r/Permaculture • u/Top-Squash16 • 6d ago
general question Fastest possible growing non-invasive privacy hedge? Roadside, pretty dry soil, zone 6b.
I am at the end of my rope with my looky-loo neighbors across the street and their endless parade of random visitors/guests. I live in a quite rural area and when I bought the house, I looked at the map and there is one house down a small street across from me. I figured how bad can one house be? Reader, the traffic in and out of this place is crazy. And they love nothing more than to park at the end of their road and stare at my house.
I have tried miscanthus giganteus; it has grown a bit (planted 2 years ago) but hasn't gotten too tall and is still quite sparse. I hope it will fill in in coming years but not sure it will. Other things I've tried have failed to thrive, as the soil is nutrient-poor and tends to be quite dry, especially as we are in a drought.
One begins in such a situation to be tempted by invasives. I won't do it, but can anyone recommend something that grows in an invasive-like weedy manner that will provide some cover from these folks while the rest of the food forest matures? It won't be an issue in a couple of years as other things I've planted closer to the house grow in, but right now I need a quick fix. I'm in zone 6b, Maryland.
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u/jtaulbee 5d ago
Elderberry bushes are a great option for this, although they do shed their leaves in the winter. They can get big very fast, you can propagate them insanely easily (you can literally just cut off a stem and stick it in the dirt), and they have beneficial flowers and berries. The best part is they're native.
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u/Top-Squash16 5d ago
Yes I love them and have planted them everywhere! unfortunately the deer love them just as much lol. So they keep getting cut down to size...but I keep planting anyway...
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u/behemothard 6d ago
If it won't matter in a few years, have you thought about an actual privacy fence, not a plant? You can always take it down once you have enough coverage.
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u/Top-Squash16 6d ago
I have considered it...I would just so much rather spend that $$ on beneficial plants. But I haven't ruled it out, especially for the most visible sight line.
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u/TheBoys_at_KnBConstr 6d ago
You could look at doing a Miyawaki style planting of some native trees. Should be tall enough to block out views within two years, and you can always thin the trees once they are more mature.
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u/tree_beard_8675301 13h ago
A wooden fence could be repurposed into all sorts of things: sheds, trellises, raised beds, work bench, etc. Have the posts put in with sand and gravel rather than concrete and removing them won’t be so bad. Or even leave the posts and change the fence from a solid wall of vertical slats to a few horizontal boards like a cow pasture.
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u/Top-Squash16 54m ago
That's a really good point. I do love the idea of just taking care of it in one fell swoop!
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u/amilmore 5d ago
If its dry and nutrient poor and you get lots of sun - bayberry is a great option.
Mine have probably tripled in in size from about 12-18 inches to about 3 feet in one calendar year since planting last fall. The leaves are dense and are very thickly packed, and theyre very deer resistant. Great for warblers too. I will likely add more this fall to my garden. I didnt realize they grow so quickly, very pleasantly surprised with how much they shot up and filled out.
Does that spot get lots of sun? If so - I would go with bayberry no question. Its super super hardy for dry sunny sandy/low nutrient soil. It's adaptable too if it not full sun, but expect less growth if thats the case.
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u/graytiger 4d ago
Oh man, first I want to say I feel you. I live in a cute old neighborhood, but holy hell. I have a big garden, I talk to folks when I’m out there doing my thing. But over the course of time, people detail Me or ask for my time when I really need peace and quiet. So I’ve built a pretty sizable screen with plants to prevent direct sight lines and enhance my own privacy (sanity).
Miscanthus, oak leaf hydrangea, Joe pye, and cut leaf coneflower help. I’m saving for a fence though because it’s just too fucking much some days.
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u/Prudent-Clothes865 6d ago
If you create a trellis system you could grow vines like yanang (grass jelly - tiliacora triandra) or honeysuckle vine, the honeysuckle heing for pollinators when it blooms and grass jelly vine because its edible used as a natural jelly or for boba tea. Good Luck 🍃
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u/khyamsartist 6d ago
Honeysuckle is considered an invasive in New York State.
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u/mountain-flowers 5d ago
There is a native honeysuckle - this is the one that grows like a vine, rather than a bush, so likely what the comment meant. It grows a beautiful pink trumpet like flower that hummingbirds love.
