When privacy is the immediate problem, growth rate is what matters. Everything here adds at least fifty centimetres a year once established, and several exceed a metre.

Lilly pilly, pittosporum and photinia are the fastest reliable evergreen screens and will close a boundary within two to three years. Where speed matters more than longevity, wattles and alders are quicker again but shorter-lived.

The fastest route to a finished hedge is usually buying a larger pot size rather than a faster species. A 100L plant starts two to three years ahead of a 45L, whatever is on the label.