I apologize in advance for how long this answer is going to be. I hope it will be helpful. The truth is that the best way to have success is to put the RIGHT PLANT IN THE RIGHT PLACE. I have learned this the hard way over the decades.

SOIL:

First, consider your soil. You need to figure out if it is clay, sand, silt, loam or a mixture of these. Visiting the Soil and Compost Forum is a great place to learn how to test your soil and what you can do to "fix it" if it needs help.

How deep is the soil? If you have a fairly thin layer of soil on top of a lot of rock, you will have a harder time getting plants to grow there. It won't be impossible because there are many plants that will grow in shallow soil, but it will be more challenging.

Also, do you have any idea what the pH of your soil is? There are some plants that grow fastest in alkaline soil, some grow fastest in acid soil, and some--like red cedar--seem to grow anywhere.

And, how well does your soil drain? For example, parts of my red clay soil will have puddles for DAYS after a heavy rain. Other areas drain much more quickly. If you have land that stays waterlogged you must use plants that can handle periodically wet soil.

GROWING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS

Have you or will you amend the soil or will you leave it in its natural state? How often are you willing to irrigate?

If you are in extremely challenging conditions (say, either very rocky, very sandy or vary clay-y soil) and want to keep irrigation to a minimum, you should go with trees or shrubs that are native to your part of the state as they have proven adaptable to the conditions there.

If you choose to go to the trouble to amend your soil, which is best done by adding organic material like compost, peat moss, manure, shredded bark mulch, etc., then it would be better if you mulched your new shrub beds heavily so grass won't creep in and compete with your shrubs or trees. This will ensure faster growth of your hedge.

Also, when deciding what to plant, consider whether you want a formal hedge that will require lots of pruning, etc. or if you want to grow shrubs or trees in their natural form. Knowing what you want will help you decide the spacing of your plants. For example, shrubs that will be kept in a tightly pruned formal hedge should probably be planted closer together than those that will grow in their natural form.

Will you plant a monpculture of one type of tree or shrub or a mixed border of diffent types? The main problem with a monoculture is that if disease ever strikes it can move right along your row of plants and harm or kill every one of them. With a mixed planting, you will have more of a chance of long-term success.

OK, now here are some plant suggstions:

HOLLIES...there is a holly for every growing condition out there. They are very hardy, very disease resistant and grow fairly quickly. Most grow equally well in sun or shade. Some forms grow more quickly than others.

Some of the best hollies for a screen/hedge are: Nellie R. Stevens, yaupon, Burford and willowleaf (needlepoint). These are all Japanese hollies.

If you have acidic soil, other hollies might do well for you, such as the blue hollies, which usually require morning shade and afternoon sun in hot climates. American hollies like Savannah might do well for you also.

The hollies should be planted 5 to 6 feet apart to allow them to reach their full natural height and width.

PHOTINIAS:

I lived in Texas most of my life and only moved to Oklahoma six years ago. In Texas the most common shrub hedge seems to be Red-Tipped Photinia. It grows quickly BUT has severe problems with Entomosporium leaf spot. This fungal disease can stunt the growth of Photinias and even kill them. That said, I have not seen Entomosporium leaf spot in any Photinias in Oklahoma but that doesn't mean it isn't here.

Chinese Photinia is a older plant and seems more disease resistant, and it gets HUGE, but it very hard to find.

Cedar

Here in Oklahoma, Eastern Red Cedar grows in any kind of soil and with no irrigation. They are fast-growing. However, if you are in an EXTREMELY rural area, be careful about using them. They burn like crazy and, if you're in a rural or semi-rural area where grass fires are a persistent threat, they could be a hazard.

Other possibilities for you are:

Southern Wax Myrtle (if you want height get the tall one, not the dwarf one) Mine have from from 3-gallon size to about 12 feet in 3 years. They are sort of open and airy though and you might want something more dense.

Cherry Laurel (invasive in some areas)

ligustrums or privet if they are cold-hardy in your zone

eleagnus (here they are bothered by spider mites, but are very fast-growing)

Euonymus (but they must have good air circulation or will get powdery mildew)

TREES

Some trees make a good screen. However, many of them are not evergreen.

Magnolias come to mind but aren't really fast-growing. The same is true of live oaks.

Ashe junipers (Juniperus ashei) can grow right out of rock it seems, so if you have rocky soil or shallow soil on top of rock, it would probably do well for you, as would just about any juniper (Eastern Red Cedar is a juniper).

With the right soil you could grow evergreen pines like Loblolly, Ponderosa, long-leaf, rocky mountain juniper, or Blue Douglas fir if your summers aren't too hot. And Blue Spruce may be an option for you if your summers aren't too hot.

OTHER OPTIONS

If your neighbor is easily bothered, a good hedge might not help enough. You know the saying "good fences make good neighbors"? Well, a wooden privacy fence might be your answer if such fences are allowed where you live. (Some homeowner's associations prohibit them).

You also could put up a wire or chain-link fence and grow vines on it. However, (and there again this depends on your neighbor) some "neighbors" don't like it if "your" vines are on a common fence between their property and yours.

I like the idea of native shrubs, but the ones I grow are not evergreen so probably wouldn't be what you want.

Good luck. Got questions? Let me know.

Dawn