Re: some other fast growing evergreen tree ?

Hi Linda -

If I have got it right, you are in the Sierra Foothills to the east of Visalia?

Hot and dry in your area is certainly a bit more extreme than we are used to
here closer to the coast.  The wind you mention is likely often very hot and
dry as well.

My offerings (please forgive if these are a repeat) are:

Cupressus Arizonica - A variable, fast growing tree 40' tall by 20' wide.  The
foliage is a pleasant blue-gray, some cultivars being more intensely bluish. 
It is a tough tree that is tolerant of drought when established.

Pinus coulteri - 30-80' tall by 20-40' wide.  Moderate growth, dark green
needles, very drought and wind tolerant.

Pinus sabiniana - 40-80' tall x 30-50' wide.  Moderate to fast growth, gray
needles, possibly native to your area?

The two pines above can be haded back when young to produce more than one
leader and hence a bushier growth pattern.  If it is windy most of the year at
this site, they may do this naturally.  The cypress can also be similarly
encourage to 'bush out' more (it tends to be conical).  When planting the
cypress, a few 'bluer' cultivars randomly among non-selected typical forms
would make for a more interesting planting, and/or perhaps a few P. sabinianas
to make the blue-gray color but add a different texture would be interesting.

Each of these three trees would seem to me to be stalwart performers in your
area, if planted with the fall rains and watered deeply periodically over this
upcoming winter.

Regards,
Seán A. O'Hara
sean(at)gimcw.org
www.hortulusaptus.com



> I have an area along a fence line that is hot and dry and I would like to
> plant a row of eucalyptus to block some road noise and the neighbors that may
> soon be there.  Is there a variety of eucalyptus that doesn't get overly tall
> but more shrubby say 25 feet tall or so?  We get quite a bit of high winds
> here and I don't want to get some really tall ones and have them snap off -
> although the people across the highway have some tall eucalyptus and they have
> done ok.  I just think in my area of oak savannah a shorter stature tree would
> fit in better.  I even thought about olive, but they sucker so much and it
> would be hard to weed eat around them.  Perhaps there is something else I can
> plant that grows fast and will fit in that area?  The fence line goes down
> from our house so the trees have to grow somewhat tall to block the view from
> above.
>
> Any ideas?  thanks
>
> Linda Starr
> Springville Lavender Gardens
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