Need advice on very fast-growing, dense privacy hedge
pierce_phillips
16 years ago
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zigzag
16 years agoRelated Discussions
Fast growing privacy shrub, Hedge, Ornamental grasses, Rosebush?
Comments (4)Hi Francine, I would look at cheap, fast growing, dense shrubs common to your local area. If you can find a local wholesaler who also sells retail (because of the bad economy, many will nowadays--ask!) you can get great deals. Also try looking at your local Craigslist. Sometimes you can find people who want to get rid of some shrubs, if you are willing to dig them up you can get them for FREE. If you post a request to Craigslist you may be able to find some. Another angle to try is local garden clubs. Dedicated gardeners are often pulling stuff out and replacing it--you could ask around there for discards. Recommendations would depend on what climate you are in, which you don't say. Roses are not evergreen, so you would have a period of time when they provide no screening. In a colder climate they need more care than you may be willing to provide, unless Rugosa roses are appropriate for your climate. But they would probably be more expensive than common green shrubs. Also I'm assuming you have permission from your landlord to plant stuff. Good luck with your project!...See MoreFast Growing Evergreen Privacy Hedge
Comments (17)I thought Viburnum Odoratissimum would be a good idea as a fence line hedge. Planted a line of them to cover 120' front property line. They have been awful. Disease prone, all sorts of insect pest, and likely a lot of the problems has been caused by the long term drought. These things are not as drought tolerant as reported, not here. Not on this sand soil I have in southern Pinellas. In fact after looking around at where these things are used, due to how common they are and price they are a favorite at shopping centers and gov. buildings I an not unique with these pitiful things. All over they are sparse in growth with a ton of dead branches. Again I suspect this is because they are not getting enough water. I will never use this junk again. They have struggled for 8 yrs and only one of the 12 has done goodd. Aphids, thrips, scale, you name it they get it when they do grow like now. What I have found working very well though it must be trimmed is the small tree/shrub, the native wax myrtle. Incredible how it thrives wet or dry and when trimmed produces a thick bush shrub privacy effect. However left on its own without trimming it will get a bit more tree like and that is fine too. It will sucker some but comparing these two plants for my purpose hands down winner is the wax myrtle....See Morewhat's a good FAST growing privacy hedge for Chicago area?
Comments (10)Seconding Arborvitae for your area (I'm in northern Illinois, about an hour from you). Proper name: northern white-cedar --- Cupressaceae Thuja occidentalis L Cultivars: 'Aurea' - A golden globe that needs little shearing. 'Boisbraind' - A plant 10 feet tall with dark green, burn resistant foliage. 'Brabant' - This cultivar tends to form one central leader thus minimizing stem damage from winter snows. 'Brandon' - A fast-growing, cone-shaped plant about 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Reported as suitable for use on harsh sites. 'Chalet' - A narrow plant with a rounded top and lime- green foliage. It will be 10 to 15 feet tall. 'Compact American' - A compact, pyramidal form reaching a height of 25 feet and a spread of 8 feet. 'Danica' - A slow-growing, compact globe with dark green foliage. 'Degroot's Spire' - A narrow, columnar form. 'Douglasii Pyramidalis' - A dense, columnar form with twisted dark green foliage. 'Elegantissima' - A slow-growing, dense plant with yellow branch tips. 'Filiformis' - A pendulous plant with long, thread-like branchlets and bright green new growth. 'George Peabody' - A broad, upright plant with yellow foliage. The foliage becomes more orange in winter. 'Gold Cargo' - A cultivar with gold foliage that is reported to resist winterburn. The plant can be 25 feet tall and 6 feet wide. 'Golden' - A broad, upright form with bright yellow new growth. 'Golden Globe' - A uniform oval with foliage a soft yellow. 'Hetz Midget' - A slow-growing, compact plant. 'Hetz Wintergreen' - A narrow, upright form reaching a height of 60 feet. 'Holmstrup' - Dark green foliage that holds its color in winter. Broadly pyramidal. 'Little Gem' - A globe-shaped plant reaching a height of about 3 feet. 'Little Giant' - A slow-growing, globe-shaped plant with bright green foliage all year. 'Masonic' - Pyramidal form about 25 feet tall and 5 feet wide. 'Niagara Compact' - A globe-shaped plant more compact than 'Woodwardii'. 'Nigra' - A symmetrical form with good dark green foliage color. 'Pendula' - An open, weeping form with dark green foliage. 'Pygmy Globe' - A dwarf, globe-shaped plant with bright green foliage. Needs little shearing. 'Pyramidalis' - A narrow, columnar plant often used for screens. 'Rheingold' - Yellow foliage that becomes orange yellow in winter. 'Sherman' - A pyramidal form reaching a height of 30 feet and a spread of 12 feet. 'Sherwood Moss' - A dwarf plant 4 to 6 feet tall. 'Smaragd' ('Emerald') - Narrow habit with glossy green summer color. Reported as resistant to spider mites. Plants will be about 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide. 'Sudworthii' - Upright, broad plant with yellow foliage. 'Sunkist' - A compact, broad plant with orange-yellow foliage. 'Techny' ('Mission') - A fast-growing plant with dark green foliage. Usually about 15 feet tall. 'Tiny Tim' - A compact, upright mounding plant. 'Umbraculifera' - A rounded, irregular plant, nearly 3 feet tall and 5 feet wide. 'Unicorn' - A narrowly compact plant with dark green foliage. 'Wareana' - A slow-growing, broadly upright plant. 'Wintergreen' - A pyramidal form reaching a height of 30 feet that retains good green color in winter. 'Woodwardii' - A rounded form that retains its shape without shearing. 'Yellow Ribbon' - A narrow, upright habit is combined with yellow foliage all year....See MoreFast Growing Very Tall Privacy Conifers?
Comments (9)Emerald Arborvitae is supposed to grow to 15' at the most, so it won't serve the purpose you want. Its cousin, "Green Giant' might be the answer. It's supposed to grow to 30'. I have 'Emerald'. It grows quite dense and fast enough for me. I need to tie the multiple trunks in winter, though, because they will bend down every which way under snow. If you can find a single trunk tree, you'll eliminate that trouble. Dawn Redwood is deciduous. You'll lose the noise and view barrier in winter. I don't have experience with other trees. My garden is too small for them. A small blue spruce came with the house, but I had to remove it after 15 years because it grew too large for the spot. Good luck with your choice. I think a few different kinds of conifers might be more beautiful and interesting than just one kind. They give you different colors, shapes and textures....See MoreDibbit
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