Natural (wild) privacy hwedge?

For 50 years we have enjoyed the privacy of living in the middle of a natural Piedmont woodlot. Last year the power company decided to clear a 40' wide right of way and now the pool is exposed to the street. I need to plant a privacy hedge near the road. I have worked hard to keep the woodlot as natural as possible lower Piedmont environment so what ever I plant needs to fit. The wood line is mostly oak, magnolia and dogwood. The soil is slightly acidic and clay/loam. Thanks to Georgia Power the exposure is full sun. It has to be evergreen, relatively fast growing and can't grow higher than about 18' or Georgia Power will whack the top out.

I am in constant battle with Ligustrum so that is out. I have a lot of Elaeagnus pungens which I could use but none are currently facing the road. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

You need some viburnums...

I might pontificate about other broadleaf evergreen southern species, but I won't. You probably know them already anyway.

Among my favorites that you likely haven't tried yet:

•Viburnum x pragense
•Viburnum x 'Eskimo'
•Viburnum x 'Conoy'
•Viburnum x 'Chesapeake'
•Viburnum x burkwoodii and its many selections
•Viburnum tinus and many selections
•Viburnum rhytidophyllum and selections
•Viburnum macrocephalum 'Sterile' (OK, this one wouldn't look so natural)
•Viburnum macrocephalum f. keteleeri
•Viburnum x hillierii 'Winton'

Without any images of what your site looks like, I'm imagining that you've got a long straight run to deal with. This doesn't mean you have to plant in a straight line though, and you ought to be able to mix in deciduous species with any evergreens that you choose. Conifers, too, to provide yet another degree of textural differences.

Hedges are an underdeveloped opportunity, usually. People think straight line and one flavor, and I think that is a monumental waste. Many species equals many changing seasons of interest - flower, fruit, form, fall color, foliage, fragrance...and that's just what we like. Imagine all the birds, bees, and other interesting insects and wildlife that will enjoy this feast.

I could go on...

I couldn't agree more with Viburnum there! We made the mistake of planting a double row of conifers (Blue Spruce in one row, black pine in the other) 20 years ago in the effort to get a privacy screen/windbreak. Now the pines are dying off from the ground up, the blue spruce are ragged looking and the overall effect is boring and tatty. I wish I had planted a mixed hedge of evergreens and deciduous plants, varying heights, season of interest, etc. So, I guess what I'm saying is that whatever you choose to do, try to mix it up. You'll be much happier with it in the end. (One great fast screen plant is tall ornamental pampas grass (if it isn't invasive in your area). If you spot it in with other things, it provides good screening and year round interest.

I know you want that screen NOW but I'd advise putting in some slower growing things as well as quick starters...you'll have a better selection and stuff that grows slow usually has a longer lifespan. Native bush type honeysuckle might be an idea, privet, Carolina allspice, the bigger tree hydrangeas.

Gashmore,

In the southeast, yaupon and dahoon hollies will grow quickly, thick and not too tall. They're evergreen and easy to grow also.

Not sure if Acer ginella grows in your area, but blooms are fragrant (spring), it's the only maple that has fragrant blooms and also has wonderful fall color, grows fairly fast. While waiting for the living fence to fill in try growing some tall annuals to help screen, ie Sunflowers, Nicotiana sylvestris (yummmm), Put up temporary trellises with annual vines. You're trying to block the public and I'm trying to keep the deer out, lol. A cheap fence is breakaway fence posts, rebar wire strung between and could add a string lattice (type they grow peas on). There are scads of annual vines that could be grown: sweet peas, Cobea, Rhodochiton, Ipomea (Heavenly Blue would be wonderful).

Fence posts are $5-10 ea., rebar wire is $3-4 for 200ft, pea trellis about $5. All can be very temporary til
shrubs or trees can fill in. Hope that helps. Kathy.

Pix is sunrise here in Colorado.

I like ViburnumValley's suggestion.

try some rhododendron or boxwood.

I have to admit that here in UK there is nothing more wonderful and beautiful to look at than a natural hedge grown from all the shrubs / trees that grow in your own location so, here we grow Holly, Box, Oak, Beach purple and green, Pine, Berberis, Cherry (wild) etc, and some companies will sell you bare rooted plants made up of a mixture of plants that grow in your area and soil type, if you want Rhododendrons then you need acidic soil but beware of the wild type as they can take over and bury everything else in it's path.
Doing a local mix means that you get a wide range of colour, texture and you know these plants will grow well for you.
Last bit of advice is, when you order your plants, make sure you have the ground well prepared for then well in advance as they really don't want to be in pots or bare rooted for too long and add as much animal manure to the trench (mixed into the soil) at the time of prep.
Good luck. WeeNel.

Have you thought about "Knock Out" roses? Will they grow high enough for your needs? I've looked at these roses in hopes they would work for me, but I'm not sure if they'll be high enough for privacy for you. They seem to bloom from spring to fall and would be a pretty addition to your pool. Good luck in your choice! :-)


This message was edited Mar 7, 2012 9:07 AM

I would be loathed to plant any flowering stuff close to a pool as from spring to autumn, the bees, wasps etc will love to visit, all wonderful in an area where your fully clothed, but not beside a pool, but hey, everyone to there own, there are no rules other than root spread, the roots of all trees will grow out-wards to the equivalent of the hight of the tree, so choose with care.
Good luck. WeeNel.