i would look into an autrailian cherry bush (i think thats what its called)

grows tall and full (about 15-20 feet

Thanks for the quick response. Now I just need to find where to buy it :)

Hi gardenhere,

Take a look at the FAQ page on this forum for some excellent ideas on narrow tall hedges.

I would be afraid of that shrub. It looks messy and like it will reseed everywhere. Have you checked into that? You may also want to find out how much it costs to have it trimmed several times a year.

I planted golden bamboo to screen the business behind me. It grew very, very fast and does the job, but it will take over the world if it is not contained. We dug a 28" deep ditch around it to contain it and buried "Bamboo Guard" in some spots.

I also have a hedge of podocarpus to screen my view of the driveway. It grows fast, is very green and pretty, does not spread, it can be kept narrow (mine's four to five feet thick) but it requires shearing twice a year at least. The advantage is that it is very dense, so I don't see the cars parked out there.

Good luck.

Renee

Syzygium paniculatum, formerly Eugenia myrtifolia. A potentially fairly large tree that can be trimmed into a wonderful dense hedge, but watch for the Eugenia psyllid, which ruins the foliage.

Aside from the psyllid problem, if you are not in So. Cal, it can freeze. Usually doesn't kill it, but makes it unsightly.
Pittisporum tenufolium, as well as the bamboo mentioned above, would be better choices in No. Cal.

I have a very large, very tall podocarpus gracillior hedge which is evergreen, doesn't tear up concrete or pools, isn't bothered by pests or disease and provides great screening from 2-story neighbors. The downside? It's a maintenance chore.

We recently had to have a portion removed for reasons unrelated to the plant itself. We replaced that section with a staggered planting of a variety of different evergreen narrow-growing smallish trees (to about 20 feet) with differing sized leaves, growing habits (upright vs. weeping) and color (green, blue-gray, burgundy). Even though this portion is still small, it is infinitely more interesting, natural-looking and will not require the constant trimming like what I not-so-affectionately refer to as Hedgezilla. I agree with Wanda, the pittosporum tenufolium is a great plant. I've seen it grown as a very loose, not-heavily-clipped-or-shaped screen. Very nice. We included a couple of p. nigricans (a darker, greener version of the popular "Silver Sheen") into our new staggered planting.

Hey, what's up with not being able to post links to pix anymore? That's a drag.

Here's a link you can paste into your browser to take a look at a picture of Hedgezilla I took about a year ago.

http://s214.photobucket.com/albums/cc249/surfcitytoo/?action=view¤t=Hedgezilla.jpg