Suggested trees to block neighbours' view

[prodigydud]

Hi all,

We are doing our landscaping this year, and our lot has a great view of our neighbours' living rooms. Everyone on our block seems to have large windows

Anyways, can anyone suggest any tree types for privacy purposes? People have suggested columnar aspens, but I think they are more decorative than anything. I'm looking for something that is tall, wide, and low maintenance....and of course economical


Thanks in advance!

[bspot]

Columnar aspens were the first thing that came to my mind too. You put a couple of those up and they grow super fast and are great for privacy.

[Bizzareo]

Anything with needless, you only need to rake once a year, and can plant some shade loving flowers or place some rocks under them. Obviously it has to match whatever look you landscaping is going for.

[speedog]

Only problem with needled (coniferous) trees (fir/spruce/etc) is that the fallen needles do greatly affect the soil beneath them, making it a very difficult growing environment for any plants you want to put there. Day lilies will do fine at the base of a coniferous tree though.

Columnar aspens are doing very well in a neighbor's yard two yards away and still provide some semblance of a screen even in the winter and you could supplement them with some lilacs or some other type of taller growing hedge for a more complete screen. Lilacs can also be trained into a taller tree like bush and can still provide an effective winter screen at the same time. Going to a garden center and discussing your options with them would be a great thing to do.

[Darell_n]

I planted a row of tall Junipers that will grow to about 10 ft and stay fairly narrow. Going with evergreens will ensure you still have privacy in the winter being this the longest season we have.

[ExtraSlow]

Whatever you get, make sure they are truly hardy for this climate zone. Not everything sold in the garden stores is.

Bow Point Nursery specializes in hardy plants that require little water.

[hampstor]

Originally posted by bspot
Columnar aspens were the first thing that came to my mind too. You put a couple of those up and they grow super fast and are great for privacy.

Plant a row of columnar aspens. I know you think they are 'decorative' but they grow fast and a row will easily block views:

[prodigydud]

^^^

That setup is pretty much what I had in mind. I was just wondering if there is anything more thicker and dense


Thanks for all the suggestions guys

[AndyL]

If you're thinking more a hedge style - catoni asters or lilacs can be grown into >10' tall hedgerows... Lilacs are one that could cause complaints - lot of people are allergic...

get some good ones, feed em heavily and you can be over 10' in just a couple years... Seem to recall our old front hedge took 2-3 years to get to waist high and solid - with just whatever it managed to get from lawn ferts...

[ExtraSlow]

Both cotoneasters and lilacs will grow quite wide if left to thier own devices. They can be pruned to be tall and thin, but it's a constant battle.

[surferbaby13]

okay ....sweddish aspens are nice in the summer but look likenothing in the winter. You can always use suthernland caraganas . They have a really nice orange bark. they grow very fast and doesnt need to be in any specific soil. They are dense even in the winter. Lilacs are good but they are horrible suckerers(not a word I know) it all depends on where they will sit....north south west or east facing...whether its on a slope or not...do you want munchies in your back yard such as fruit barring. Going to the grnhouse is usually a waste as no one ever knows anything unless you go during the week in the day time and talk with one of the older ladies that have been doing this forever.

[carzcraz]

My husband and I found the columnar aspens to be less dense than we wanted ( especially when they are still young/ new) so we went with the Aspen clumps.

Basically they are still aspens but more spread out as each pot has what appears to be three trees (three branches) growing in a pot. We picked up three pots at Bluegrass at about 14 feet tall each and got immediate privacy from our neighbors (area that needed to be covered is about 8 to 9 feet).

If I'm not mistaken these trees grow wild here (parents in law have them at their acreage in Bearspaw) and grow extremely fast (around 3 to 6 feet a year). They are however nothing to look at in the winter when all the leaves fall off.

[D. Dub]

Originally posted by prodigydud
^^^

That setup is pretty much what I had in mind. I was just wondering if there is anything more thicker and dense


Thanks for all the suggestions guys

You can't have tall, thick and fast when it comes to trees in our climate.

[surferbaby13]

Originally posted by D. Dub


You can't have tall, thick and fast when it comes to trees in our climate.

you actually can.....you just have to buy the tree at full size....and find a denser tree like the suthernland. Have faith people.

[surferbaby13]

Originally posted by carzcraz
My husband and I found the columnar aspens to be less dense than we wanted ( especially when they are still young/ new) so we went with the Aspen clumps.

Basically they are still aspens but more spread out as each pot has what appears to be three trees (three branches) growing in a pot. We picked up three pots at Bluegrass at about 14 feet tall each and got immediate privacy from our neighbors (area that needed to be covered is about 8 to 9 feet).

If I'm not mistaken these trees grow wild here (parents in law have them at their acreage in Bearspaw) and grow extremely fast (around 3 to 6 feet a year). They are however nothing to look at in the winter when all the leaves fall off.

If you want some interesting colours to look at ...try getting some fruit barring shrubs and add some ornamental grasses to the mix.....at least than you arent looking at your trees with no leaves. Force your eye to look at something else and grasses look beautiful during all seasons.
Karl foersters are sick they get massive and look beautiful.....same with lyme grass I have some in my front.....I can dig you up some so you dont have to pay for any.
Elise

[SJW]

Mountain Ash.

[speedog]

Mountain Ash - had a big one (50 years plus) on the front lawn at our first home. Beautiful tree and very attractive in the winter with the red fruit and often the colorful foliage that often would stay on the tree long onto the winter, but those red berries were a pain in the ass to clean up off of the lawn and sidewalks if the birds never ate them while they were still on the tree. The potential size of this tree could also be an issue if being used in your front or side yard as it could easily overhang on your neighbor's lot if placed inappropriately when first planted - the large one at our first home had branches that easily extended over our neighbor's property as well as the city's sidewalk and the street in front of that home.

Maybe it needs to asked of the OP if the views to be blocked are in their front, rear or side yard - that could better help determine the type or tree or shrub that could be used.