Gardening Ideas Gardening & Landscaping Ideas Garden Design 13 Best Fast-Growing Trees To Create Privacy Without A Fence Turn your backyard into a secluded hideaway. By Heather Bien Heather Bien Heather Bien is a lifestyle writer with a decade of experience contributing to digital and print publications. With a design background, Heather covers home, decor, entertaining, and gardening. She's an avid traveler who jumps at the opportunity to cover a weekend getaway, particularly if it features a historic angle. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on June 5, 2024 Close Photo: freemixer/Getty Images Whether it's blocking a busy street just beyond your property line or hiding from a nosy neighbor who pops by every time you step outside to water your plants, you may find yourself in need of a quick solution for privacy in your own backyard. While you could put up a sky-high fence, there's an easier, less expensive, and more aesthetically pleasing solution. Fast-growing privacy trees will give your yard a natural barrier that makes it feel like a private getaway. Tips for Choosing Privacy Trees for Your Yard The right privacy trees for your yard will depend on your space, sun exposure, and soil. Some privacy trees will grow upwards rapidly, reaching heights of 30 feet or more. Others will spread into a shrub-like habit unless pruned. Assess the space you have and decide the best shape and mature size for your yard. Then, think about sun exposure and soil. Considerations like whether you have full sun, partial shade, sandy soil, or moist soil will each play a role in which trees will thrive. Lastly, look at how quickly the tree grows. Depending on how quickly you want to block out your surroundings, you may want to choose a tree that will grow several feet in a year or you might be okay adding just a foot or two annually. Ready to start creating your secluded hideaway? From the classic European look of Italian cypress to the tropical aesthetic of yellow oleander, here are 13 of the fastest-growing trees for privacy. 01 of 13 Leyland Cypress TonyBaggett/Getty Images Botanical Name: Cupressus × leylandiiSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Well-drained clay, loamy, sandySoil pH: 5.0 to 8.0 Want to add height and dense evergreen foliage to your yard, and don't want to wait? Leyland cypress adds 3 to 5 feet of height annually until it reaches a mature height of up to 70 feet tall. These full evergreens resemble a Christmas tree, giving them a timeless landscaping look. 02 of 13 Green Giant Arborvitae freemixer/Getty Images Botanical Name: Standishii x plicataSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Heavy clay, sandy soilSoil pH: 6.0 to 8.0 Green giant arborvitae is a classic privacy tree with its triangular appearance and dense branches. These easy-to-grow evergreens can add 3 to 5 feet per year, eventually reaching 40 to 60 feet tall. They look particularly sophisticated lined up in an orderly row, where they form a lush fence of greenery. 03 of 13 Areca Palm Michael Herm/Getty Images Botanical Name: Dypsis lutescensSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Well-draining, sandySoil pH: 6.0 If you live in USDA hardiness zones 9 through 11, then the Areca palm, which is typically grown as a houseplant, could make an excellent privacy tree in your backyard. Surround your space with these cheerful palms, and you'll feel like you've stepped into a beachfront boutique hotel each time you walk into your backyard. They grow rapidly, adding 2 to 3 feet per year and eventually reaching an astounding 15 to 40 feet tall. 04 of 13 Southern Catalpa DEBOVE SOPHIE/Getty Images Botanical Name: Catalpa bignonioidesSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Moist, well-drainedSoil pH: 5.5 to 7.0 Reaching 30 to 60 feet tall and adding 1 to 2 feet per year, the Southern catalpa is a stunning deciduous tree that's perfect for adding spring to fall privacy. Its white blossoms make it a striking tall drink of water in your backyard landscape. Thanks to its full branches, it not only blocks the view of passerbys, but it also provides much-needed summer shade. 