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Landscape Design

Privacy tree advice

last month

Im trying to figure out which types of trees would work best for privacy along the back of my lot. I’m in zone 5a and looking to plant in a drainage ditch that doesnt get standing water and is mostly full sun. I also have a lot of deer and various wildlife.

Does anyone have any reccomendations?

I found a Williow Hybrid called Golden Boa that looks nice and grows fast but open to any ideas.

Featured Answer

Olychick

last month

Are you permitted to build a fence? I'd want to block that view thoroughly with the tallest fence allowed, then soften it with plantings. I'm sure you've considered that.

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Comments (13)

Sigrid
last month
Birch grows fast and sucks up excess water. A mix of plants and heights always looks best. Do you want to screen your back yard? Or the second story windows? I'd plant a few taller trees to block views you want to block, fill in with shrubs.
Sarah thanked Sigrid
woodrose
last month
What is the drainage ditch for? Storm water runoff? If the ditch ever has water running through it, I wouldn't plant anything in it and certainly not a tree.
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I would go for the classic California staples, Italian Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) or a Leyland Cypress (Cupressocyparis Leylandii) The Italian would probably be better for you. They are tall and thin, have minor litter and are drought tolerant once established. They are pretty fast growing too. I would give them deep watering to encourage deep roots. The Cypress is tall but fatter and might be too wide depending on your spot. Good luck! Laura Here is a link that might be useful: Privacy screen plants
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Thanks for all of the advice guys. @ davidrt28 - thanks for the advice and ordering info @ kato_b , tsugajunkie - the larger 5 gallon plants don't look as bad. there is still some green, but they don't look that great. I actually started planting the smaller trees further back from the road because I was worried about the salt spray. I think they're around 28ft from the road and have those hedges in between the road and small trees. I thought that would have been enough protection... also before they even started salting last fall, they were starting to turn orangish. @ davidrt28 - nope.. I didn't fertilize them @ tsugajunkie - thanks for that link, I may have to look into a different species what a discouragement ... it would have been nice to see the majority survive after all the time and money I put into the project I'm thinking the best thing to do is look for several species that's resistant to salt spray and add a mix of trees This post was edited by duke90 on Thu, May 2, 13 at 0:53
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Immediate full coverage is going to be difficult to achieve......sorry. The landscaper was correct - few conifers will establish in heavy shade and with that much root competition, especially ones with any size on them to begin with. Aucuba japonica, Japanese laurel, is a very shade tolerant broadleaf evergreen shrub. It will grow in almost total shade and is relatively drought tolerant. But it is probable that the largest you could find to plant will only be about 3-4' to begin with and you will have to be patient while they grow. Getting them enough water to begin with will help establishment and encourage more rapid growth. But it will be a few years until they reach a height to provide much screening. They can get 10-12' eventually. Another option is bamboo. Don't freak out! I am referring to a cold hardy clumping bamboo, like one of the Fargesia species. Clumping bamboos are very well behaved - they do not spread aggressively like a running bamboo, but remain in a controlled clump like a very large ornamental grass. Fargesia is very shade tolerant and will take temps down to 0F. Again, you will need to provide adequate water while it is establishing, perhaps for the first couple of growing seasons. The advantage of a bamboo is that it will already have some serious height to it - you will likely find plants available that are already 6-8' tall - and it puts on height rapidly. Once established, new canes emerging will grow rapidly to the full mature height. Depending on the species, Fargesia will grow 8-20' tall.
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Thanks for the suggestion. I did some research on v.pragense - seems like it is fast growing, reaches 8-10feet which is perfect but the one downside is that it is quite sprawling. Can it be successfully managed to a narrower hedge? My yard is not that big(you can see the whole width of it in one of the pics) so the more space I can preserve the better.
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Sarah
Original Author
last month
last modified: last month
not sure what the original purpose was. it was there before my house was built. The whole neighborhood is on a slope and it leads to a pond. There’s some large trees and various bushes already growing well in it. I just want thicker coverage for privacy because there is a landscape business behind me with a lot of activity in the summer.
cecily 7A
last month
Can you place a couple of trees closer to the house? Trees higher on the slope will block the view faster.
laceyvail 6A, WV
last month
Looks to me that what you need is large shrubs. If you have the room, fence and then layers of shrubs with some small trees. Shrub/tree border could be 15-20 feet deep front to back with a carefully chosen mix of shapes, sizes, deciduous and evergreen, with flowers, berries perhaps, fall color. I am NOT talking about a stiff row of the same plants or a manicured hedge.
Emily
last month
Green giant arborvitae is fast growing, disease and deer resistant. Unless you have extreme drought for long periods it stays nice and pretty. Good growth in a lot of different soil types too.
cecily 7A
last month
last modified: last month
I'd use a couple of sycamores as the base along the fence (love standing water, beautiful bark for winter interest, fast growing) then add a mix of shrubs/small trees as lacey suggested along the fence. Higher on the slope plant a couple of redbuds (fast growing, spring flowers) for a focal point to further distract your eye.
Jennz9b
last month
last modified: last month
Deer will eat the arborvitae to the ground so dont get those. I speak from experience.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
last month
" Deer will eat the arborvitae to the ground so dont get those. I speak from experience. "

That may be true for regular arborvitaes - Thuja occidentalis - but Green Giants are a hybrid of two entirely different species of Thuja. They are significantly less appetizing to deer but not immune from predation if the deer are hungry enough or lacking other food sources.
Sarah
Original Author
last month
Probably won’t do a fence. I just want to soften the views. The semi was just doing a delivery and isnt usually there. The entire ditch is my property so I like the idea of being able to utilize that space and not have to take up lawn space. Fast growing is a must, but i like the idea of planting a mix of trees and bushes for a more natural feel. Anything I could plant with green giants that would add some color in the fall?
jck910
last month
last modified: last month
We used Leyland Cypress to block a neighbor's messy yard. Fast growing.
cecily 7A
last month
nyssa sylvatica

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