There will be a limit to any native evergreens for zone 4 other than conifers. And it takes years to grow conifers to any size from seed....decades even. Is there a reason why it has to be seed grown? I'm sure native plant nurseries will have a selection for you to choose from; also your local DNR. And does it have to be evergreen? Deciduous plants can be incorporated into a mixed hedge and generally grow much faster than most conifers.

I think you may be putting limitations on your possibilities by restricting them to evergreen and also available by seed :-)

Hi gardengal48, The border around the property is long (the hedge in question is 700+ feet, and the rest is another 1000+ feet) making even seedlings expensive; most places seem to grow from cuttings because they are selling particular plants that are supposed to look the same way they do everyplace else--thus there's no preservation of genetic diversity; and, I don't want something that looks cloned. Now that I've gotten into it (it's something I've never done before) I'm having a really good time doing it, too!

Jack pines will grow in sandy soil and are salt tolerant, but they grow taller than what you're seeking. Sumac might be a possibility although it is not evergreen. As to shrubs, rugosa roses can grow to fabulous sizes and provide cover in summer, but again, not so much in winter.

I'd be interested to hear what you decide on and how it works out for you. I'm in the process of re-foresting areas of our land as well, and have used both small bare-root nursery trees as well as tree seeds. It's a long process, but gratifying.

We think a bit alike, spedigrees. My current plan includes white rugosas about 6 feet back from the road to act as salt shield (when it grows in.) ...And 6 of about 30 Jack pine seedlings just sprouted :) but the plan was to put them up over our little ridge because (from what I'e read) they (typically) get 20-30 feet wide. Is that your experience up here?

I don't think you will find anything that fits all your parameters. (I don't think Jack Pine will stay to your width).
What about mixing in pitch pine? Less cold tolerant and attractive then Jack Pine, but more salt tolerant and takes better to pruning because it has dormant buds?

What about bayberry?

If you are trying to go for cheap and Earth Friendly, try to find someone in your area who is clearing land and hunt for specimens to transplant.

Thanks, edlincoln. Along the lines of what you suggest, I had begun thinking that I may have to go out hiking and take some cuttings from interesting
trees this fall.

Pruning is not in the cards. The idea is to make something that will (practically) sustain itself and complement the rural area/look of our old farmhouse.

It has been quite a lot of work trying to find appropriate hedge near the road that isn't American Arborvitae. And, I feel like I've done a bad job of it, which is why I'm looking for help from people who are more familiar with the area than I.

NHBabs's suggestion to incorporate Juniperus communis sounds great! Taxus canadensis might be great, too, if I could find some seed...

Seeding a large area with trees turns out to be a lot of work. If you don't mow or weed regularly weeds smother the seeds. If you do weed you have to be careful not to accidentally remove the things you are trying to plant. It requires frequent skilled weeding.

The reason I mention pruning is trees just keep growing until they die. Specs on tree sizes you find online are usually just the dimensions in 10 years...an arbitrary date. If you plant them close enough to provide screening now now they will crowd each other in a few years. Conifers look ratty and lose branches when they shade each other.

Canada Yew is a great idea...shade tolerant and tolerates pruning.

Oh, check out theNH State Nursery. Cheap subsidized saplings for your climate.

Wow! That looks great! Thanks!

Addison, I have no personal experience growing jack pines, because I have no areas with salt, and almost no sandy soil anywhere on my land. I live on a dirt road which never receives road salt, and the areas I'm re-foresting are a good distance from that road, behind the house. I mentioned jack pines because they seem to grow profusely in coastal areas in Maine and MA where the soil contains a good proportion of sand and salt. It does seem they grow quite large and would indeed be unsuitable for your hedge, but perhaps will grow on the ridge as you've planned. I just don't know how they do in areas with rich, un-salty soil.

I like trees and shrubs to look natural as well. I never prune anything on the property, except to remove branches that are growing into our walking trails or into the path of the mower. However I don't worry much about whether a shrub or tree is native. My apples, crabapples, and lilacs (some of both are in my front yard along the road) are not native, but I doubt that the sight of these ruins whatever Vermont experience visitors might expect. Too bad for them, if so, because these trees/shrubs are ubiquitous all over the state, and impossible to avoid!

On a side note, Addison specifically mentions NHBabs comment, and there are no responses from her showing up right now. Houzz acting up?

deannatoby, the post didn't show up in this category, so NHBabs suggested I repost it here... They have since fixed this on Houzz... Anyway, her comment is on the other post.

Here is the other post where I responded:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5300094/zone-4-native-hedge