Hedge not growing evenly and please help me identity its type
Josh Barber
2 years ago
We just moved to Florida (Orlando area) from Colorado so the landscaping is very different. Our hedge in our backyard is uneven. Any idea what type of hedge this is and thoughts on getting it to look less patchy and more even.
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
2 years agoken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
2 years agoRelated Discussions
Need fast growing, evergreen, hedge in total shade! Help!
Comments (21)Not sure which is the main issue - the appearance of the fence or "privacy." Simply in terms of what might survive under all those trees, you could try either eleutherococcus sieboldianus ('Variegatus' is a very pretty shrub and does OK in dry shade) or akebia quinata vine whose exuberance will be muted without access much water. Neither is evergreen. I have three rhododendrons within reach of the roots of my large maple and two dogwoods and they're doing OK. They look better now that my neighor cut HIS big maple down and they get more light. Agree with digging about the yews - they'll grow in the basement. They can also get very large, so don't plant them right up against the fence....See MoreHelp me decide between Siberian Elm and Chinese Elm for a hedge
Comments (20)Bonita: I see your question was from January but had a couple of thoughts even if they are a bit late. Or did you plant something already? First we have ordered TONS of plants and trees from Forest Farm (link below) and you just cannot go wrong. Everything always arrives in a very timely fashion and well packaged. I have ordered a couple of plants from Gurneys and it has always been a nightmare. I'll never do it again. If you want lush plants that are the size described order from Forest Farm. They also have an unbelievable selection. On that note, we ordered six Thuja Green Giant trees from Forest Farm this year for the purpose of creating a privacy screen in the back yard. Although I thought they perhaps could have been a bit lusher they were nice trees, about five feet tall and very healthy. I would recommend these trees for being reasonably fast growing. In my experience with the five I have from a few years ago they don't grow three feet in a year like the hype says but they are lovely, tough little trees that make a hedge. And they don't really require pruning and trimming to look nice. Hope this helps. Kate Here is a link that might be useful: Forest Farm...See MoreHelp with hedging question please
Comments (11)ALL arborvitae are Thujas. Western red cedar is of course not a cedar at all (Thuja plicata) and is sometimes referred to as "giant arborvitae". While any thuja, and especially young ones, could be subject to deer browsing, the American or eastern arborvitae, Thuja occidentalis, is typically considered most prone to this, even to the point of being called "deer candy" :-) And it's been my experience that ALL types of arborvitae require similar growing conditions in this area. Although American arbs grow naturally in very wet conditions (also sometimes referred to as "swamp cedar"), they don't require it, are amazingly adaptable and once established, can be remarkably drought tolerant ("tolerates soils that are poor, rocky, clay, compacted, dry, and of various pHs extremely well, and is very urban tolerant to heat, drought, humidity, and pollution; however, not tolerant of shady situations"). I know of many established AM arb hedges that thrive with only natural rainfall, much the same as the WRC's or Green Giants or Leylands. Regular watering during the period of establishment is of course advised for any new tree planting....See MoreNew to Ozark....Please tell me about Hedge Apples.
Comments (12)I have hedge apple trees on my property.... boy do I, and let me tell you, these are my least favorite trees, rivaled only by the thorned honey locusts I have growing. But the hedge apples are definitely worse. For one thing, the "apples" are inedible. There are probably in excess of 100 of them in an area out back between two large trees, and NOTHING, and I do mean nothing has even nibbled on them. The fruits are more like minature bowling balls, heavy with a bad smell, and if you pick them up they'll leak a very sticky sap onto your hands and clothing. The wood is amongst the hardest of any I've ever encountered outside of petrified wood. VERY hard to saw or prune. But per pruning, it isn't the hardness that's so bad... these trees are covered with thorns, and puncture wounds from them seem to have some kind of venom. It's like getting jabbed by a catfish's spines. This fall I took a huge chipper out back and started trying to prune and chip some limbs off these two monster sized OOs. I was repeatedly jabbed, scratched, poked, and stabbed by the thorns, some of which are absolutely huge. When the "fruit" do fall on you, it's like getting hit by a softball. This spring I'm determined to remove those Ossage Orange/Hedge Apple trees and replace them with something enjoyable. The ONLY redeeming thing -- aside from the wood being turbo sturdy -- is they are not a bad looking tree... .. like if you see them along the road in the country. But I cannot even fathom someone actually planting one anywhere near their house. It's the worse tree on my land, hands down....See More
jerzeegirl (FL zone 9B)
2 years agofloral_uk z.8/9 SW UK
2 years ago
orchidrain
2 years ago
carolb_w_fl_coastal_9b
2 years agolast modified: 2 years agoJosh Barber
2 years agofour (9B near 9A)
2 years ago
NHBabs z4b-5a NH
2 years ago
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floral_uk z.8/9 SW UK