Native Plants

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Tuesday - February 08, 2011

From: Arlington, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Privacy Screening
Title: Looking for shrubs to replace Photinia as a privacy screen in Arlington, VA.
Answered by: Jimmy Mills

QUESTION:

Suggestions to replace diseased red tipped photinia. Looking for hardy privacy screen type of evergreen, not too deep with height of approx. 10-12' Thank you

ANSWER:

Red Tip Photinia (Photinia xfraseri), although widely overused as a lanscape plant throughout the southern U.S., is a non-native hybrid of Asian parents that is susceptible to various fungal diseases. This Clemson University Extension website thouroughly discusses Photinia, its culture, its problems, and recommended substitutes, although several of their suggestions are non-natives. Of particular interest for your situation is the section, Mixed Screens.

The following is a list of possibilities. Clicking on the name of each plant will bring up its Native Plant Database page that contains information about the plant's characteristics and growth requirements to include soil, light, and water. Be careful to select plants whose requirements match your location.

Ilex decidua (Possumhaw)

Rhus aromatica (Fragrant sumac)

Rhus glabra (Smooth sumac)

Morella cerifera (Wax myrtle)

Viburnum acerifolium (Mapleleaf viburnum)

Juniperus virginiana (Eastern red cedar) you may want to consider dwarf cultivars depending on you situation.