The 12 Best Fast-Growing Evergreen Shrubs, According To Experts

Quickly transform your landscape with these fast-growing shrubs recommended by garden experts.

Tin laurel (Viburnum tinus) blooming
Photo:

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Planting fast-growing evergreen shrubs in your landscape is an easy way to create a privacy screen, reduce noise, and add beauty to your space. Evergreens provide year-long foliage so you don't have to worry about losing leaves in the late fall and winter seasons. Plus, many evergreen shrubs are native to the Southern region and provide food and habitat for bees and birds. Consider these expert recommendations for fast-growing evergreen shrubs to grow in your yard. 

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Camellia

A camelia bush full of red blossoms.

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Camellias are a wonderful evergreen shrub to grow, esepcially if you want to add color to the garden in the seasons when there are typically less blooms. Depending on the variety, you may have blossoms in fall or in winter. Camellias have "prolific long-lasting flowers in white, gold-yellow, pink, or red from October to mid-March," says Marcia Stephenson, Director of Advancement at the Delaware Center for Horticulture. These can reach around 10 to 13 feet tall and as a bonus, deer aren't a fan of Camellia.

  • Botanical Name: Camellia spp.
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Well-drained clay, loam, or sand
  • Soil pH: Acidic to neutral (5.8-6.5)
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Devilwood

Devilwood Shrub

Courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center

American Olive or Devilwood is a native shrub to the Southern United States. "Devilwood, formerly classified in the genus Osmanthus, is a wonderful yet underutilized native shrub with huge landscape potential," says Mt. Cuba’s Manager of Horticultural Research, Sam Hoadley. You'll need to prune Devilwood if you want to maintain this shrub to a certain size. "If left unpruned, Cartrema americanum can grow into an airy large shrub or small tree." In the spring, this evergreen shrub produces fragrant, small, white flowers. 

  • Botanical Name: Cartrema americanum
  • Sun Exposure: Partial shade
  • Soil Type: Well-drained
  • Soil pH: Acid to Neutral (6.0-8.0)
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Eastern Red Cedar

Easter Red Cedar

John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Eastern Red Cedar is a fast-growing tree but can be kept as a large shrub, says Nicole Dillon, a micro-flower farmer and owner of Breemar Flower Farm, based in Ashland, Virginia, if you choose the right varietal. This shrub grows densely and provides privacy year-round. "As a flower farmer, I often snip this during the winter for wreaths and arrangements," she says. "The fragrance is delightful and makes the home feel extra cozy as the temperature outside drops." For a small varietal, Dillon recommends the 'Grey Owl' which reaches three feet tall and six feet wide or for a larger option, 'Globosa,' which can reach up to 10 feet tall and wide and has a rounded shape. 

  • Botanical Name: Juniperus virginiana 
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Moist, Well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acidic to slightly alkaline (4.7 to 7.8)
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Fire Chief™ Arborvitae

Fire Chief™ Arborvitae

Mark Sandlin for Southern Living® Plant Collection.

A compact evergreen with vibrant golden leaves, Fire Chief™ Arborvitae is a hybrid shrub that can grow in a variety of climates. "This is one of my new favorites," says Linda Vater, garden designer, stylist and author, The Garden Journal: A 5-year record of your home garden. "It is tough and can handle difficult growing conditions like clay soil, high heat, direct sun—and is even deer resistant." If you want a low-maintanence shrub, this one doesn't require pruning. "I love its easy care and its year-round handsomely good looks," she adds.  

  • Botanical Name: Thuja Occidentalis 'Congabe'
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, clay, loamy
  • Soil pH: Neutral, Acid, Alkaline (6.0-8.0)
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Florida Anise

Florida Anise Shrub

John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

Have a shady area and want to plant a shrub that deer don't like? Florida anise is a great choice. "Florida anise is a beautiful and useful native shrub that is also exceptionally resistant to deer browse," says Hoadley. "This species can grow quickly once it is established, to around 12’ tall creating an airy evergreen screen." In the spring you can look forward to reddish-hued flowers that add color and texture to the landscape. "Spidery, garnet-colored flowers are produced in spring which further added to the ornamental appeal of this superb native plant," he adds. 

