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Top 5 Fast-Growing Trees for Quick Garden Privacy

Top 5 Fast-Growing Trees for Quick Garden Privacy

Five fast evergreen screening trees that give privacy in two seasons, not five. Sorted by form, climate and care.
Australian GardensEvergreen TreesFast GrowingHedging TreesPrivacy Screens

Fast-growing trees solve the impatience problem. A tall advanced specimen establishes quickly, knits into a screen inside two seasons, and gives the home privacy years faster than slow alternatives.

The five fast-growing picks below are the ones we recommend most often for quick privacy.

How to choose a fast-growing privacy tree

Spacing
Plant at 1m spacing for a dense screen across every species.
Speed reality
A tall advanced specimen at 1m spacing knits into a full screen within 12 to 18 months in good soil with consistent water.
Sun and water
Full sun and consistent water through the first summer is the recipe for fast establishment.
Ficus hillii 'Flash'

1. Ficus hillii 'Flash' (Ficus Hillii Flash)

Flash is the fastest growing Ficus on the market. Lime green new growth ages to deep glossy green, and the dense habit makes it the quickest route to a serious privacy screen.

Type
Evergreen hedging tree
Height
5-10m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width
2-4m
Growth rate
Very fast
Foliage
Glossy green with lime new growth
Form
Upright, dense, columnar when hedged
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well drained soil, frost hardy once established
Maintenance
Low, prune 2-3 times a year to maintain shape
Best for
Fast privacy screens, formal hedging, pleaching.

Why choose it

When you need privacy now, Flash is the answer. Outgrows almost every other evergreen hedge in the first two years.

Perfect pair

Use Flash as the evergreen hedge with a Crepe Myrtle Natchez feature in front. Fast privacy plus a deciduous flowering centrepiece.

Tips for planting

Plant 80cm apart for the densest fastest hedge. Water deeply through the first two summers, then taper off.

The fastest evergreen hedge in the catalogue.

Shop Ficus hillii 'Flash'
Waterhousea floribunda

2. Waterhousea floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Weeping Lilly Pilly is the soft alternative to formal Ficus. Fast dense growth, weeping habit and a pink new growth flush that ages to glossy green.

Type
Evergreen Australian native hedging tree
Height
6-10m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width
3-5m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy green with pink/copper new growth, dense
Form
Weeping, rounded
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, moist well drained soil, frost hardy once established
Maintenance
Low, prune 2 times a year for a dense hedge
Best for
Informal hedges, screening, native gardens, large screens.

Why choose it

A native pick that grows fast and gives a softer, more relaxed screening look than tightly clipped Ficus.

Perfect pair

Pair Weeping Lilly Pilly with a Magnolia Coolwyn Gloss as a feature tree in front. Both evergreen, both with glossy foliage but different forms.

Tips for planting

Plant 1m apart. Water steadily through dry summers. Psyllid resistant unlike older Lilly Pilly varieties.

The native answer to fast evergreen privacy.

Shop Waterhousea floribunda
Syzygium australe 'Resilience'

3. Syzygium australe 'Resilience' (Lilly Pilly Resilience)

Resilience is the pick-of-the-bunch Lilly Pilly. Bred for psyllid resistance, this cultivar grows fast and clips up dense and tidy.

Type
Evergreen Australian native hedging tree
Height
4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width
2-3m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy green with coppery new growth
Form
Upright, dense
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, moist well drained soil, frost tender when young
Maintenance
Low, prune 2 times a year
Best for
Formal and informal hedges, screens, native gardens.

Why choose it

The psyllid resistant Lilly Pilly. Fast, tidy and reliable for screens up to about 4m.

Perfect pair

Plant Resilience as a hedge with an Acer palmatum feature tree in front. Glossy evergreen backdrop with a fine deciduous foreground.

Tips for planting

Plant 70-80cm apart for a fast dense screen. Tip prune early to encourage low branching. Water steadily through establishment.

