Need shrub suggestions for a particular situation

I need privacy along my driveway. Problem - Although dry most of the time, this area will hold water for a few days (or 10) in the rainy season. I need a shrub that is drought tolerant, but doesn't mind occasional wet feet.

The area is 40' L x 12' W. Full sun, Sarasota, FL. I would prefer something that tops out around 6 +/- ft tall, looks good in it's natural shape and seldom needs trimming.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

This message was edited Feb 14, 2014 10:58 PM

I would find a way to irrigate in the driest times, then turn off the irrigation when the rains start.
Add soil and soil conditioner to the area until you have created enough of a mound that will drain better. Also, incorporate drainage such as drain pipe through the area to get rid of the standing water.

Then you could go with pretty much any shrub that works in your zone.

I can irrigate, but we have watering restrictions. Most every plant in Florida needs to be drought tolerant to survive summer.

The water loving plant which would be the obvious choice for a wet area will not survive full sun in Florida during times that area is not wet.

I need a shrub that can do both, if such a shrub even exists.

If I build that area up I will cause the water to go into my neighbor's yard (un -neighborly of me) and if I put in a french drain I can only run it 200+ feet to the creek at the back of my property - which is often the source of the water in the first place. If water is standing in the shallow area in my yard, the creek is full and it would not drain anyway.

OK.

Aronia arbutifolia 'Brilliantissima'
is the only plant on my list (geared to zone 9) that will handle both wet and dry conditions.
Many other plants will handle fairly wet conditions (even standing water at times), but not also the drought. I am not sure how dry Aronia will accept, but you might get by with once a month deep soak in the dry season.

No matter WHAT you plant, you will have to water it through its first dry season, and probably give some water through its second dry season.

DVMA, I agree with Diana about planting the trees/shrubs on a mound to protect them from flooding. The earth can be shaped to avoid diverting water to your neighbor's yard. I would appreciate more information about the level of the terrain. If you plant on 2-foot mounds that will not push the water into the neighbor's yard, because it's just adding islands above the pool of water that was there anyway.

Or you can dig a moat around the privacy screen. As for plant ideas Eastern Redcedar is a zone 9 tree that can tolerate drought, but since it's an evergreen it can also tolerate heavy rain. It's indigenous to Florida and we have quite a few in my neighborhood that produce attractive blue berries in winter. It can become 50 feet high and the little wild ones nearby appear to grow one foot per year, but it has a dense narrow pyramid shape that doesn't require pruning:

http://www.forestry.ok.gov/websites/forestry/images/trees.easternredcedar.pdf

We have a Carolina Allspice (calycanthus) which seems to prefer massive quantities of water. It's next to two downspouts and a roofwater ditch and it still needs irrigation to flower well. I read that calycanthus is drought tolerant and also tolerant of swamp conditions. However, it loses its leaves in the winter in my zone and would need to be pruned, but it reaches a maximum10 feet which is more the usual privacy screen size:

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/78830/#b

DoGooder

My sister's neighbor lives below her at the bottom of a hill. She has a privacy row of Photinia. They seem to be indestructible. They are evergreen and have withstood the horrible two droughts we had here in Texas without looking even stressed. They are not irrigated.

Photinia grow here, too (California) in relatively dry settings. No summer water and they look just a bit scruffy, but OK.
The problem is they won't handle being regularly exposed to the extremely wet conditions that occasionally occur as described by DVME.

How about Atriplex nummularia?
http://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/interns-2007/atriplex-nummularia.html
Read down to a paragraph that starts:
"On the whole..."

I have one Photinia that is 30 years old planted 3 ft from the gutter downspout and the neighbor of my sister has her row at the bottom of the hill which is similar to a ditch. I think they can take the water.

Please incorporate drainage such as drain pipe through the area to get rid of the standing water.

"... if I put in a french drain I can only run it 200+ feet to the creek at the back of my property - which is often the source of the water in the first place. If water is standing in the shallow area in my yard, the creek is full and it would not drain anyway... "

It appears that drainage is not possible in this setting.

"When it is not raining the roof don't leak, and when it is raining can't fix it anyway"

Would be nice to know if partial mounds would work. How about building raised beds with rocks or something? Then water would not accumulate to 'run off' onto the neighbor's driveway.

Where else would the water go when the creek rises?

What about digging a very deep trench similar to a french drain and fill it with rocks. Then above it build a raised bed with proper soil. The water would collect in the bottom of the trench and act like a self watering reservoir. The plants would be above in dry soil and if some roots reached down into the rock and water reservoir, it would not damage the plant or it does not seem to in a self watering pot when the roots go down into the water reservoir ( as they always do.)

Does this area actually hold water when it rains? Is this a low area?

Maybe some pictures would help.