  • Botanical Name: Illicium spp.
  • Sun Exposure: Partial, full shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Slightly acidic (5.5-6.2)
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Florida Hobblebush

Florida Hobblebush

John Ruter, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org

If you're looking for a native shrub that acts as a privacy screen, you may want to grow Florida Hobblebush. "Agarista populifolia produces upright yet slightly pendulous new shoots in spring that eventually culminate into an upright evergreen that is equally effective in naturalistic landscapes and formal gardens as a screen or a hedge," says Hoadley.

  • Botanical Name: Agarista populifolia
  • Sun Exposure: Partial, full shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
  • Soil pH: Slightly acidic  
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Inkberry

Inkberry Holly

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Inkberry is a multi-purpose shrub that's low-maintenance and provides food for pollinators. "Inkberry (Ilex glabra) is an evergreen shrub that I always recommend to people looking to create hedges or update their foundation beds to native, evergreen plants," says Dillon. This is a wonderful substitute to Boxwoods, she says.  "They perform best and grow the fastest in full sun, but do just fine in partial shade as well," says Dillon. They can be planted in almost any soil type and can occasionally stand wet feet." 

  • Botanical Name: Ilex glabra
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Moist, sandy
  • Soil pH: Acidic (4.5-6.0)
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Laurustinus

Tin laurel (Viburnum tinus) blooming

Getty Images

Want to grow an evergreen shrub that produces fruits and attracts wildlife to the garden? Consider growing Laurustinus. This fast-growing shrub entices pollinators and birds and is deer and rabbit resistent. "A vigorous, bushy, evergreen shrub with eye-catching blossoms, metallic-blue fruits and leathery foliage offering interest throughout the seasons," says Stephenson. She adds these shrubs can be grown as one plant or as several to create a hedge. 

  • Botanical Name: Viburnum tinus
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Well-drained clay, loamy, or sandy
  • Soil pH: Acidic to Alkaline (8.0-10.0)
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Northern Bayberry

Northern Bayberry Shrub

Monrovia.com by Doreen Wynja

"For gardeners that want a native, semi-evergreen presence that also provides screening and wildlife habitat, Northern Bayberry is a great choice," says Stephenson. This shrub can grow in a variety of conditions making it suitable for many landscapes. "Tolerant of a wide variety of soil conditions, including sandy shorelines, it is often planted as a dune stabilizer in combination with other coastal native species," she says. 

  • Botanical Name: Myrica pennsylvanica
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Well-drained clay, loam, or sand
  • Soil pH: Acidic to Alkaline (5.0-8.0)
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Oakland Holly

Oakland Holly

Southern Living Plant Collection

If you want to grow a shrub in a shady area of your yard, Oakland Holly is  a winner with its glossy, dark green leaves. This hardy shrub is adaptable. "You’ve got to love an evergreen that can grow in full sun or part shade," says Vater. "These gorgeous pieces will reach 15-20 feet high and are hardy all the way down to Zone 6, making them both cold and heat tolerant."

  • Botanical Name: Ilex hybrid 'Magland'
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-draining
  • Soil pH: Acidic (5.2-6.8)
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Southern Wax Myrtle

Wax Myrtle

Diana Kirby

Southern Wax Myrtle is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that is commonly used to create a privacy screen. "It has dark, olive-green glossy leaves and produces blue fruit from August through September," says Dillon. This is a native shrub in the Eastern United States and attracts pollinators and birds. "This shrub has a high wildlife value supporting bees, butterflies, and even yellow-rumped warblers through its flowers and fruit and protecting other birds and wildlife during inclement weather," she adds. If you want a smaller varietal for a front border or foundational bed, she recommends 'Strawberry Shortcake,' which reaches 30 feet tall and wide.

  • Botanical Name: Myrica cerifera
  • Sun Exposure: Full, partial, dappled
  • Soil Type: Moist, sandy
  • Soil pH: Acidic (3.7-6.5)
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Yewtopia Plum Yew

Yewtopia Plum Yew
Courtesy of the Southern Living Plant Collection

Want to grow an evergreen shrub in the shady area of your garden? Yetopia Plum Yew may be the answer as it can manage in a variety of conditions. "This is a great evergreen for part shade to shade that is also deer-resistant, heat tolerant, drought resistant, and with a beautiful vase-shaped growth habit," says Vater. "It adds a beautiful textural interest to the winter garden with a classic evergreen aesthetic."

  • Botanical Name: Cephalotaxus harringtonia
  • Sun Exposure: Partial, dappled, deep shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
  • Soil pH: Slightly acidic to slightly alkaline (6.0-7.5)
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