Fast-Growing Evergreen Shrubs for Instant Impact

Patience is a virtue in gardening. But sometimes you don't have it. You've just moved in and the garden is bare. The fence is new and ugly. The neighbours can see everything. You want something green, something substantial, and you want it before next summer — not in three years when a slow-growing shrub has finally reached knee height.

Fast-growing evergreens deliver what slow growers can't: visible results within a single growing season. The trade-off is that speed often comes with size — many fast growers want to be big, and they'll keep going unless you manage them. Choose the right species and you get quick coverage without losing control. Choose the wrong one and you're fighting a hedge that grows faster than you can cut it.

Here are the fast evergreens that are actually worth planting — and how quickly you can expect results.

The Best Fast-Growing Evergreen Shrubs

Photinia 'Red Robin'

The most popular fast-growing evergreen in UK gardens — and with good reason. New growth emerges in vivid, glossy red before maturing to dark green, giving you a dramatic colour display every spring without any flowers needed. Growth rate is around 30–40cm per year in good conditions. It works as a standalone shrub, a hedge, or trained as a standard tree. Reaches 3–4 metres if left unpruned, but responds well to clipping and can be kept to any size you want. Hardy, unfussy about soil, and happy in sun or partial shade. The only downside is that it can suffer in very exposed, windswept positions.

Griselinia littoralis

A clean, bright evergreen with apple-green, rounded leaves that look fresh year-round. Originally from New Zealand, it's become a UK favourite for hedging and border screening. Growth rate is around 30cm per year — fast enough for quick results but not so fast that it becomes unmanageable. It handles coastal exposure and wind better than most evergreens, making it a strong choice for exposed gardens. Clips neatly into formal hedging or can be left as a looser, informal screen. Hardy in most of the UK, though it can suffer in prolonged severe freezes in the coldest northern and inland areas.

Escallonia

An evergreen that gives you flowers as well as speed. Small, glossy leaves are covered in pink, red, or white flowers from early to midsummer — a genuine dual-purpose plant. Growth rate is around 30–40cm per year. It's particularly good in coastal and milder areas, where it can be used as an informal flowering hedge or a substantial border shrub. Escallonia handles wind and salt spray better than most alternatives. In colder inland areas it can lose some leaves in a harsh winter but recovers quickly in spring. Trim after flowering to keep it tidy and encourage denser growth.

Elaeagnus × ebbingei

Tough, fast, and surprisingly fragrant. The leathery, silvery-green leaves have a subtle metallic sheen, and in autumn, tiny, inconspicuous flowers produce a sweet scent that catches you off guard. Growth rate is 40–60cm per year — one of the fastest on this list. It makes an excellent dense screen or windbreak and handles exposed, coastal, and polluted conditions without complaint. The variegated variety 'Gilt Edge' has gold-edged leaves that brighten a dull corner. Left unpruned it reaches 3–4 metres, but it clips well and can be maintained at a lower height. One of the most reliable "plant it and it just grows" evergreens available.

Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica)

Faster than common laurel and far more elegant. Dark, glossy leaves on reddish stems give it a refined look that works as hedging, a border backdrop, or trained as a standard tree. Growth rate is around 30–40cm per year. It's fully hardy, handles all soil types including chalk, and copes with shade better than most fast growers. Unlike cherry laurel, which can become coarse and overwhelming, Portuguese laurel stays dense and manageable with a single annual trim. It's increasingly popular as a photinia alternative for people who want something a little more understated.

The Trade-Off: Speed vs Control

Fast-growing plants don't stop being fast once they've reached the size you want. They keep going. This means you need to trim them at least once a year — sometimes twice — to maintain the size and shape you're after. That's more work than a slow-growing shaped buxus ball that needs one trim and stays put.

The smartest approach is to use fast growers for the job they do best — filling in, screening, creating a green backdrop quickly — and then use slower, more controlled plants for the structural elements where you want precise shape and minimal maintenance. A fast-growing Portuguese laurel hedge at the back of the border with shaped evergreen balls at intervals in front of it gives you both speed and structure without one compromising the other.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fastest-growing evergreen shrub in the UK?

Elaeagnus × ebbingei is one of the fastest at 40–60cm per year, and it's tough enough to handle exposed and coastal positions. Photinia 'Red Robin' and escallonia are close behind at 30–40cm per year. All three are manageable with annual trimming — unlike leylandii, which grows faster but creates more problems than it solves.

How quickly can I screen a fence with evergreen planting?

With fast-growing evergreens planted at 60–90cm intervals and good soil preparation, you can achieve a reasonable screen within two growing seasons. By year three, most fast growers will have filled out enough to create a dense, continuous barrier. Water regularly through the first summer and feed in spring to push growth towards its maximum rate.

Do fast-growing evergreens need more maintenance?

Yes — that's the trade-off. Fast growers need trimming at least once a year, sometimes twice, to prevent them outgrowing their position. A slow-growing shaped buxus ball needs one trim and stays the same size for years. A fast-growing photinia needs regular clipping to stay in bounds. Use fast growers for screening and backdrop, and slower species for precise structural shapes — that combination gives you speed where you need it and control where it matters.

Want fast results with designed structure built in? Our Border by the Metre bundles combine established plants with evergreen structure anchors — so your border looks planted and intentional from the first season. Delivered free to your door.