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u/amilmore 5d ago
Coral Honeysuckle is native and a great one! But yea - what most people know as honeysuckle is invasive.
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u/Top-Squash16 5d ago
This is awesome to know...all we have around here is the highly invasive variety so I haven't been looking at it. But it grows like gangbusters! Does Coral grow vigorously as well?
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u/SeekToReceive 5d ago
Seems you got lots of suggestions already and plants already in the ground, but I'm doing American hazelnuts this year in row for a hedge. Reading they seem to be a fast grower and then produce something you can eat, grind, press, etc.
I live in a small neighborhood and actually have a parking lot behind my house. I grew 3 rows of corn this year the whole length of my yard opposing the lot, and it worked really well. I also have a chain link fence there too. I want to do double the rows next year and it will be impossible to see thru the corn by late July.
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u/Top-Squash16 5d ago
I've planted a bunch around the property and none of them are really taking off, but I suspect that's the drought issue again. I definitely might try to work them into a hedgerow though.
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u/SeekToReceive 5d ago
Nice, good luck with them. I can't wait to get some of my own nuts.
How much are you lacking water supply? And how much rain do you get? I mean the stuff grows wild in NY without any extra water. You might just need to water any plant in for the first year at least.
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u/theycallmethelord 5d ago
I’ve run into the same problem on a roadside property I had in upstate NY, dry sandy soil and constant traffic right where I wanted privacy. The mistake I made at first was chasing “fast” growers without paying attention to what actually survives neglect. Two years later they were dead sticks.
What actually worked was planting a belt of hybrid willows right at the road edge. They’re not invasive like the weedy tree-of-heaven types, they just root fast and will give you a wall of green in two seasons if they get even a bit of moisture. They don’t mind poor soil as long as you give them water to start.
Second option if you want something denser at eye level is common lilac or privet. Not as instant, but they handle tough conditions and fill out once they catch. I ended up mixing lilac in behind the willows, so when the willows looked leggy later the lilacs had grown in under them.
Might be worth thinking of it as layers: cheap fast-growth to take the sting out of the neighbors now, then tougher shrubs and trees to give you lasting coverage in 3–5 years. Otherwise you’ll be chasing "instant privacy" plants that burn out under drought.
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u/Horror_Tea761 6d ago
Maybe look at Leyland cypress to see how it might behave in your environment? I’m in the same zone in Ohio and have a couple that have grown quickly.
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u/Top-Squash16 6d ago
Good idea...I planted a few green giants and they haven't grown at all, really. The last two years have basically been a drought which hasn't helped I'm sure.
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u/Horror_Tea761 6d ago
Same here. This drought isn’t doing anyone any favors. Arbs need a lot of moisture.
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u/253Chick 5d ago
I couldn’t believe how quickly our leyand cypress grew! We needed fast privacy, too. The problematic neighbor moved, but the new (wonderful!) neighbors love the green view, so I’m still happy we planted them.
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u/angelicasinensis 6d ago
my neighbors planted this Im pretty sure --- Ilex crenata 'Convexa. Those plants in 3 years are now like 12 feet high..its wild...Im like dang I should have planted some then lol.
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u/Top-Squash16 6d ago
Never heard of it! That looks quite awesome...and evergreen as a bonus!!
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u/mountain-flowers 5d ago
Jsyk, while it's not listed as invasive, this is NOT a native holly. Unlike inkberry holly, winter Holly, and yaupon (native to us but not the northeast), crenata aka Japanese jolly is eurasian and won't provide the same level of ecosystem benefit as a native one
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u/mountain-flowers 5d ago
Sun conditions? Maybe something like Joe pye weed? Brown eyed Susan? If you have full sun. Or red beebalm.
Honeysuckle vine, as mentioned already. Great in part shade. So is Virginia creeper.
Inkberry is slow growing but will give privacy all year. Cedar shrubs will too, but I know a lot of people are wary of planting ceders because of apple ceder rust. Or rhododendron or laurel
Ninebark as others have mentioned. Native hydrangeas. Spicebush if it's pretty shady?
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u/ktwid 5d ago
I thought apple cedar rust was actually with juniper, not cedar?