05 of 13 Yellow Oleander mansum008/Getty Images Botanical Name: Thevetia peruvianaSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Rich, sandy soilSoil pH: 5.0 to 8.0 If you want to add a tropical touch while creating your backyard hideaway, look for a privacy plant like yellow oleander. Not only will you get dark green evergreen foliage with a beachy look, but this small tree also has gorgeous yellow trumpet flowers. Yellow oleander will add 1 to 2 feet a year until reaching its mature size of 8 to 12 feet both tall and wide. 06 of 13 Wax Myrtle Diana Kirby Botanical Name: Myrica ceriferaSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Peaty, loamy soilSoil pH: 6.0 to 8.0 For a fast-growing evergreen tree with leaves rather than needles, wax myrtle is a favorite of gardeners. The dense foliage of this evergreen can grow as much as 5 feet in a single year before reaching its mature height of 15 to 20 feet. You can grow it as a shrub or prune it to have a single trunk reaching into a wide, thick canopy. 07 of 13 Italian Cypress Leon Tian / 500px/Getty Images Botanical Name: Cupressus sempervirensSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Clay, sandy, loamySoil pH: 5.5 to 7.5 The striking silhouette of the Italian cypress makes it one of the most popular privacy trees. The slender, cylindrical evergreens look like something out of the Tuscan landscape when they're lined up across the landscape (hence the name!), and they won't spread wider than 10 feet at their largest. They add 1 to 3 feet in height per year before reaching a whopping 50 to 115 feet tall. 08 of 13 Hybrid Poplar imageBROKER/Richard Dorn/Getty Images Botanical Name: Populus deltoides x Populus nigraSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Clay, sandy, loamySoil pH: 5.5 to 7.5 When you want a privacy tree that has the shape of a classic shade tree, the hybrid poplar is the answer. This speedy tree puts on 5 to 8 feet of height annually, eventually hitting a max of 50 feet. While these quick-growing trees are prone to limb breakage, it won't be long before they'll make up what's lost and those limbs can be used for firewood. 09 of 13 Eastern Red Cedar Cynthia Shirk/Getty Images Botanical Name: Juniperus virginianaSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Well-draining, rich, loamy soilSoil pH: 4.7 to 7.8 Growing 1 to 2 feet per year doesn't put the Eastern red cedar at the top of the growth charts, but it's fast enough to make it an excellent choice for those looking for privacy in their yards. These evergreens can reach 30 to 40 feet tall, forming a pyramid shape as they reach upwards. While they're easygoing with their soil requirements, they do require full sun. 10 of 13 American Holly Elizabeth Fernandez/Getty Images Botanical Name: Ilex opacaSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Moist, well-drained, sandySoil pH: Below 6.5 Holly isn't just for Christmas! American holly is a fast-growing evergreen shrub that can reach towering heights of 15 to 30 feet. Holly grows quickly and provides your landscape with gleaming dark green leaves throughout the year. Plus, it's a favorite of pollinators and animals alike, with spring's white flowers attracting bees and butterflies, while the berries feed birds and wildlife. 11 of 13 Bamboo Westend61/Getty Images Botanical Name: BambusaSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Moist, well-drained, rich, sandySoil pH: 5.0 to 6.5 When speed is your number one concern, bamboo can do the trick. Bamboo often reaches its maximum height within 60 to 90 days, sometimes adding feet in just a day. Eventually, it can reach 15 to 60 feet high, depending on the type. But keep an eye on its spread — bamboo is known for becoming invasive in the right environment. 12 of 13 Japanese Pagoda Tree Jon Benedictus/Getty Images Botanical Name: Styphnolobium japonicumSun Exposure: Full sun, partial shadeSoil Type: Well-drained, loamy, sandySoil pH: 4.5 to 8.0 If you don't need privacy all year long, then the flowering Japanese pagoda tree will give you the speedy growth and dense foliage that's ideal in a privacy tree. You just have to keep in mind that it's deciduous, and you'll only reap the benefits of its shade and seclusion from spring through fall. It can grow to 65 feet tall, adding 1 to 2 feet per year. And, when you think about it, are you outside enough in the winter to need privacy year round anyway? 13 of 13 Norway Spruce mikroman6/Getty Images Botanical Name: Picea abiesSun Exposure: Full sunSoil Type: Well-drained, loamy, sandySoil pH: 5.0 to 7.5 Norway spruce trees not only have a classic Christmas tree look, they'll quickly add major privacy to your backyard. They can grow 2 to 3 feet in a single year, eventually reaching up to 80 feet in mature height. Despite their imposing size, these evergreens do well in urban environments and have shallow roots that won't disturb your home. However, they do need significant water. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit