Thank you scotjute and bboy for helping much appreciated. I live in Madera, California, summers are HOT! Triple digits (100-112) June thru August. Winters are cold with temps dropping down in the low 30's. My backyard faces East so I get Sunshine all day long. That section in the picture gets sun exposure for the greater part of the day. There are no other trees planted within 800 feet with exception to the the 80 acres of almond trees just planted last week directly behind my house. I do not prefer pine trees nor any trees that have any type of sticky fruit droppings or sap like substances as I plan on having a BBQ island and seating in the very near vicinity. I hope this information helps. I will check back in tomorrow. Thanks again !! :)

It looks like you have pretty much the right kind of tree planted in the right spot already - what is it that you have planted? Are you looking for more in that area? Or do you also want to block their view from their window? While you will be wise to not buy a tree that plans to get massive, all trees grow forever so occasional replacement is necessary. Personally I'd plan to cycle through a tree every 10-12 years, buying something that will be fairly fast growing and sacrificing it when it gets too big. Too big will involve, for example, the branches you rely on for screening getting too big and the leafy growth getting sparse in the middle. The eventual shape is determined by pruning. This means that you could, for example, get a conifer and just prune off the lower branches. I am currently taking all the branches off a Chamaecyparis 'Boulevard' as I plan to remove it, but it looks kind of cute with just a few branches left at the top so I might leave it for another year... Even if you buy a deciduous tree, you decide where up the trunk the branches start and how long they get. A huge variety of trees would meet your needs as long as you prune them to shape. Very few trees will meet your needs of their own accord. Best place to start looking is at the local nurseries, unless you plan to mail order. Karin L

I'm afraid I'm a bit out of that climate range. Hopefully someone from a similar climate will chip in with some suggestions. Although one suggestion, if you ever listen to your local ABC Gardener on the radio you can ring in and ask the question there.

Caldwell, thanks for the offer. Of those I might be interested in the redbud. I have a friend who has offered me a wild redbud. I need to check and see if they were only offering one, or just saying they have redbud if I want one/some. But either way if I could get two or three I'm pretty sure I have places I would put them. I need to check back with the friend on how many are available. Thanks again.