| I have seen advertisements about fast growing hedges (privacy) but most of those lose their leaves in the winter when I need it the most. I have been through a bad experience with red tip photenias. They were sold to me with a disease. I need a hardy hedge that is the quickest growing, that will keep its leaves all year, that will get somewhere between 6-9 feet tall, can stand drought conditions once established, disease resistant, and that would be affordable to get in a quantity amount (I want to cover600 feet or more). |
| I had a hard time coming up with suggestions for plants that filled all your requirements. Here are a few suggestions for hedge plants, taken from the book "Xeriscape Gardening: Water Conservation for the American Landscape", by Connie Ellefson (Macmillan, 1992): Ilex cornuta -- Chinese holly Lonicera frangrantissima -- Winter honeysuckle Pittosporum tobira -- Green pittosporum Common privet (Ligustrum sinense) is a common hedge plant; it is evergreen and a vigorous grower. Ligustrum japonicum is another possibility. Have you checked with the supplier of the photinias? Are you sure it was a disease problem? You may be able to get some help from them, or even a credit toward another purchase. I suggest you scout out your neighbors' yards, and look for a shrub that seems to be thriving and that you like the looks of. Then check out local nurseries for that type. Sometimes, seeing what's been growing right in your neighborhood will help determine the hardiest and most reliable choice. |
