Viktor, I'm not sure how your post ended up here, but you probably won't get many responses, as not many people review this side of the Trees Forum (which is meant for posts with pictures). Anyway, to answer your questions.... Trees grow at very different rates when planted in different environments (climates, soil types, etc, etc). Sources from one part of the country are likely to have experienced very different growth rates as sources from a few states away or from the other side of the country. Also, size ratings are most often quoted for a given period of time (say 5 to 10 years). There is no single standard for how many years should be considered. Only occasionally will you see claims of "ultimate size", and, even if you did, I'm not sure it would really be meaningful. The size ranges you quote are probably on the extreme edges of what most nurseries would quote for the "mature" (not ultimate) size of this cultivar. An "average" would probably be 4' to 6' wide. The 10' wide figure seems a little anomalous. And, to make this even more whacky, clones grown from cuttings may vary depending on things like what part of the parent tree they were taken from. Spacing will depend on YOUR preferences. If you space them 3' apart, they should grow together much more quickly than if you space them 5' or 6' apart. If you do space them 5' to 6' apart the row may, at least for quite a while, look more like individual specimens than one solid hedge. You might also consider planting in two rows, with each tree spaced a little farther from it's neighbor but with the rows staggered so as to provide a more visually solid screen. Finally, do take into consideration that if you are going to plant a row of these, you are likely to eventually loose a few. This leaves a gap (especially if you plant in one single row). You may want to consider planting a variety of trees to make the screen more interesting, less prone to the "snaggle tooth look if one dies, and less susceptible to pest and disease issues.

I dont think any of the P. Pungens varieties do well in Texas. I bought my 2 acres Aug 2012. Didnt plant anything that fall (super busy at new job) and by the time late March 2013 rolled around the only thing I cared about was getting the 2 acres completely planted out with conifers as quickly as possible. I went to this particular nursery the day they opened in late march 2013 (I actually went there the day before to check things out, cool nursery and manager). That day was wintry and I am pretty sure I was the only one there when I was there. At that time things were in a state if disarray. There were lots and lots of individual conifers that blew over and laid on their sides all winter (like everyone who worked there left the last day in the fall and didnt come back until the day they opened in the spring. There were also a bunch of smaller piles of conifers on their sides. They ended up tossing a ton of trees, that had they just been taken care of over the winter would have been fine. No new arrivals yet, pickings were slim, and the only thing I cared about was planting out 2 acres as soon as possible. I ending up buying enough conifers to fill their delivery truck and flatbed trailer. Most on here would probably have said “you couldnt pay me to take most of those things”. But I did because its what they had and I wanted (and did) start planting that day (also took some in my car, delivery didnt happen for 5 or so days). In addition, they had a bunch of groups of conifers that had probably been there a number of years sitting in the same place(upright in pots). IE, imagine 40 weeping white pines in 10-20 gallons that had been set together touching pot-to-pot 4 years ago, none sell, never rotated, probably never fertilized. Fast forward 4 years and that is the kind of stuff that was there (now its all cleaned up and has been for 4 or so years, i think they went under new management or something around that time). When I bought the fastigiate it was in the middle of about 20 other conifers. Every single conifer looked poor. Like all of them had been placed there 4 years ago pot-to-pot and only water (never rotated, never fertilized, never spread out as they grow, etc). The bottom half had little/no green. There was the main trunk and then a bunch of branches going up and out from the trunk. Then at the end of some of the branches there was minimal green(I had to cut a number of dead branches off). It was like a skeleton with a little green at the ends of the branches and this green was on the top half mostly. Did not resemble any conifer I have ever seen. That is my best guess as to how it became “thrashed”. I am reviving it just by taking care of it. Sad that an Iseli Fastigiate gets neglected to the point where it reminds you of the christmas tree in grinch who stole christmas, but it happened. It is one of my “conifer islands” as this area will fill up with water this winter/spring(ok its not exactly in ideal conditions but it gets reasonable/good sun and if I remember a yearly dose of hollytone for this one).

Thanks everyone for your feedback. I'm totally new to growing conifers, so I appreciate all your input. Resin, the narrow area is a planting strip between the curb and street and there is full day sun. I didn't want a tree, because I don't want to shade out my front yard, its a small urban garden. I planted the juniper there, thinking it would slightly screen out the apartment across the street and give me some needed green, while providing a thin column of shade rather than a huge canopy, even though a tree would be the perfect screen, then I'd lose the sun in my front yard. Marshall, the plant fits your description. Single stem is what I want to keep it at, but not if its an impractical idea. The reason I thought it would be nice as a narrow tree because the planting strip is already crammed with roses and perrenials and I am partial to tree trunks and like how shrubs look trained as small trees, I just thought it would help the whole planting strip "breathe" a bit better, while giving it some backbone. Bboy, I don't know what you mean by "rather thin and dirty aspect at eye level" Even if its a single tree trunk for 4 or 5 feet? I figure then I would never or only rarely shear it all the upper growth. So, to grow it as a narrow tree, do I just keep it staked and gradually trim off lowest branches from the main stem as it grows? Thanks again.

agree ... the space isnt suited to trees or conifers ... i like the drape idea ... can be pulled back when not in use.. but if you are sitting out there.. release it for a bit of privacy ... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=patio+curtains+for+privacy+&t=ffnt&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images but i wouldnt hurry on all that.. just see what happens this summer ... do you spend a lot of time out there ... do the neighbors ... is it even really a problem that need be fixed ...??? ==== moving on from that ... do you need the front lawn for anything??? ... .. bocci ... kids.. etc ... if not use the space in landscaping ... i really like your stone work.. and i wouldnt hide it by planting stuff to hide.. crikey.. you just paid a boatload of money for it.. show it off .. and dont forget.. foundations plantings are planted to hide the foundation .. NOT ON THE FOUNDATION ... [and btw.. that the base issue with the de groot space ... they would literally be on the foundation ....] so i would come out at lest 10 feet .. and make some plantings out there.. berms or beds ... to give a 3D impact between the plants.. and the stone work ... and again ... a plan for this could evolve while you are testing the porch this summer .. lol ... the next best planting time to spring.. is fall ... so you have plenty of time to come up with a unified landscape .. unifying the the stone.. to the lawn.. to the beds ... ken another idea would be akin to old fashioned window shades.. something the rolls itself up ... and it could easily be hidden in the top of the porch https://duckduckgo.com/?q=deck+shades+privacy&t=ffnt&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images