Eleagnus is not exactly fast, Carpenteria tends to get leggy and fall apart, and seldom grows to a good screening height, and Myrtus communis is also a bit slow to get size. Faster growing native shrubs for dry shade and somewhat deer resistant would include Heteromeles arbutifolia, Prunus illicifolia, Myrica californica, and Rhamnus californica. All of these would benefit from some protective deer fencing around each plant to get them established and of sufficient size to survive the inevitable deer predation. If you want to minimize the short term watering, you are best starting off with 1 or 5 gallon sized plants, but these are also more vulnerable to deer. At these smaller sizes, if you plant in late November or December, we should have enough rains by then to allow these to establish without further watering until next April or May, depending on soil type and sun exposure; and can then probably give a good soak every 3 to 4 weeks for the first two summers(April thru October). 15 gallon sized initial plants would best be planted with temporary drip irrigation to get them established over the first 3 to 4 years, watering at least once a week April thru October.

I've had to deal with similar situations for a client in La Honda right adjacent Skyline Drive, and I personally would recommend the larger sizes initially with supplemental irrigation, as giving you faster screening and less deer damage, but in any case, if you are also dealing with lots of root competition from existing redwoods and deep shade, it is even more difficult. In deep shade, you will probably need to plant deer resistant/drought resistant and much more deep shade tolerant species. Not a whole lot of choices then, but some of the deep woods plants such as Vaccinium or the Eleagnus would work.

I like David's suggestion of Myrica (Pacific Wax Myrtle). It's much faster growing than Toyon (Heteromeles) in my experience. I planted 3 5gals. this past spring and they've already grown a foot.

wanda

I have found Rhus integrifolia to make an excellent screen. The deer do not touch it, after the first year it requires no water, has never had a pest problem of any kind. The freeze of 1990 with temperatures of 12 degrees for four days did not faze it. Mine has never made fruit or dropped any mess on the ground. Of course it is evergreen and looks the same all year. Al

Rhus integrifolia, that's a good idea. It grows wild around here and makes a nice dense sprawly large shrub. Rhus ovata might be another idea.