Native Plants

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Thursday - April 23, 2009

From: Rockwall, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Privacy Screening
Title: Privacy screen for Rockwall, TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

Dallas area privacy screen recommendations. I have about 125ft of wrought iron fence between my yard and the neighbor's and a drainage pipe that runs along the fence. The neighbor's property sits up about 2-3 ft higher than mine; the fence is 5 ft tall. I want a privacy screen of at least 6 ft tall or higher, fast growing, keep its leaves all year long, and not take up much of my yard (width-wise). All nurseries recommend ligustrum but it will take up too much of the yard. Any suggestions?

ANSWER:

First, let us reinforce your reluctance to go with ligustrum. Both Ligustrum sinense (Chinese privet) and Ligustrum japonica are native to Asia. They can get very big and somewhat overwhelming, are considered invasive in southeast Texas, can form thickets, crowd out more desirable plants and are difficult to remove. Not only that, they have flowers with a rather unpleasant odor and produce abundant pollen to add to allergy woes. It is hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 8 to 10, and every once in a while, a really cold spell hits the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and knocks down ligustrum all over the place.

There are native alternatives for your privacy screen. We don't necessarily recommend very fast-growing plants, because they tend to break down easily and are short-lived. And the fact that a plant is "evergreen" does not mean it never drops leaves. Leaves drop and are replaced over the course of the year, just not all at once. It seems we keep recommending the same two or three shrubs in these frequent requests we get for "privacy screen" plants. The problem is that not a great many woody plants are evergreen, and the few trees that are, including live oaks and conifers, get a whole lot wider than what you have in mind. So, here once more are our "privacy screen stars:"

Ilex vomitoria (yaupon) - evergreen, 12 to 25 ft., more common in southeast Texas, but adaptable. Takes pruning very well to maintain desired height and width. Sun, part shade.

Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) - Evergreen, 6 to 12 ft., fragrant foliage. Looser, lighter form, can be pruned into tree or shrub. Sun, part shade.

Ilex vomitoria