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countryplanting

Interesting privacy shrubs for zone 6

CountryPlanting
9 years ago

I just moved into a house in the country. There is nothing around except for another house on a lot right next to ours. Love our neighbor, but we'd like to put up shrubs that would block his house from our view. Preferably at least six feet high. As of right now, you can see into the windows from his yard.

I'd prefer something fast growing, but I also would like a shrub that is a bit more interesting than the norm. I like the shape of forsythia, but I'd prefer something evergreen. I've considered smoke bush, but it has the same problem. Do you have any suggestions? I'd love something that did not require a ton of pruning.

Comments (17)

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    9 years ago

    country implies acreage .... so i dont understand the 6 foot limitation ...

    perhaps you could give us to idea of the spaces ...

    ken

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    "Preferably at least six feet high..."

    Evergreen viburnums - you can't go wrong.

    **Viburnum x pragense

    **Viburnum x burkwoodii and clones

    Viburnum x rhytidophylloides and clones

    These are all going to surpass the six foot size, but you will be rewarded immensely with many seasons of interest while still screening out the neighbor.

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    9 years ago

    These are really evergreen in colder zones? I thought they were deciduous north of zone 7.

    The continuing search for hardy broadleaf evergreens that don't require acidic soil...

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    As alluded to by mad above, broadleaved evergreen shrubs suitable for zone 6 are limited at best. And even those that are hardy to that zone can be pretty much defoliated (if not killed back to roots) by a winter like the one just passed. Maybe "semi-evergreen" is the best that can be hoped for :-))

    I've linked to a listing of evergreen shrubs for that hardiness zone. But I'd consider some dwarf conifers (needled evergreens) as well. These typically will have a much greater cold tolerance and come in a wide assortment of shapes and needle colors, all the way from gold/yellow to blue to even purple in cold weather. And variegtated forms as well. Most grow slowly enough that they will never exceed the height you prefer.

    Here is a link that might be useful: broadleaf evergreen shrubs for zone 6

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    Should have said that image of 'Alleghany' above is from January 19, 2014 - this winter's insults being shrugged off.

    Oh, forgot to mention for mad's benefit: central KY Bluegrass growing conditions do not contain acid soils. Absolutely limestone-based calcareous clay loams - the Valley is circumneutral. My viburnums would have it no other way...

    Here is the long happy healthy evergreen stretch of V. x pragense at Taylor Made Farm along Tates Creek Road in Fayette County on June 28, 2014. These - like the 'Alleghany' miles - get regular whackings to keep them at this relatively modest height.

    'Alleghany' would want to be 20' x 20' if allowed to. V. x pragense would be 15' x 15', albeit much more slowly and densely.

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    Notice that these are not protected molly-coddled "oh my tootsies are freezing, give me a blanket" viburnums. These are stout and stalwart, thrown to the elements to sink or swim species - and showing their mettle.

    Here are the last of the three tough guys I originally listed - V. x burkwoodii. These were planted years ago at the equine hospital, and they have been plugging right along despite growing up under mature pre-existing Prunus serotina. These are planted with a western exposure along this fenceline. Their partners occupy the only worse location: along the driveway with northern exposure on the property line. This picture is from April 19, 2014.

    Note the crispy completely dead Magnolia grandiflora at stage right...wuss.

    This post was edited by viburnumvalley on Wed, Jul 30, 14 at 23:31

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    The Last Word...

    If you still don't believe that there are a fine group of broadleaf evergreen viburnums that can tough it out with the best a zone 6 winter can throw at them - and shine on come spring with exceptional flowering and fruiting to follow - then you are simply cursed with...

    Viburnum ÃÂburkwoodii Tunnel Visionâ¢

  • laceyvail 6A, WV
    9 years ago

    Last winter, the coldest here in 30 years--at least minus 6 degrees--my small V. pragense and V. 'Cree', both in the most exposed part of the yard, never lost a single leaf. And these plants were only going through their third winter here. They are tough!

  • cearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
    9 years ago

    Viburnums are exceedingly lucky to have you as their advocate, VV :)
    Thank you for the photos of our lovely state!

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    9 years ago

    My concern isn't winter dieback. It is winter brown-out. A lot of plants will look like the first picture in January. What I'm looking for is something that looks like the second picture in January. I've had some sort of V. rhytidophylloides for years, and it always loses its leaves for winter. Even during the mild winters it does that.

    BTW, the horse people say our soils are very similar to the area around Lexington.

  • sam_md
    9 years ago

    CountryPlanting, see my thread on Prague Viburnum which is just what the doctor ordered.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Prague Viburnum Thread

  • gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
    9 years ago

    Since I do not garden in your zone, VV, I will defer to your much greater experience :-)) Most of the resources indicate the shrubs will only be evergreen in milder climates.......but then most shrubs don't read books!! I am impressed that even with 2013's "winter from hell" for most of the US the viburnums you show photo'd did so well. I always knew these were a tough bunch of shrubs........apparently much tougher than I realized.

    But then in my pretty winter-balmy location, concerns about broadleaved evergreens and foliage retention (or even desiccation/hardiness) are not very pressing :-))

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    All right, mad - it's time to have it out.

    I'm going to be a doubting Thomas, and ask that you show some images of that n'er-do-well viburnum you have.

    "Maybe that word does not mean what you think it means..."

    Thank you all for the kind comments - but it's the viburnums doing the work. I just like hanging out with them.

    gg:

    You have the fortune to garden where a whole lot more evergreen species - including many viburnums I can only lust after - grow with abandon. They would be quite frail in the Ohio River valley - species like Viburnum davidii, V. cinnamomifolium, V. utile, V. japonicum etc. The ones mentioned above rise above, though, and perform well under most conditions thrown at them here.

    And in case you thought these just were pretty leafy faces...

  • mad_gallica (z5 Eastern NY)
    9 years ago

    This has little to do with my viburnums, and much to do with yours.

    If you really want to call this an evergreen plant, fine. However, it isn't what I'm looking for to replace the deer destroyed yews. It is too, well, brown.

  • viburnumvalley
    9 years ago

    C'mon, mad - really?

    First, I don't understand why you haven't shown your plant(s) that you are unhappy with - which you might very well not have the correct identity for.

    Second, I can't believe that you will base your entire opinion of a species on one image posted here - which simply illustrated an extreme condition tolerated by this species.

    Since I don't have the benefit of quizzing you in person, I'll will state lots of refutations to your objections to the value of this species as a perfectly good plant for zone 6 limestone soil conditions - here or in upstate NY.

    The viburnums in the pic above were sheared repeatedly during the growing season, since the horse farm wanted to contain them within the fenceline and/or some obscene orthogonal obsession. This meant that the plants continually were pushing new growth quite late in the season - which is what you see, and of course it is brown in January since that foliage had no opportunity to harden off.

    I'm certain that wherever you happen to garden in eastern NY that there are plenty of Viburnum ÃÂrhytidophylloides selections scratching out an existence through thick and thin of upstate winters. 'Alleghany' is the industry standard, but 'Willowwood' is a fine choice as well - and the one I'd prefer to grow. Take a gander at collections at Ithaca (Cornell Plantations) or Rochester (Durand-Eastman Park), or maybe any other nifty sites you might be able to suggest.

    I'll take your skepticism, and pitch it off into the bushes...

    Here is a link that might be useful: Cornell's viburnum collection

  • whaas_5a
    9 years ago

    For the OP, for whats its worth Viburnum x pragense was probably my favorite Viburnum that had green leaves throughout the past 4 winters with the exception of this past winter where it actually had severe dieback down to the crown so I removed it for a hardier selection. Its branching pattern and extreme contrast between the top and bottom of the leaf is the true draw. So for habit, texture and growing season color I give this one a 9 out of 10.

    I'm gardening in one of the most bitter winter climates in the US. We had 40+ days of negative temps this past winter so I'm not surprised that this particular plant perished.