My 'Silveray' grows about 8" a year, but the tree is not dense at all. I would not consider planting this tree as a screen, at all; the tree grows way too open for that purpose. My tree is also growing in full sun.

When pines are used for screening, once the base of the trees becomes shaded, the lower branches die and you lose what screening you may have had.

I would use Thuja or another genus that is suitable genus for your location/climate.
My .02
Mike

Hmmm... well, you've convinced me to write Silveray off. I personally don't care terribly for Thuja, but I'll turn my thoughts to something else. I was also considering Pinus strobus 'Stowe's Pillar', as suggested by Dax some time ago, but I'm guessing that it'll become sparse on the bottom too, once the screen becomes screen-like. Don't need super dense, but dense enough to prevent extended peek-a-boos through to a hot tub.

Thanks much, Mike, for sharing your experience.

-James

Mike's right and I'm glad for you that he caught my mistake...

Big specimens of these should be fairly easy to acquire (or go to a local nursery and see what they can order from Iseli for you):

Juniperus communis 'Gold Cone' (Iseli)
Thuja occidentalis 'Degroot's' (Iseli)
Picea abies f. pendula - Stake to height; Iseli shows a screen of this. Home Depot, you name it.
Picea pungens 'Iseli Foxtail' (Iseli)
Picea glauca 'Pendula'(Iseli)
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Meroke Twin' (Iseli)
Chamaecyparis obtusa 'Tetragona Aurea' (Sounds nice Iseli)

Dax
(link)

Here is a link that might be useful: Iseli

Cool -- thanks Dax. No mistake on your end -- I think I'd asked for non-scale options long ago, so you were actually just responding to my query.

I must say I'm warming up to Thuja a bit. I would prefer a spruce screen, all else equal (I love that Picea glauca 'Pendula', which would make a fine specimen plant, too), but unless I can find very, very large ones, I worry that the screen would be too long in the making. (It's actually for my dad's house.)

Anyhow, thanks again!

-James