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So I recently bought a single story ranch and my neighbor that backs up to me lives in a 2 story house. I have a smallish back yard so it feels like all 'eyes' are on me. I am looking for some type of bush to plant that grows tall and will give me some privacy. Something that grows well in the southeast where the weather is hot and humid. Any ideas are appreciated.
So I recently bought a single story ranch and my neighbor that backs up to me lives in a 2 story house. I have a smallish back yard so it feels like all 'eyes' are on me. I am looking for some type of bush to plant that grows tall and will give me some privacy. Something that grows well in the southeast where the weather is hot and humid. Any ideas are appreciated.
How far south is your southeast? The southeast is a great climate to plant bamboo. It is a great screen and noise barrier and gets very tall - tall enough to provide privacy for your second floor and attic, too. You generally buy it in clumps and once started - will grow like Jack's beanstalk. That would be my top choice. It makes a great backdrop for a water garden or koi pond, too.
God, please be careful with bamboo....my niece and her roomates planted 2 plants in Savannah and within 1 year it looked like they had a 20 foot privacy fence. the neighbors are still battling with those plants and its been 8 years!!!!!!!!! Bamboo takes over and I mean takes over. Kudzu, another nightmare plant will grow 1 foot a day.
What about a magnolia tree? I had one of those in the back of a row house I rented that had the same sorta set up. (back to back houses)
It smelled so pretty and are really easy to take care of and trim. Its leaves are dense and you can only see through the lowest branches.
edit:
Trumpet Honeysuckle - Saw that as I was looking for stuff. Brings humming birds and stays green in the south.
It would look soo pretty to see a white magnoia tree with some Trumpet Honeysuckle friends gathered around.
Last edited by pitt_transplant; 07-23-2008 at 11:32 AM..
Reason: added
The magnolia tree would be very pretty; I don't know how fast they grow....it might take several years+ to get the benefit you desire. Magnolia would also make the yard quite dark...when it is tall enough to provide the privacy. How about crepe myrtle trees along the border? I know that in the south they trim and prune them unmercifully but that isnt necessary. They sure are pretty.
Bamboo.....there are two types one grows in clumps, expanding circles and isnt as invasive or hard to control; t he other like golden bamboo sends out horizontal sucker shoots and will come up thru pavement and is very invasive. Lovely plants though.
Controlling Bamboo is done by digging down 2 or 3 feet around the area where they will be planted. Pick an area the size you want the final stand to be. Place good sheet metal around the perimeter and let it stick above the ground 2".
All this is from memory so if you decide to do this I recommend doing some research to make sure my numbers are correct.
[quote=elston;4571438]The magnolia tree would be very pretty; I don't know how fast they grow....it might take several years+ to get the benefit you desire. Magnolia would also make the yard quite dark...when it is tall enough to provide the privacy. How about crepe myrtle trees along the border? I know that in the south they trim and prune them unmercifully but that isnt necessary. They sure are pretty.
QUOTE]
I guess they are suppose to be fast growing. I know the one we had really grew fast. It did make a lot of shade. But I trimmed it like a lollypop cut and it was leafless I would say, about 5-6 feet up. Branches started at about 4-5 feet. The canopy was about 15 feet high .
I could of easily trimmed out more branches to let light filter through. Its a really easy tree to trim. When I did do the first big trim and cut a bunch back. Flowers EXPLODED from the tree. I was amazed. The higher lollypop cut allowed light to filter into the yard enough for grass to live.
From what I noticed in my tree it grew at least a foot a year.
It may take longer at first because the roots need to get thier hold. (I notice this with trees a lot)
Theres a lot of other neat plants etc on that site too worth looking at.
Bamboo.....there are two types one grows in clumps, expanding circles and isnt as invasive or hard to control; t he other like golden bamboo sends out horizontal sucker shoots and will come up thru pavement and is very invasive. Lovely plants though.
We have a City, and at least 2 towns in our county where bamboo is illegal to propagate. It's outlined in the City or Town Ordinance. Neighbors report one another, too, if they see it growing.
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bamboo