The psyllid-resistant pick for native hedging.

Shop Syzygium australe 'Resilience'
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen'

4. Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen' (Silver Sheen Pittosporum)

Silver Sheen is the elegant fast-growing screening pick. Shimmering silver-green leaves on dark stems give a softer, more contemporary look than dense glossy evergreens.

Type
Evergreen screening tree
Height
4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width
2-3m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Silvery green on dark stems
Form
Upright, narrow
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well drained soil, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Low, prune to maintain density
Best for
Narrow screens, modern garden styles, courtyards.

Why choose it

Slim form makes it perfect for narrow boundaries and side walkways. Silver foliage adds light without bulk.

Perfect pair

Use Silver Sheen as a screen with a Crepe Myrtle Natchez feature out front. Silver and white tones work beautifully together.

Tips for planting

Plant 60-80cm apart for a fast narrow screen. Improves drainage matter for long term performance.

The narrow screen pick for modern garden styles.

Shop Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen'
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'

5. Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' (Bay Tree Miles Choice)

Miles Choice Bay is the tidy upright Mediterranean evergreen. Slower than Ficus but reliable, fragrant and tough.

Type
Evergreen Mediterranean hedging tree
Height
4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)
Width
2-3m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Aromatic dark green
Form
Upright, columnar
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, well drained soil, drought hardy once established
Maintenance
Low, prune to shape
Best for
Formal hedges, Mediterranean gardens, courtyards, pleaching.

Why choose it

Tougher and more drought hardy than Ficus. A great pick for warm sunny spots where you want a polished evergreen screen.

Perfect pair

Plant Bay as a hedge with an Olive feature tree in front. Both Mediterranean evergreens, both bombproof in dry sunny gardens.

Tips for planting

Plant 70cm-1m apart. Slower to establish than Ficus but more drought tolerant once away. Mulch to protect young roots.

The Mediterranean pick for a polished evergreen screen.

Shop Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'

Compare at a glance

CultivarHeightWidthFormFoliageBest if you…
Ficus hillii 'Flash'
Ficus Hillii Flash 		5-10m (can be pruned to desired height)2-4mUpright, dense, columnar when hedgedGlossy green with lime new growthFast privacy screens, formal hedging, pleaching.
Waterhousea floribunda
Weeping Lilly Pilly 		6-10m (can be pruned to desired height)3-5mWeeping, roundedGlossy green with pink/copper new growth, denseInformal hedges, screening, native gardens, large screens.
Syzygium australe 'Resilience'
Lilly Pilly Resilience 		4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)2-3mUpright, denseGlossy green with coppery new growthFormal and informal hedges, screens, native gardens.
Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Sheen'
Silver Sheen Pittosporum 		4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)2-3mUpright, narrowSilvery green on dark stemsNarrow screens, modern garden styles, courtyards.
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'
Bay Tree Miles Choice 		4-6m (can be pruned to desired height)2-3mUpright, columnarAromatic dark greenFormal hedges, Mediterranean gardens, courtyards, pleaching.

How to plant and care for them

Pick the position
Full sun for the fastest establishment.
Prepare the planting trench
Dig a trench along the line.
Plant at 1m spacing
1m spacing across every species.
Water in deeply at planting
Soak each rootball.
Mulch out to the row
75 to 100mm of organic mulch.
Water deeply through the first two summers
Twice a week in warm weather, once a week in mild.
Two to three trims a year
Light frequent pruning encourages density from the base.

Frequently asked questions

Which is the fastest of these?
Ficus Hillii Flash, by some distance. Waterhousea is a close second.
Can I plant in winter?
In mild climates yes. In frost-prone zones wait until early spring.
How tall can these get?
Most can be pruned to desired height between 2m and 6m. Ficus Flash can run to 10m if left unchecked.

The wrap up

Five fast-growing picks for quick privacy. Plant at 1m spacing, water deeply through the first summer, and the screen holds inside two seasons.

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