Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Thursday - September 10, 2009
From: Edgewood, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Privacy Screening
Title: Plants for privacy screen in Edgewood TX
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
Can you recommend a large fast growing tree, shrub, etc. that can give me some privacy from my neighbor across the street that likes to use his binoculars? I live in East Texas on about 10 acres.ANSWER:
Since we assume that your neighbor's binoculars work year-round, we are going to recommend two evergreen shrubs native to East Texas. These will not give you instant privacy; nursery grown plants will take 3 to 5 years to reach 6 ft. or so tall, but they are a beginning. Don't consider planting them now, wait until November when it is cooler and perhaps the rains are more consistent. When you purchase the shrubs, insist on inspecting the roots of each plant to make sure they are not rootbound. You can clip roots before the shrub is planted, but once it is in the ground there is not much you can do, and the roots can end up strangling the plant. Follow the links to pages on each individual plant for other growing information.
Native evergreen shrubs for East Texas
Ilex vomitoria (yaupon) - evergreen, 12 to 25 ft., low water use, part shade
Morella cerifera (wax myrtle) - evergreen, 6 to 12 ft., high water use, sun or part shade
Pictures from the Native Plant Image Gallery
More Privacy Screening Questions
Plants for pool area in Fort Worth
April 20, 2010 - We have a new pool in our backyard, and now also quite a bit of bare land to go with it. Looking for native grass suggestions and also shrubs/trees that I can plant around the pool area for privacy an...
view the full question and answer
Native evergreens for privacy in Crockett, TX
October 12, 2008 - I need advice on what tall evergreens I can plant along a fence line for privacy. I need trees that will be at minimum 8 to 10 feet tall at maturity, are aesthetically pleasing and provide privacy.
...
view the full question and answer
Privacy screen for pool from Southlake TX
April 21, 2012 - I have a row of 7 live oaks that help block my neighbors two story house. Unfortunately, there is a gap between each tree of about 8 feet wide and 15 feet tall (from ground to the first branches/ leav...
view the full question and answer
Shrubs for privacy in wet area in Ohio
July 13, 2011 - I am looking for flowering shrubs for Ohio that reach 8-10 feet and can handle wet feet. I am trying to avoid building a wall for privacy and would like to use flowering shrubs instead.
view the full question and answer
Native Texas shrub for privacy screen in hot area
August 31, 2007 - Dear Mr. Smarty Plants,
I have a lot facing dead west which I'm sure you can understand is brutally hot in the summer. I'm putting in a pool in my backyard and would like to plant a native Texas...
view the full question and answer
Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |