Hi I live coastal central vancouver island bc i think this is zone 7b. We cleared our property and need to plant a privacy barrier, it needs to span 160 feet mostly full sun a few areas will be dappled shade in late afternoon, the local nursery recomended leylani cypress becuase we could plant them now. Id like large and bushy its a rural area, up to 12 15 feet max and will grow to fill a solid wall needs to be evergreen flowers would be nice but not neccisary we get lots of wind so it cant be anything that would get damaged easily from weather like that, would love something i can plant now but if it needs to be planted in spring thats ok any suggestions?
Noble privet (Ligustrum japonicum) - fast grower and Portugal laurel (Prunus lusitanica), both are broad-leaf evergreens and make great screening hedges and do well on Vancouver Island and can be planted now. Good luck!
Unsheared Leyland cypress could exceed your height limit by multiple times, specimens over 100' tall now being seen. As with other fast-growing nursery stock there is also a problem with much of the material offered being rootbound, growers not having kept up with the frequent potting on such growth demands. Noble privet is a cultivar of Ligustrum japonicum rather than a common name for the straight species L. japonicum. Either way the summer flowers have a heavy odor, as with all privets. Portugal laurel is a not particularly fast but eventually large and broad growing species that is a weed in this region - like the similarly prone to seed out English laurel planting of this should be discontinued here (along with English holly and other bad actors prevalent in local plantings). Pacific wax myrtle is probably your best bet.
yes i checked our invasice species list and the two were on it so i wont be planting them i will look into the wax myrtle thank you
What invasive species list are you referring to? I am a member of the BC Invasive Plant Council and neither of the broadleaf evergreens that I suggested on are on their list. LS
Who needs a list? Just make your own observations. Both species pop up frequently here. Some urban park sites have sections with an almost entirely non-native shrub and ground vegetation, like in Hawaii. A park near a friend's place north of Seattle has spots with holly, laurels and ivy all growing thickly together.
when i was looking on the internet about them the city of nanaimo has them listed on there list, i know nothing about them so i have no idea if these really are invasive i know i have never seen these grwoing wild around here, i really like them both and think they would both meet the needs im looking for, if you both think they are suitable to plant than i will look around at my nursieries and see if they have any thank you for your help and if you think of any else let me know variety is the spice of life right lol
Purplish-black cherry-like fruit ripens in the late summer or fall; birds eat these and deposit the pits everywhere. Shade tolerant, ENGLISH LAUREL is weedy in our wooded parks, where some specimens are more than 40' tall, wider still It [Portugal laurel] thrives in our climate, and comes up wild, especially in woods, just like its more familiar cousin ENGLISH LAUREL...Both species make cherry-like berries attractive to birds Jacobson, WILD PLANTS OF GREATER SEATTLE - SECOND EDITION
Hey, mix the plants up. An overgrown leylandi hedge is a sad, boring & common sight in the Pacific NW, with a short functional life. They are banned in many places in UK. Yews are wonderful - can be pruned & they re-grow unlike leylandi. Eleagnus gold & silver varieties are not invasive in our region. Throw in some big Rhodos. Sounds like you have a big property - add a couple of clumps of bamboo about 12-15'. Let the native Malus fusca (Crabapple), Red twig dogwood, Snowerries etc. fill in. You will have a much more interesting privacy barrier & support a much more diverse associated group of insects, birds etc. I Can see it in my mind's eye...a hedgerow to die for. These are just some suggestions. Perhaps Ron B, you can give a better idea of how to make an informal "hedgerow" in this region? I am helping to create one on an acreage myself. I think I have the idea, but you have a vast knowledge of the plant material that works around here. gb
Myrica californica is being planted frequently and seems to be a superior choice, at least near salt water. In its outer coastal native habitat it grows with Hooker willow, another handsome native that is also seen in local plantings. The two of these could be planted together to produce a similar effect to the combining of English holly and willows recommended by British references, without the problems of the holly getting leaf miner or leaf spot - and seeding out abundantly into surrounding acreage.
