I'm looking for a fast growing hedge for privacy. Anyone know what might be suitable? I'm guessing nothing can be found until later this fall or early spring.
Good choices include Photinia fraserii, Ceanothus thyrsiflorus 'Victoria', Prunus laurocerasus, Cupressocyparis leylandii, Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd', Osmanthus burkwoodii, Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet' and Pyracantha. All are evergreen, fast growing hedges that you should be able to find in any decently stocked nursery or garden centre. Cheers -Eric
Those are common choices, anyway. Not all are good. The photinia is subject to spotting and dropping of leaves on many sites, the blueblossom (Ceanothus) may freeze back in a hard winter, removing your screen after you have waited years for it to develop, the laurel (Prunus) is a reseeding pest in this region, the cypress (Cupressocyparis) is huge and gloomy unless sheared annually, may be rendered unsightly be cypress tip moth or disease problems (mass planting on underground parking garage at UW, Seattle now failing conspicuously)...the arborvitae ('Smaragd') and osmarea (Osmanthus) are not particularly fast, either. If you don't mind putting in a root barrier, contending with rather much litter (and likely advent of mites that make leaves spotty) bamboo is about the fastest. The more water and fertilizer, the more it grows. Narihira (Semiarundinaria) is quite vertical. Otherwise, Pacific wax myrtle (Myrica californica) is pretty quick and handsome, native to outer coast--so it has some potential for assisting local wildlife. Sunset WESTERN GARDEN BOOK Plant Selection Guide has pages of possibilities. Reduced selection would be only drawback to looking now, autumn being just around the corner and ideal time for planting hardy stock.
Plus there are some low (? 50 foot or so) trees that are both fairly fast growers and make a great hedge. to contain height some topping and pruning might provide the quality of privacy you are seeking in addition to some noise abatement. One that is mentioned by Park Seed Co. is Thuja Green Giant. I have no experience with this genera so have no ideas as to its limitations.
