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Okay, I'm in hardiness zone 8a with a hint of 7b. *lol*
I have need of the following:
* water-loving
* shade-loving
* evergreen
* preferred height of between 5-15 feet
* potential to guide into a hedge or privacy formation along a fenceline
* no root-sucker potential
I find things that might work, but then upon further investigation find that they won't.
I find things that are the right height and love water, but they are also root-suckers. Or I find something that is evergreen, can be a hedge, but hates shade and grows to 30 feet tall (which is just way too tall). Or I find something that has ALL these qualities but isn't good for zone 8.
In the research you've done, what have you found that you've ruled out?
Also how WIDE to should it be limited to at max growth?
Don't know if they fit all your criteria, but I like arbor vitae.
Then there are the old stand-bys: cypress, euonymous, privet, laurel, and juniper.
I ask about the width because the wider it is the more yard or side walk it will encroach onto.
Some folks here let their hedges get so wide they're blocking half the side walk, or take up five feet of yard space.
This will run along a portion of the back fence, so width isn't necessarily an issue (the back fence is about 75 feet long but a large heavily-mulched container garden and our shed will take up a portion of that - so maybe 40 feet of space will be filled by whatever I find).
I've researched so many I can't even remember all of them. Red osier dogwood, red birch, winterberry, holly, laurel, oleander, cypress, buttonbush, sweetspire (which is at the top of my list right now), elderberry, hydrangeas - and that's only a handful of what I've looked into. There were many more that I can't think of right now.
I will look into arbor vitae, euonymous, privet and juniper. Thanks!
Personally, I'd prefer laurels, as they are quite easy to manage and grow fast. You do NOT want to deal with cypress.
Mistake will be to plant them close to fence too, unless you do not plan on trimming. As I have both cypress hedge, that was planted too close to fence, now it's nightmare to trim, and open run of laurels, that works terrific.
Privet is your other choice. Also, you can shape privets into funny little animals, should you decide so.
I don't think, you'll get away with NOT tending to whatever you plant though. If you want your property to look tidy. If it's "don't matter" situation, laurels grow into heck of privacy fence. Fast.
I do plan on keeping them trimmed and looking somewhat decent - I don't want anything that's going to run wild. I won't be planting up against the fence - the last owners did that and the result was that the fence was eventually pushed over into our neighbor's yard and required being replaced. However, we'll be giving our back neighbors some license to trim as they'd like if anything we plant starts to hang over onto their side of the fence.
Well, if you do plan on keeping it cultured, do NOT allow it to go past 6 feet tall, and allow ample walking path between fence and hedge. Or, you will be killing your arms and shoulders, and all being scratched. Ask how I know. I have about 450 feet of solid cypress, that original owner planted too close to fence. I was the stupid that let it grow past "arms up" height.
Takes me solid 2 days of very hard labor to trim it now.
I am not sure I understood what your neighbors like, but in case they change their minds, or you have new neighbors - YOU let that hedge to grow into THEIR property.
This is few years back. It's a bit taller/denser now. And I just trimmed it. 2 weekends dedicated. Pic does not show entire front run, which is about 160 feet solid hedge.
I am not sure I understood what your neighbors like, but in case they change their minds, or you have new neighbors - YOU let that hedge to grow into THEIR property.
what I meant is that if anything we plant goes over into their yard, I'm okay if they trim it back on their side.
For example, they have a huge oak tree that had a couple big (dead) branches hanging over into our yard. We asked them if they'd consider cutting them so that if the branches fall, they wouldn't fall into our yard or damage the fence. They immediately brought someone in to remove the branches.
We offer the same consideration - if anything we plant overhangs into their yard, we cut it back immediately. The same would go for anything I plant near the fence line.
Thanks for the suggestions - I looked into laurels again (I had already reviewed them during my initial search) and privets, and it looks like laurel wins after all! Second place goes to the Sweetspire. I just couldn't find anything that fit ALL the criteria, so I'll have to go with something that comes as close as possible.
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