in coastal southern oregon and northern california they can become small trees to 40' tall (in exceptional circumstances). more commonly and more likely away from the coast in warmer drier areas you are more likely to get a multi-stemmed large shrub to 15' feet or so at most with acid, well-drained soil, some summer water, and afternoon shade. they respond well to heavy pruning and at least in coastal areas will even make good formal hedges.

I know it's an old forum, but it's very pertinent to what I'm trying to get answers & given that so many years have passed, it may b even better :) Can those folks who have Ceanothus Ray Hartman, as well as the Pacific Wax Myrtle share how those are doing 10 years later? I am specifically interested in knowing about the litter & maintenance aspect (berries, leaves, necessity to prune more than twice a year to keep from growing too wide?), as well as how fast it grew to 10'-15'? I have looked at so many options for my privacy hedge which must be planted right next to the pool (actually in only a 5'-6' deep planter between the pool & retaining wall), & everything either has many berries or leaves dropping (nightmare pool maintenance) or has invasive roots, etc. I am hoping that either Ceanothus Ray Hartman (love the early spring blooms, but concerned about them getting into the pool) or the Pacific Wax Myrtle (I read the female shrub produces berries- how would I know male or female?). I live in USDA zone 10, off 405 & Mulholland/Skirbal exit & the hedge will get full sun - planted against a SW facing wall. TIA for all ur input :)

I've used the pacific wax myrtle as hedging, on Alderwood soils too. You're pushing its limits if you want it at least 12ft tall. And when you say this area has great drainage, and it's already on Alderwood - how to say this - you're going to have a drought problem there. Alderwood soil is officially classified as 'excessively well drained'. Plan on watering any new plantings for a few years to get them established. A couple of dense evergreens that would get the size you want are holly and Portuguese laurel, but both will produce berries that the birds will spread all over the neighborhood. I have a totally-volunteer screen between my house and the apartments on the next block, and the primary evergreen screening comes from holly, cotoneaster and young madrones. The arborvitaes Pyramidalis and Emerald Green make excellent hedges, but deer do eat them where they can reach, giving them a lollipop appearance, and they need to be planted close together because they're narrow and slow. If you lined the hedge with deer mesh you could avoid that lollipop look, and the mesh would not be obtrusive against the foliage. Leyland cypress grow very fast, but also very wide. Italian cypress are narrow like the arborvitae, but much faster growing, and can reach 12ft in a few years. Dunno if the deer would browse them. Arbutus unedo, a madrone relative, is a very attractive evergreen that can be used as an informal hedge, but I'm not sure about it getting to 12ft tall. Most of what you see in nurseries is Compacta, which won't get that big. I have gotten frost damage on it in very bad winters, but it always grew out of it in spring. Ceanothus 'Victoria' could potentially get that big I think, most of what you see out there is pruned much shorter. Again it can be damaged in bad winters, but it likes the excessive drainage of Alderwood soils.

It may also be important to note that photinias in th PNW are often afflicted with Entomosporium leaf spot, a particularly debilitating fungal disease that will typically defoliate the plants over time, weakening them to the point of seriously stunting growth or killing them. In many areas of the PNW, these shrubs are no longer recommended or sold for this reason. You may want to reconsider your plant choice. We are not exactly limited to choices of broadleaved evergreen shrubs in this area and there are many that will present few of the problems that photinia does.