Many customers who contact us are looking for an alternative to cedar for creating a hedge. Whether the goal is to screen a neighbour, reduce wind, or hide a less attractive view, many of you are looking for a hedge that grows fast — very fast.
Several options are available, and we will explore them below. However, keep in mind that choosing the right species depends on finding the right balance between growth rate, foliage density, and maintenance requirements. Some shrubs grow extremely quickly but require more space or pruning, while others establish more slowly but form a durable, attractive hedge over the long term.
Clearly Define Your Needs and Planting Conditions
Before choosing a species, start by identifying your needs and understanding your site conditions. Are you looking for a tall hedge to create a true privacy screen, or a lower hedge to structure your landscape? Site characteristics also play an important role: soil type (clay, sandy, moist, or well-drained), sun exposure, prevailing winds, exposure to de-icing salts, or urban stress factors. Maintenance should also be considered. Some hedges require regular pruning to maintain their density, while others naturally develop a looser form and require little intervention.
To help guide your choice, we have organized our recommendations into five tables, each adapted to a specific need or site condition. This approach will help you quickly identify the shrubs best suited to your goal — whether you want to create a fast-growing screen, design a low hedge, or adapt to specific soil conditions — while taking into account the horticultural realities of Quebec and Eastern Canada.
Shrubs for Screening and Privacy
First, we have gathered a few suggestions for fast-growing shrubs that can create a dense hedge and provide privacy in a relatively short time. These species stand out for their vigour, adaptability, and ability to quickly form an effective living screen. However, keep in mind that they also spread in width and require more frequent pruning.
TOP 5 – Fast-Growing Hedges
| Common Name | Growth Rate | Why Choose It | Maximum Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Very fast+ | Excellent screen, highly flexible branches | 8 m | |
| Ninebark | Fast | Dense, ornamental, and robust | 3 m |
| Siberian Peashrub | Very fast | Fast screen, very hardy, tolerates difficult soils | 6 m |
| Red-osier Dogwood | Fast | Winter interest, versatile, easy to grow | 3 m |
| Amur Maple | Moderate to fast | Dense, highly ornamental foliage. Brilliant fall colour. | 6 m |
Shrubs for Structuring Landscapes or Small Spaces
Shrubs with a more compact habit are especially useful for structuring a landscape, defining spaces, or adding privacy without taking up too much room. Well suited to smaller properties, they add texture, volume, and density to the garden while remaining easier to maintain over time.
TOP 5 – Low Hedges for Landscape Structure
| Common Name | Growth Rate | Why Choose It | Maximum Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabolo or Dart’s Gold Ninebark | Moderate | Colourful foliage, ornamental, and tolerant | 2.0 m |
| Shrubby Cinquefoil | Slow to moderate | Abundant flowering, very easy to grow, compact habit | 1 m |
| Canada Buffaloberry | Moderate | Native, tolerates poor soils, beneficial for wildlife | 2 m |
| Broad-leaved Meadowsweet | Slow to moderate | Summer flowering, compact habit, and easy maintenance | 1.5 m |
| Snowberry | Moderate | Very hardy, tolerates a wide range of conditions, and suckers to help densify the hedge | 1.5 m |
Shrubs for More Challenging Sites
Every site has its own characteristics. However, some properties present greater challenges: heavy soils, poor drainage, exposure to road salt, drought, or other limiting conditions. By choosing shrubs that are well adapted to your site, you will promote better establishment and create a more durable, vigorous, and low-maintenance hedge over the long term.
TOP 5 – Hedges for Roadsides / Salt / Harsh Conditions
| Common Name | Tolerance | Why Choose It | Maximum Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Common Seabuckthorn | Excellent | Tolerates poor soils, wind, drought, salt spray, and very difficult conditions. | 6 m |
| Peking Cotoneaster | Very good | Highly adaptable; tolerates cold, varied soils, and urban conditions. | 3 m |
| Amur Maple | Very good | Tolerates drought, urban pollution, difficult soils, and some salinity, while offering beautiful fall colour. | 6 m |
| Black Chokeberry | Good | A robust native shrub that tolerates moist or dry soils and harsh winters. | 2.5 m |
| Ninebark | Good | Low-maintenance, cold-hardy, and tolerant of moderate drought and several soil types. | 3 m |
Photo by Audrey Rondeau: Amur Maple hedge along a roadside, Saguenay, QC
TOP 5 – Hedges for Clay or Heavy Soils
| Common Name | Tolerance | Why Choose It | Maximum Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ninebark | Excellent | Highly adaptable, tolerates clay soils and moderate drought, and forms a dense, ornamental hedge. | 3 m |
| Black Chokeberry | Excellent | A robust native shrub that adapts well to heavy soils while offering attractive flowers, berries, and remarkable fall colour. | 2.5 m |
| Red-osier Dogwood | Excellent | Tolerates clay and moist soils very well, while quickly forming a dense hedge thanks to its suckering habit. | 3 m |
| Common Lilac | Very good | Valued for its fragrant flowers and longevity; adapts well to well-drained clay soils. | 4 m |
| Nannyberry | Very good | Excellent for informal hedges, tolerates heavy soils, and produces fruit appreciated by birds. | 6 m |
Photo by William Desjardins
Native Hedges to Support Wildlife
Hedges made up of native species help enrich biodiversity by providing food, shelter, and nesting sites for many birds, pollinators, and small mammals. They help create a living, natural landscape that benefits wildlife. And nothing prevents you from creating a mixed hedge made up of several different species!
TOP 5 – Best Native Hedges: Biodiversity / Birds / Pollinators
| Common Name | Wildlife Value | Why Choose It | Maximum Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black Chokeberry | Pollinators + birds | A highly versatile native shrub offering nectar-rich flowers, abundant fruit for birds, and beautiful fall colour. | 2.5 m |
| Nannyberry | Birds | Produces fruit highly appreciated by birds and forms a dense, durable hedge suited to Quebec and Eastern Canada conditions. | 6 m |
| Smooth Rose | Pollinators + birds + shelter | Its flowers attract pollinators, its rose hips feed birds, and its thorny stems provide excellent shelter for small wildlife. | 2 m |
| Common Winterberry | Winter fruit | Its red berries persist late into the season and provide an important food source for birds in fall and winter. | 3 m |
| Black Elderberry | Birds + pollinators | Its flowers attract a wide range of pollinators, and its abundant fruit clusters feed many bird species. | 4 m |
What Will Your Ideal Hedge Be?
As you can see, there is no single perfect hedge, but rather many possibilities depending on your goals, your property, and your growing conditions. Whether you are looking for a privacy screen, a hedge to reduce wind, a refuge for wildlife, or a solution adapted to difficult soils, there are shrubs that can meet your needs.
So, have you found the ideal hedge for your project? Perhaps you have even discovered a few species you had not considered before! One thing is certain: a well-chosen hedge will enhance your property for many years while providing valuable benefits for your environment.
Article written by Suzanne Simard, horticultural writer and trained horticulture technologist, and Audrey Rondeau, Biol., M. Env., Director of Production and Development, Pépinière Vert Forêt; with editorial support from AI.
