I would like to use this or something similarly columnar as part of a mixed planting to screen my neighbors' cars. The space is between their asphalt and our gravel drive, about 6' in width. I already have some sky pencil hollies along there. Got them for a song! Thanks for your help.
In my excitement I forgot to say that the pictures show a conifer specimen growing north of our town. These are more or less the look for the conifer that I am seeking. I imagine that they are deer-proof because they have been growing in this spot for several years. Thanks again in advance.
I can't decide if it's Juniperus scopulorum 'Skyrocket' http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/80159/ or not.
Juniperus communis 'Hibernica'.
I'd not rely on their being deer-proof in a quiet spot, those look like they're planted in a high-traffic situation where deer are unlikely to linger long.
Also note the down-side of this plant, that heavy snow can make them splay open and look ugly. But that applies to almost any fastigiate conifer.
Resin
Here's an example of that splaying. These are the common Dwarf Emerald Green Arborvitaes. I saw them afterward, they did that all the time because the homeowner
didn't know to do anything in the Winter. I believe all you have to do is tie around them with something or wrap them in cellophane. Otherwise, they would somewhat return to their old shape but they were lumpy and you could tell they had been split way apart. When they do that, their appeal goes down all year.
A construction company? I'd go with something common, available at a boxstore nearby. They may have picked them up at a boxstore along with their construction materials, when they were fairly small and cheap.
I'm not suggesting they are Dwarf Emerald Green Arborvitaes. The trees in your photo are more narrow than Dwarf Emerald Green Arborvitaes, I don't know what they are.
This message was edited Jul 27, 2013 9:19 AM
I would like to say that there would be a splaying risk in heavy snow but there are two things with that: One is that they are not arborvitaes and in that they will bounce back unlike the arbs. Secondly, you live in NC, which probably averages 5 inches of snow so I wouldn't worry much about that at all. Junipers are way more durable than arborvitaes. Also, I highly doubt deer will attack these much as they are very prickly.
I quit planting formally vertical junipers such as j. communis compressa, j.scop Skyrocket and j.comm. Gold Cone - they all splay sooner or later from snow load, but agree would be less of a problem in NC. I prefer j chinensis torulosa (Hollywood juniper) - (though nomenclature rules keep changing, so I'm not sure about its current proper name); I think its a better upright juniper choice because its growth is beautifully irregular, so the asymmetry from snow loads isn't as disfiguring.
I hadn't thought about it, but I think Sequoia might be right about the deer. I've had many upright arborvitae disfigured by deer, but I don't think they've ever bothered my junipers.
Deer eat Juniperus sp. in KY, just as much as most any other conifer commonly planted (Pinus, Picea, Abies, Tsuga, Pseudotsuga spp.). Basically like hoisting skirts, all the nicely branched-to-the-ground specimens eventually fall prey.
Junipers aren't their first choice, but they get to them especially after they've run out of other reachable ornamentals.
The only thing I know of that deer won't eat is concrete. And even that is probably untrue.
Resin
Hahaha....rofl! Nice Resin :)
