We want to plant several trees/tall shrubs as a windbreak. What kind would you recommend for our hot humid climate. I'm in zone 8b. I would like something that grows fairly fast. Photenias grow quickly here and I do have two. I've been lucky that they haven't been disease infected. They are very tall.
Any ideas?
Lin
I need trees for a windbreak What kind?
We are west of you about ninety miles. I love Afghan pines aka Eldarica pines. They do not like excessive water, don't mind heat, and grow really fast.
Carolina Cherry Laurel is native, evergreen and grows fast. A great native substitute for Photenias.
Josephine.
Dancey, are yours the Fraser's Photinia? The Chinese Photinia, Photinia serrulata is supposed to be superior to the Fraser and grows larger.
You're right....the Red Tips can get a lot of root fungus and strike after the plant has been healthy 7 or more years.
I have a couple Cherry Laurels, the birds love the fruit but they drop seed a lot and it seems every one of those guys sprout.
Fly I don't know what kind mine are. lol But they are growing really really big. We prune them some so they won't become like a tree. I do love the beautiful red leaves in spring and early fall.
I bet the Cherry Laurels would be real pretty. The area I want to cover is along a fence line that's in an L shape. So I could have more than one kind
Patrob I wonder if high winds would affect the pines? We have some high wind in spring and summer here.
Lin
Wax Myrtle is an excellent privacy/windbreak. We sell tons of it where I work. It's very hardy in our part of the state.
Our SIL is planning to put in a hedge at the fence between his house and his obnoxious next door neighbor. He is using Red Tips for the added color instead of just green and plans to prune from the front so that it gets good and bushy. He didn't want anything that dropped leaves, cones, seeds, etc. So for him, the Red Tips work fine.
Ann
Jamminspoons that's a good idea. Wax Myrtles. I hadn't thought of those. Do you work for a retail nursery in Brenham?
Lin
We have tremendous winds and have had no problems with the pines. They have grown like weeds in poor rocky soil with little more than rain for water. I'll take some photos tomorrow to show you the size they have reached in only six years. I am amazed at one that had the top killed by a deer scrubbing his antlers on it and taking the bark off all the way around. It was a bush for a year, and we thought about taking it out. However, two branches started growing straight up, and now one of those is dominant. I did not know pine trees could do that. It's now a beautiful tree again.
Patrob I would love to see your pictures. My dh had said that deer will rub up against pines and cedars and sometimes it can ruin the trees. Do you have a problem with pine seedlings popping up everywhere?
Lin
No problem with seedlings. If I had them, I could use them. I'm sorry that I did not get photos today. We had high winds, and I had a sinus headache and did not get out. Tomorrow!