ripen in autumn are a favorite dish for many bird species: robins, tits… 

Advantages - Disadvantages: 

✅ Small white flowers in May 

✅ Birds love their red berries 

✅ Very hardy 

❌ Not recommended if you want a very tall hedge

Escallonia: A Beautiful Flowering Hedge

If you want a flowering hedge, escallonia is the ideal shrub! It will offer you small pink, red, or white flowers in summer depending on the varieties.

Advantages - Disadvantages: 

✅ Beautiful flowers in summer: pink, white, or red depending on the varieties

✅ The flowers attract butterflies and bees 

❌ Quite fragile against heat and cold 

For a super-fast growth 

Bamboo: Gold Medal for Rapid Growth

Bamboo wins the prize for the fastest growing plant! Under certain conditions, the best varieties can even reach a growth speed of 80 cm per day!

So, if you want to be isolated from your neighbors as quickly as possible, why not opt for a bamboo hedge?

Advantages - Disadvantages: 

✅ Blazing growth speed

✅ Many different varieties: to adapt according to your climate and the desired adult size

✅ Original hedge 

❌ Invasive plant, requires regular maintenance 

Leyland Cypress: A Conifer Hedge

Looking to create a fast-growing hedge? The Leyland cypress is very commonly used due to its great adaptability to all environments and its rapid growth.

Advantages - Disadvantages:

✅ A tall hedge quickly

✅ Low maintenance, adaptable to all soils and climates

✅ Easy to trim

❌ Needs regular trimming

Can't Decide?

How about opting for a hedge composed of several varieties:

Mixing species for your future hedge offers numerous advantages:

• Firstly, it's very beautiful!

• It allows you to have a flowering hedge for longer by combining plants with different blooming periods.

• The colors of your hedge change with the seasons.

• Each shrub attracts different species of insects and birds, which is a boon for protecting the biodiversity of your area.

Additionally, most of the varieties we've presented in this article are resistant to all types of climates and soil, so you can mix species as you please!

How to Promote the Rapid Growth of Your Shrubs?

Let's be honest: the key to making your hedge grow as quickly as possible doesn't just lie in the variety you choose. In fact, the environment in which your plant will grow is just as important!

To give your hedge the best chance, here are the essential pieces of information you need to know:

When to Plant Your Hedge?

The optimal season to plant shrubs is autumn: this allows the plant to root well before winter. It is also possible to plant your hedges in the spring for most varieties.

⚠️How Far Apart to Plant Shrubs?

The plants should be placed 80 cm to 1 m apart from each other to avoid overcrowding once they reach maturity.

Did You Know You Can't Plant Your Hedges Just Anywhere?

There are several distance rules to respect in relation to your neighbor's property that you need to know before starting to plant your hedges!

If the height of your plant is less than or equal to 2 meters, leave a minimum distance of 0.5 meters between the plant and your neighbor's property:

If the height of your plant is more than 2 meters, leave a minimum distance of 2 meters between the plant and your neighbor's property:

So, plan ahead the height you want your hedges to reach when planting them!

In short, how many years to wait for a privacy hedge?

While the growth of a hedge can take 10 years if it is done in poor conditions, you can easily cut the growth time in half: