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Whether you’re hoping to line your property for privacy or fill out the flower beds closer to your house, shrubs are a great addition to the backyard.
If you’re starting from scratch, though, it’s a good idea to consider your needs. If you're looking for instant privacy, for example, you might want to opt for fast-growing shrubs. Or, if you won't feel like spending time nurturing them, you could seek out low-maintenance options that are best left alone.
In the best of both worlds, you might prefer shrubs that can do both. With this in mind, we’ve rounded up nine easy and quick-growing shrub options to add to your backyard this spring and make your garden feel like home by summer.
Sweet Viburnum
Sweet viburnum is a fast-growing and low-maintenance hedge pick that closely resembles a hydrangea bush—thanks to its large clusters of round blooms. Viburnum do best in a sunny spot with well-draining soil, but once established, they don’t require too much attention.
- USDA Zone: 2-9
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Weekly to keep soil moist, without soaking roots
- Maximum height: 3-20 ft. tall
Red Tip Photinia
For an option that’s far more eye-catching than your classic green hedging, red tip photinia is a true and reliable stunner. Once established, it’s quick-growing and low-maintenance, bringing beautiful blooms and vibrant color into your garden for the majority of the year.
- USDA Zone: 7-8
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Weekly to establish and during dry periods, followed by alternate weeks and as needed
- Maximum height: 10–20 ft. tall
Green Giant Arborvitae
If you want a classic looking hedge that grows quickly, green giant aborvitae might just be the perfect choice. Its foliage is rich and dense, which makes it ideal for privacy, and it’s also naturally resistant to deer and pests.
- USDA Zone: 5-8
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Regular watering for the first year, then one inch of water every week to ten days until established
- Maximum height: 40-60 ft. tall
Ninebark
If you're looking for a hardy, low-maintenance flowering shrub, ninebark is an excellent pick that also happens to be quick-growing. Along with sporting beautiful blooms, it’s also named for its interesting bark, which peels back in winter. This makes ninebark an eye-catching choice that offers something for your garden all year long.
- USDA Zone: 2-8
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Regularly until established, then it’s very drought-tolerant
- Maximum height: 3-10 ft.
Leyland Cypress
Once established, the leyland cypress is considered to be an exceptionally quick-growing hedging option, adding up to four feet per year. This makes it an excellent choice if you’re in need of a quick privacy screen. It’s also relatively low maintenance, aside from regular pruning to control its quick growth.
- USDA Zone: 6-10
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Regular, deep watering until established, ideally with a soaker hose
- Maximum height: 60–70 ft. tall
Lilac
These hardy, flowering shrubs are beautiful and fragrant, adding stunning, iconic blooms to your garden in spring. But while many will plant lilac because they're such a beloved flower, they’re also incredibly low-maintenance. This makes them an especially perfect choice for hedging, edging, or on their own to add some height in a flower bed.
- USDA Zone: 3-7
- Sun: Full
- Water: Fairly drought-tolerant once established, with supplemental watering as needed
- Maximum height: 12-16 ft. tall
Mock Orange
Named for its orange blossom scent, mock orange is a deciduous shrub that's both quick-growing and easy to maintain. They’re also excellent for drawing pollinators, known to attract hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees.
- USDA Zone: 4-8
- Sun: Full, partial
- Water: Minimally once established, but as needed during times of drought
- Maximum height: 10-12 ft. tall
Read the original article on The Spruce
