Hi everyone, I haven't visited since my last post and have only just seen your question chinchette, however my friend HDD seems to have answered you question anyway. Generally speaking I have found where I live here in Australian that there is a brom for every situation; from plants such as Ae. Recurvata which will tolerate full summer sun without burning right through to Nidulariums which do well in shady areas. As HDD says, morning sun is good; this is because you have sufficient light to promote the colour without the heat which causes burning in some of the more heat sensitive plants. The Recurvata plants in the pic below get full uninterrupted sun from about 11.00am in the morning right through to 4.30 in the afternoon which is the hottest part of the day. As well as this they have the reflection from a white weatherboard house as well as the heat reflected from the surrounding paving, and still suffer no heat damage. So I guess it's just a matter of selecting the correct plant for the particular area. On the other hand these plants are growing in a shadier area of the yard beneath 75% green shade cloth. This picture was taken during winter and the colour isn't as good as it is later in the year, but they still do well under these conditions as well. All the best, Nev.

Please ignore what any nurseries may tell you about amending the soil. Despite the fact that they sell plants, nurseries are not necessarily a good source of the best, most accurate and most current horticultural information. It doesn't make any difference what kind of soil you have, it is still not advised to amend any planting hole for a variety of reasons, including soil interface issues (how water moves through the soil profile and with changes in soil texture) and to encourage the roots to move out rapidly into the indigenous soil. If you want confirmation of this, check with any extension service website (.edu) - they are the agencies that dispense up-to-date horticultural information, not a retail nursery, which is in the business to make money, including the selling of unnecessary soil amendments. And drought conditions or not, the bathtub effect can still be present with ordinary irrigation. You will have to water this tree deeply and routinely for several growing seasons to get it properly established and this poor drainage situation can occur at any time with this practice. These are not children to be babied. You simply want to provide the best conditions to encourage and hasten establishment and that has been proven to occur without amending. Any amendments you had contemplated adding to the planting hole or soil can be/should be used as a mulch or top dressing. It will still supply the same benefits as if it were mixed into the soil but without any of the detrimental side effects. If feeder roots are growing through the burlap when you go to plant it, leave the burlap intact, just removing any ties or fasteners and cutting away any burlap that surrounds the trunk and covers the top of the root ball. B&B trees have up to 85% of their root system compromised with their harvesting so you want to carefully avoid damaging any regrowth that may be present. Because burlap is a loosely woven fabric that will disintegrate in time, there is no issue of oxygen deprivation and as a natural fiber material, burlap will breakdown/decompose just as readily as any other organic material. You are free to accepted this information or not, but I will let you know that it comes from a degreed professional horticulturist with 30 years of experience of consulting, advising and educating gardeners on how to succeed with their gardens. Believe it or not, people pay me to give them the exact same advice you've just received for free :-)

Of those two you mentioned, I'd go with the Sky Pencil. The yew will stay pretty low, not sure it would be enough privacy. And the SP would be an instant solution, depending on the size you buy. There is a newish variety of Yaupon, "Scarlet's Peak" ... stays narrow, but it does get up to 20 ft, and I don't know how much shade it can take. The females have berries. You might want to check around at trusted, local nurseries and get their opinions. Take pictures to show them. Another option is a trellis, arch, etc, and growing a vine(s) on it. Or, if you don't find a suitable plant, cafe curtains on the lower part of the windows. How much distance is there from the window to your property line? I'm just wondering why you need something so narrow, and am trying to visualize the area. Is it your side yard?

I live in an southwestern area ==>>> can you be a bit more specific ... first.. no tree stops growing at some magical height... its all about annual growth rate.. how fast it gets to some height.. and then right past it ... 10 feet isnt going to give much shade.. especially if you want to use the shade.. as you will probably have to trim it up 6 feet or so.. to walk or sit under it .. non invasive roots????... have nothing to do with 'surface rooted' plants ... i too would like to see the hardscape to understand the situation ... you might be better off with a pergola.. and some vines to create your sitting area.. rather than trying to jam in trees ... ken