You need to do a real sight-line analysis to figure out just where you need privacy to and from. If the house behind is elevated, what you may need is trees with a wide/tall canopy, not evergreens or fencing at ground level. And the canopy trees can be in the middle of the yard, not necessarily at the perimeter. Have someone go outside holding up an upside-down rake to pinpoint exact locations if you have to. Then create beds or varied plantings around that area to complement the main privacy-providing plant. Think about whether you want privacy to your windows, your deck, or elsewhere in your yard. Sometimes one tree, the right shape, in a strategic location will do it all. And does the privacy have to be both summer and winter? That will determine whether you go deciduous or evergreen. Being then by sketching up (mentally or on paper in a plan (birds-eye) view, where you want stuff to block the sightlines. If that is achievable with foliage, well and good, but maybe a pergola or something will work better. If you want plants to do the work, I would suggest as a next step that you go to your local nurseries and start looking at plants and discuss with the owner/staff there what kind of trees you need if they don't seem to have them in stock - tall narrow ones, or wide with low or high canopy.... They will be getting more stock as the planting season progresses. If you want some concrete ideas, it will be best if you provide concrete information - a site plan with elevations, or some photos. Karin L

Like other classes of hydrangea (aborescens, macrophyla, serrata, paniculata, etc.) various quercifolia cultivars achieve different dimensions in different gardens. Soil, slope, sun/shade, i.e., microclimates in the same USDA climate zones have their (often indeterminate) impact. Best not to expect a too definitive advice respecting the final dimension in your garden. How you prune a plant may be more deteminate than DNA. Look at other local plantings of those quercifolia cultivars most attractive to you (the responsible municipal department may be helpful). Michael Dirr also has a fine book (2004) on hydrangeas, which almost always suggests substantial variety in same zone plant dimensions.

Sumac and elderberry would work great...they are both on my state's list of recommended plants for erosion control. Also Alleghany serviceberry, red chokeberry, large cranberry, american hazelnut, blueberries (since you wanted to go for edibles) My reason for not suggesting trees was because I've been told that trees next to a cliff or steep bank tend to take parts of the bank with them if they fall down. Steep drop offs have been my personal experience with erosion control. Is that an issue here? Is there a steep embankment involved? Your picture doesn't show one, but I wasn't sure if your picture showed the area with the erosion problem. I'm not trying to persuade you NOT to plant trees, I'm generally a huge tree fan. I'd advise you AGAINST planting any non-native grasses for erosion control. To be be effective for erosion control, a plant has to aggressively spread by roots or rhizomes...exactly the traits that tend to make a plant invasive, Anything that's going to work for erosion control is going to spread, and you don't want aggressive nan-natives spreading uncontrolled. Similarly, ivies tend to be invasive and can take down trees. I'd be careful with planting ivies. Probably NOT compatible with your trees. The pecan trees should probably be planted more then 4 feet from any really steep drop off. You are adding a few steps that really aren't necessary if the goal is erosion control or feeding wildlife...although they may help if you are trying to get a significant crop. (Trees usually grow fine without that much effort to improve the soil). Oh, and Fall is actually a great time to plant potted trees, shrubs and grasses...in my area, at least. Cool weather gets the trees to focus on root growth and many nurseries and "Big Box" stores have end of season sales. I wouldn't worry too much about trees "not agreeing with each other"...Black Walnut, silver maple and Eastern Red Cedar don't agree with much, but apart from that you can mostly ignore these issues and focus on desired light levels and moisture level. If you like edibles and natives, have you considered American Persimmon or Paw Paw? Oh...and how much land are we talking here?

Lisa Sorry, what I meant is that since zmat doesn't have clay soil, he/she doesn't need to worry about it. Clay drains very slowly. In areas with lots of moisture (rain or snow) it will sit in that 'clay bowl' for too long, keeping plant's roots wet for too long. It would act like a container without drainage hole. That's why I said that would be the worse solution... During winter, hardy plants do very well if under snow cover. But area like zmat has will heat up more on sunny days (even if it is quite cold otherwise) since there is a wall and also rocks & stones (creating a microclimate). I do not see that as a big problem at all, unless there is poor drainage: snow will melt while sunny, but water doesn't drain fast enough before it starts freezing again. This will kill many plants. Just the same as in containers with poor drainage. This is common problem with planting any perennials, trees, shrubs. If there is a 'bowl' - which ppl often create by digging a bigger hole in badly draining soil, then filling it with very good soil (compost, manure) - roots do not actually grow into surrounding soil, only into a 'good' soil. They end up filling this 'bowl' as they would a container, very often with roots circling. I have seen trees dying and when dug up, it was visible that roots didn't grow into native soil. (This is even worse if the root ball was very compacted and roots not spread). So it is best to add only very little or not any of 'good' soil and also mix it well with native soil, to encourage roots growing and spreading into native soil. Same problem happens if there is water filling that 'faux bowl' - either thaw&freeze cycle in winter, or roots sitting in a 'muck' after rains, for too long. They can't breathe and start dying. With clay soil, drainage is always problem. Adding lots of organic matter - I am talking about planting in ground - will help but needs to be done often to be of help (in a way, same as mixing lots of perlite with C&S soil - just a handful of perlite (or pumice or any gritty ingredient) will not improve drainage). If possible, planting on a slope would help a lot: grading the clay soil, than putting 'good' soil on top will provide drainage down the slope. In area with little moisture during the year, it may not be as much of a problem (?) - much less water accumulating, and there is no freeze. But any bowl - faux container created in ground or otherwise, should have drainage hole...I would not advice anyone to create a 'faux bowl' in ground, unless they want to grow bog plants.