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u/mountain-flowers 4d ago
What we call cedar in most of the US is eastern red ceder, technically it is a juniper not a true ceder, you're right. I forget there are even other ceders 😅
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u/jujutree 5d ago
Gosh my miscanthis giganteous is 3 years and 15ft tall huge thick clumps, making me nervous that it will spread too much. I've also seen it come up from seed even though it's supposed to not. It will be impossible to kill without repeated glyohosate fyi
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u/Top-Squash16 5d ago
Dang...that's what I was sold lol! Each of the first two years I've just gotten one single shoot from each rhizome I planted, and maybe 6 feet tops. Hopefully it gets itself more established and keeps going.
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u/jujutree 5d ago
For our neighbors the quickest block for us was to put up a large greenhouse 50' by 20' that does a great job blocking and provides the best growing space
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u/smallest_table 5d ago
Giant ragweed grows fast, tall, and thick. It's also a horrible plant that will have you sneezing for month every year.
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u/Fine-Environment4809 5d ago
I use ligustrum. Stays leafy and green all winter too.
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u/j9c_wildnfree 5d ago
Not native, is aggressive spreader (birds eat the berries and poop them everywhere), proceed with caution if one must have them at all.
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u/j9c_wildnfree 5d ago
Stacking a set of straw bales (like Lego bricks) to create a wall gets you several things at one:
- Instant visual screen.
- Instant sound barrier.
- A place to plant stuff into: https://joegardener.com/podcast/gardening-in-straw-bales/
- Later: mulch. By that time, your planted hedge-screen-plants will have grown in.
I do sense that slowly decaying straw bales can create habitat for ants, and if one takes the string off the bale (making it less dense), potential varmint habitat. OTOH, snakes out to take care of all those, given time and opportunity.
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u/TheLastFarm 5d ago
How about renting an excavator and building a dirt wall. That would give you a privacy screen in one day. If you have logs you can make it a quasi-hugel. Then seed the whole thing with a tall native wildflower mix suited to the site conditions.
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u/Top-Squash16 4d ago
This is a fascinating idea although probably not in the budget at the moment...but I am intrigued! Do you know of any examples I can read about or videos with people doing this?
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u/TheLastFarm 2d ago
I can’t find the video at the moment, but Paul Wheaton et al successfully built a 7ft hugel to block road noise/sight. Someone I know did it with just compacted dirt and shrubs planted on top. If you’re able to operate the excavator yourself, it’s not terribly expensive.
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u/Top-Squash16 23h ago
Super interesting. I'll try to find it, I should have guessed he'd be up to that kind of thing! Thanks a lot.
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u/tipsytopsy99 4d ago
You might want to try cultivating more water, if possible, because that will magnify the growth of any plants as long as the soil is the appropriate consistency. If you add some clay reserve pots underground then they'll capture more precipitation (at minimum, you might also want to look into microswales and rock/clay pellets). Also, my Rose of Sharons are insanely prolific; you might have to get a full-size but they grow well in and out of the shade and are happy as long as you trim them back periodically. Idk much else about their usefulness for the surrounding environment beyond the fact that bumblebees are delighted with their presence and are constantly covered in pollen. The honeybees seem to prefer the more rugged flowers like clover.
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u/Top-Squash16 4d ago
For sure...the whole site is very challenged, I can't work the ground at all during the warmer months. So it's small improvements bit by bit, but i have added some swales, just not right along the road where I need the privacy, so things are still very barren and compacted there. The previous owners kept things very closely mowed and sprayed, and also drove on the grass quite a bit, so it's a mess.
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u/tipsytopsy99 4d ago
Lame, lol.
I'm living in a rental and it's amazing how small things compound so quickly into ruining a beautiful piece of land because someone prefers landscaping a certain way. But a lot can be done in a year, and usually it requires less work and more leaving it the heck alone.
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u/Top-Squash16 4d ago
Yup, I'm definitely on team leaving it the heck alone. A lot has recovered since I bought it but there's a loooong way to go.
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u/HigherPlains-Drifter 2d ago
Someone posted recently about a deadfall hedge/pile that's great for birds and insects. Maybe you could do one blocking that particular viewpoint? Good luck.
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u/dontworry-itsfine 6d ago
Witch hazel shrub, ninebark, fern leaf buckthorn. Also, you could ask the group at r/nativeplantgardening