13 Best Fast-Growing Trees To Create Privacy Without A Fence

Turn your backyard into a secluded hideaway.

Thuja Green Giant
Photo:

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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

Leyland cypress

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  • Botanical Name: Cupressus × leylandii
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-drained clay, loamy, sandy
  • Soil 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

Thuja Green Giant

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  • Botanical Name: Standishii x plicata
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Heavy clay, sandy soil
  • Soil 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

Palm privacy fence

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  • Botanical Name: Dypsis lutescens
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining, sandy
  • Soil 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.

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Southern Catalpa

Southern catapla tree

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  • Botanical Name: Catalpa bignonioides
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained
  • Soil 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.

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Yellow Oleander

yellow oleander tree

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  • Botanical Name: Thevetia peruviana
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Rich, sandy soil
  • Soil 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

Wax Myrtle

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  • Botanical Name: Myrica cerifera
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Peaty, loamy soil
  • Soil 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

Italian cypress trees

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  • Botanical Name: Cupressus sempervirens
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Clay, sandy, loamy
  • Soil 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

Hybrid poplar tree

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  • Botanical Name: Populus deltoides x Populus nigra
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Clay, sandy, loamy
  • Soil 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

Eastern red cedar tree

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  • Botanical Name: Juniperus virginiana
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-draining, rich, loamy soil
  • Soil 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

Holly with berries

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  • Botanical Name: Ilex opaca
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, sandy
  • Soil 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

Bamboo

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  • Botanical Name: Bambusa
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Moist, well-drained, rich, sandy
  • Soil 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

Japanese pagoda tree

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  • Botanical Name: Styphnolobium japonicum
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun, partial shade
  • Soil Type: Well-drained, loamy, sandy
  • Soil 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

Norway spruce

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  • Botanical Name: Picea abies
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun
  • Soil Type: Well-drained, loamy, sandy
  • Soil 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.

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