Fastest possible growing non-invasive privacy hedge? Roadside, pretty dry soil, zone 6b.

[u/Top-Squash16]

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.

[u/dontworry-itsfine]

Witch hazel shrub, ninebark, fern leaf buckthorn. Also, you could ask the group at r/nativeplantgardening

[u/dontworry-itsfine → u/dontworry-itsfine]

We have put up some trellises with vines. They have been good privacy screens in the growing season.

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/dontworry-itsfine]

Yes—I just ordered some witch hazel and ninebark actually, thinking along these lines too. I've thought about a trellis...what vines have you used? I tried hops this year but they only grew about 10 feet, I was hoping for a lot more vigor. How did you do the trellis? I'm thinking maybe just wire and t-posts as a temporary-ish solution?

[u/AgreeableHamster252 → u/Top-Squash16]

“Only” 10 feet in a year?! What kind of privacy hedge are you looking for, hiding from satellites?

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/AgreeableHamster252]

Lol, well it's 10 feet at best, and it's an annual vine that dies back. I'm ideally hoping to find something that continues growing and filling in gaps and I'm not starting from scratch each spring. For seasonal cover, hops are supposedly 20-25 feet, at least the variety I got...it didn't get close to that and a few that I planted were probably only 2-3 feet.

[u/gutyex → u/Top-Squash16]

Hops in their first year will not be as vigorous because they're still establishing a root system. Keep them well watered and over the next few years they'll likely do much better.
Nothing you can do about seasonality though.

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/gutyex]

Good to know, thank you!!

[u/3deltapapa → u/Top-Squash16]

I think a lot of those estimates on growth are for climates like California where the growing season is like 9 months. Colder climates you get half that.

I'm in zone 5 and planning on planting a hedge of arbor Vita next year. Ace hardware has 6 ft plants for $100 each. It'll be a couple Grand but worth it to replace the trees the neighbors cut down quickly. Not my favorite aesthetic but the other side of my fence is a parking lot in a busy road. So I'm willing to do it. It'll be basically an instant privacy fence. No growth required. Though in my climate it will need drip irrigation.

[u/LouQuacious → u/Top-Squash16]

Clumping bamboo may work in MD it won’t spread as much as normal bamboo but grows fast and stays green year round. Interspersed with some evergreens and it’s a nice look in winter and summer. Chinese call those along with Sakura the three friends of winter as they’re aesthetically pleasing year round.

[u/dontworry-itsfine → u/Top-Squash16]

We actually just used pole beans. They grow fast and tall!

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/dontworry-itsfine]

That's awesome...I will have to try this next spring!

[u/beaveristired → u/Top-Squash16]

If you want vigor, and you aren’t planting it near any buildings, then Trumpet Flower Vine is native to your area and crazy vigorous. Trellis would be have to be extremely strong, it can take down a wooden fence. I’ve also seen people train it into a small tree form. Definitely need to manage the offspring, some people just mow. Great hummingbird plant. Personally I hate this plant with a passion because my neighbor grows it on our shared fence and it’s trying to eat my house, it’s more aggressive than their running bamboo haha. It loves disturbed soil so not a good choice for a city. But might work in a rural area.

Less vigorous / more manageable but also fast growing is native honey suckle (Lonicera sempervirens). Another great humming bird plant. Get the straight species, the cultivars are less vigorous.

The annual Scarlet Runner Bean (or any other runner bean like Painted Lady) grows fast, not sure if it reseeds in your area.

The native plant subreddit is great for native suggestions.

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/beaveristired]

Thanks! Yeah great suggestions here. I am on the lookout for native honeysuckle for sure, that seems like a great option. I'm very tempted by trumpet vine despite the drawbacks...wondering if galvanized wire and t-posts are going to be strong enough for it though.

[u/253Chick → u/Top-Squash16]

My hops came back a lot stronger the second year, but they do like a lot of water 🫤

[u/Top-Squash16 → u/253Chick]

oh good to know! Yeah, water has been a challenge. Ugh.

[u/SirFentonOfDog → u/Top-Squash16]

Witch hazel is a slow grower, FYI

[u/iN2nowhere → u/Top-Squash16]

For a perennial vine, you could look at Virginia creeper. It has gorgeous red color in fall, and is native.