A bare fence can make even a well-kept backyard feel unfinished. The right fast growing hedge plants Australia homeowners choose can soften a boundary, block an overlooking window and bring privacy to a new home without waiting a decade for trees to fill out.
But “fast growing” should not be the only thing on the plant label that matters. A hedge that races upwards but grows too wide, struggles in frost or needs constant clipping can become more work than it is worth. The best pick is one that suits your climate, available width, soil and the amount of maintenance you are genuinely happy to do.
What makes a hedge fast-growing?
Most popular screening plants put on roughly 30cm to 1m of growth a year once established. Their first year can be slower while roots settle into the soil, especially if planting happens during a hot, dry spell. Good preparation, deep watering and mulch often make a bigger difference to early growth than chasing the tallest plant available.
A quick hedge also needs enough sun. Many screening plants tolerate part shade, but their growth becomes looser and slower when they receive only a few hours of light. Before buying, check where your hedge will sit at 10am, midday and late afternoon. A west-facing fence in Perth has very different demands from a shaded Melbourne courtyard or a humid Brisbane boundary.
Think about height and width together. A narrow side path may need upright plants that can be held at 1m wide, while a large backyard can handle a fuller, broader screen. Planting a big-growing hedge too close to the fence usually creates a hard-to-reach strip that is difficult to prune later.
Fast growing hedge plants in Australia worth buying
Lilly pilly for a classic evergreen screen
Lilly pilly remains one of the best all-round choices for Australian gardens. Its glossy green foliage forms a dense living wall, and many varieties produce colourful new growth, white flowers and small berries. It can suit formal clipped hedges or a softer, more natural screen.
Look for a variety selected for hedge use and resistance to lilly pilly psyllid, a pest that can cause bumpy, distorted leaves. Compact forms work well for lower borders, while taller varieties are useful where privacy from neighbours is the goal. Most lilly pillies grow best in full sun to part shade with regular water while establishing. They cope with pruning well, which makes them a practical choice for suburban blocks.
Murraya for warmth, scent and dense foliage
Murraya, also called orange jasmine, is a favourite in warmer parts of Australia. It grows quickly in sun or light shade and makes a lush, tidy hedge with fragrant white flowers through the warmer months. Its dense leaves are excellent for screening a fence or creating privacy around a patio.
This is not the best choice for very cold, frost-prone areas, where growth can be damaged or slow. In temperate and subtropical gardens, however, it is an easy option if you can give it water in dry periods and a trim a few times each year. Let it grow slightly wider at the base than the top so lower branches continue to receive light.
Viburnum for tall privacy fast
Sweet viburnum is often chosen when the job is a tall green screen, quickly. It has large, fresh green leaves and can make an effective dense hedge around backyards, pools and boundary fences. Given sun, reasonable soil and moisture, it establishes with impressive speed.
The trade-off is size. Viburnum wants room and regular pruning, so it is better for larger gardens than narrow townhouse side boundaries. It can also become sparse or stressed in very dry conditions without deep watering. Check local guidance before planting in your area, as some viburnum species may be problematic outside gardens in certain regions.
Clumping bamboo for narrow, upright screening
For a slim strip beside a fence, clumping bamboo can give height without taking over the whole yard. Varieties such as Bambusa textilis ‘Gracilis’ are commonly used for their upright habit and fine foliage. A healthy clump can create a tall screen much sooner than many traditional shrubs.
Buy true clumping bamboo, not running bamboo. Clumping types expand gradually from their base, but they still need a realistic amount of width, rich soil and reliable water. Bamboo can look tired if it is left dry for long periods, particularly through a hot Australian summer. Remove older canes at ground level as the plant matures to keep the screen fresh and airy.
Photinia for cool-climate colour
Photinia ‘Red Robin’ earns its place in cooler temperate gardens with bright red new leaves that mature to green. It creates a colourful hedge rather than a flat wall of green, and regular light trimming encourages the flush of new foliage people buy it for.
It prefers sun and decent air movement. In humid or poorly ventilated spots, fungal leaf issues can be more likely, so avoid planting it too tightly. Photinia is a good match for many southern gardens, but it may not be the easiest performer in tropical heat or exposed coastal conditions.
Native screens for local conditions
A native hedge can be the smart choice when you want a plant that feels at home in your local climate. Lilly pilly is an obvious option, but bottlebrush varieties, coastal rosemary and some pittosporums can also create attractive screens. Their growth rates vary, so do not assume every native is fast simply because it is tough.
Coastal rosemary is especially useful for lower informal hedges in sunny, dry or coastal gardens. It will not give the tall, instant privacy of bamboo or viburnum, but it handles wind and lighter soils better than many lush-leaved options. Choose natives according to the mature size on the tag, not the size of the pot on delivery day.
Choose plants for your climate, not just the photo
Australia’s conditions change dramatically from one postcode to the next. Tropical and subtropical gardens can support vigorous murraya, lilly pilly and viburnum growth, but humidity may increase pest and disease pressure. Dry inland and Mediterranean climates demand good mulch and dependable watering during establishment. Frost-prone gardens need plants that can handle cold nights, while coastal gardens need foliage that tolerates salt-laden wind.
If your site is exposed, avoid assuming a leafy plant will automatically make a good windbreak. Strong wind dries foliage and loosens roots, particularly on newly planted hedges. Start with sturdy plants, stake only where needed and keep mulch clear of the stems.
For renters and small spaces, a row of hedging plants in large pots can still create privacy, though growth will be slower than in open soil. Choose a compact variety, use quality potting mix and be prepared to water more often. Containers dry out quickly in summer and roots eventually need more room.
Plant for a hedge, not a row of individual shrubs
A hedge becomes dense because plants are spaced and pruned as a group. Follow the plant’s recommended spacing as a starting point, then adjust for the result you want. Closer spacing fills gaps sooner, but overcrowded roots can compete for water and leave plants more prone to disease.
Prepare a wide planting strip rather than digging isolated holes. Remove weeds, improve poor soil with compost where appropriate and water the soil before planting. Set plants at the same depth they were in their pots, firm them in gently and water deeply. A 5-8cm layer of mulch helps hold moisture and keeps weeds down, but leave a small gap around each trunk or stem.
New hedges need consistent deep watering for their first growing season. A light daily sprinkle encourages shallow roots, while a slower, deeper soak helps plants establish where they will be more resilient. How often depends on rain, heat, soil type and the plant itself, so check moisture below the mulch before reaching for the hose.
Pruning is how fast hedges become thick hedges
It feels strange to trim a young plant when you want it to grow, but early tip pruning encourages side branching. That is what turns a line of shrubs into a proper screen. Start gently once plants have settled and grown, rather than cutting hard immediately after planting.
For formal hedges, light and regular clips are easier on the plant than occasional severe cuts. Keep the hedge slightly wider at the bottom and narrower at the top. This simple shape lets sunlight reach lower foliage, preventing the bare-legged look that is difficult to fix later.
Feed according to the needs of your chosen plant and the product directions, particularly in spring when active growth begins. More fertiliser is not automatically better. Overfeeding can create soft growth, burn roots or send plants into a leafy sprint that requires even more trimming.
A fast screen is satisfying, but the right hedge should still work for your space five years from now. Measure the strip, check your local conditions and choose a plant you can water and prune with confidence. When you are ready to buy, start with healthy plants suited to the actual job, then give them a strong first season – that is where privacy really begins.