Privacy Hedge Alternatives: Fast-Growing Solutions for Your Backyard

1. Thuja 'Green Giant' (Arborvitae): The Fast Screen

Green Giant is the usual pick when the goal is height in a hurry. It is also the one most often planted too close to a house or driveway, because a young plant hides how wide it gets.

• Growth rate: often 2 to 3 feet per year in full sun with steady water; slower in shade, heavy clay, or dry sites.
• Mature size: 30 to 40 feet tall if left alone, and it can be held near 10 to 12 feet with annual pruning.
• Cost: commonly sold in 3-gallon pots; price varies by region and nursery.
• Trade-offs: usually deer-resistant rather than deer-proof, tolerates cold wind, holds color through winter (USDA Zones 5 to 9). It needs 8 to 10 feet of width to look right.

2. 'Emerald Green' Thuja: For Narrow Side Yards

Emerald Green stays columnar, which is why it works where Green Giant does not: side yards, a strip between a patio and a fence line, a screen near a pool apron.

• Growth rate: roughly 6 to 12 inches per year, so plan on several seasons before the row closes.
• Mature size: about 10 to 15 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide.
• Cost: usually less per plant than Green Giant, but you need more plants for the same run.
• Trade-offs: slow to recover from winter burn or heavy snow damage, and it browns out in poorly drained soil.

3. Clumping Bamboo (Fargesia): Thick, and Not a Spreader

Do not plant running bamboo along a property line. It spreads by rhizome and becomes a neighbor problem. Clumping types such as Fargesia stay in tight clusters and expand slowly outward from where you plant them.

• Growth rate: often 1 to 3 feet per season once established; first-year growth is usually modest.
• Mature height: about 8 to 12 feet, depending on species and climate.
• Cost: varies widely by species and container size; less common at big-box stores than arborvitae.
• Trade-offs: a dense stand blocks the view of a road and softens noise, but it will not soundproof a yard. Most Fargesia prefer part shade and dislike hot, dry, exposed sites.

4. Skip Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus): Broadleaf Evergreen

Skip Laurel is the option to look at when a needled evergreen would sulk: shaded boundaries under mature oaks or maples, or the north side of a house.

• Growth rate: often around 1 to 2 feet per year with adequate moisture.
• Mature size: roughly 10 to 12 feet tall and 5 to 7 feet wide.
• Cost: comparable to arborvitae of similar pot size in most markets.
• Trade-offs: handles shade well, but it is less cold-hardy than arborvitae and the leaves and seeds are toxic if eaten, which matters in yards with young children or livestock. Check the ASPCA plant list before planting where pets browse.

Fence or Hedge: What Actually Differs

Comparing the two on price alone is misleading, because you are buying different things. A fence is a one-time purchase that starts aging immediately. A hedge is a lower up-front cost plus an ongoing commitment of water, pruning, and occasional replacement of a plant that fails.

Fence quotes depend on material, height, terrain, and local labor rates; plant costs depend on species, pot size, and how many plants your spacing requires. Get a written fence quote and a nursery price for your actual run before assuming one is cheaper.