In time, they will grow quite high.
Picea abies 'Cupressina', fastigiate Norway spruce at Denver Botanic Gardens.
At the back, along right side of path.

I've never seen a Thuja occidentalis grow 3'-5' per year, even an 'Aureospicata'. In a circumstance where a Serbian spruce was somehow making 18" per year, year after year the cypress spruce could also be expected to grow faster than 1' per year.

Leyland cypress has become dominant because it roots from cuttings and grows so much faster than usual. 'Green Giant' arborvitae is held up as a superior alternative, with the same claims of 3'-5' per year being made for that as being made here for 'Hetz Wintergreen' but I have seen no evidence for this behavior in any stock encountered here.

A previous thread came around to the unusually fast growth of 'Green Giant' claimed being based on greenhouse conditions.

Well, fortunately for the poster, I've seen 'Wintergreen' in person growing that rapidly at Bickelhaupt Arboretum; Clinton, IA.

Dax

I would say that a Norway spruce 'Cupressina' can grow 18 inches or a bit more per year. I have been growing two. I am growing another more or less columnar Norway spruce that was called "Columnaris," but I am not sure this is a proper cultivar name. Same growth rate. But how fast these trees grow depends on your soil, etc.

Norway spruce are just about as deer resistant and disease resistant as any tree I know. I have seen Serbian and Oriental spruce get some moderate deer damage, but never Norway. Little seedlings may have their leaders nipped occasionally, but larger trees are not affected. Buck rubbing, however, can be a real problem for trees when they are small. Protection advised.

--spruce

Good post...I'm in the EXACT same boat.

A buck and doe ran through my backyard the day I moved in. Neighbor said there are a ton of them around. I wonder if I have to rethink my choices. The "majority" of what I was going to put in was going to be a mix of Picea Omorika and 'Green Giant' arborvitae. Narrow and TALL choices.

Is this the deer damage thread you were talking about?
http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/conif/msg0523065510997.html

I had a planting of Serbian spruce spoiled by bucks trashing them with their antlers. A superior ornamental species to be sure, but like all trees it has its parameters. There is also a susceptibility to wind and exposure that more common spruces are not prey to.

Out here spruce aphids thin out the lower branches markedly some years, but other spruces are also buggy here. Colorado and Norway spruce can develop marring completely bare sections.

This is a very good discussion. I would say although it's part-guess that Picea abies Cupressina planted with a 1-gallon size root-system, will be only six feet tall within 10 years. I think it's a great tree, but for a screening plants I would only purchase trees that are already in the 5' tall-range. Correct me if I'm wrong.

Regarding omorika - I'd say the exact same thing about the potential for wind concern... (whaas) I did think about this (in your prior thread) but all things considered... I'm still going to say it will not be of concern to you. You might have minor wind damage (remains to be been) however, I can't see it happening where you are in Wisconsin. (tsugajunkie) sort of already confirmed this.

The three things in common about the trees I listed above is that they all have shade-tolerance.

I certainly don't intend to steer you(whaas) or anyone wrong, and I'm glad I learned something about the growth rate of............ Cupressina.

Dax

Hopefully I'm not stealing the OP's thunder.

Its good that I can at least be aware of potential issues and avoid them by planting in the "right" spot.

I appreciate that you (Dax), Ken, tsuga and others take the time to answer my sometimes repetive boring questions. In the end your not just helping me, your helping everyone I talk to as well. As a young gardener I hope to share my experience and knowledge for generations to come and you folks do your part in supporting that. I only have 5 years under my belt...but I'm on my 3rd home so I sure planted alot, made some great plantings but not without mistakes as well.

I have a layout of plantings and pictures I plan to post in a seperate thread this weekend.

Dax:

You are right--with Norway spruce (and some other conifers) it is good to start with larger trees. That can save a lot of time. With Norway spruce trees generally--the species--growth can be rather slow until they reach at least 4.5 feet, based on research at SUNY Syracuse. I think most of the larger sized cultivars will behave the same way. If you start with an 18 inch graft, it can take 4 or 5 years, or more, to get to 4.5 feet, when the growth rate will be closer to what it will be for the next 15 years or so. So get a larger tree, plant it carefully and tend it properly, and save a lot of time!

Of course I have seen some small NS grow a bit more rapidly when they are very small, but this is not common.

--spruce

I appreciate all of your comments, suggestions, and advice, as well as the helpful photographs. Thank you all so much! I was also wondering, are there any specific evergreens (that grow tall, and not too slowly) that seem to attract birds more than other similar trees? I imagine dense growth is what matters for good winter cover?
Well, thanks again.

Native species will be preferred during the day, when foraging. When dodging hawks or roosting at night, yes, density is an attraction.

spruce, etc-, all:

Picea abies Columnaris: Possibly the most narrow of the Norway spruce selections, this plant makes Cupressina look wide. It is fast growing and when Bob saw an old plant at Foggy Bottom, it was 10' high and about 2' wide with dark green foliage. It grows well over 1' per year. (zone 3)

Fincham, Robert L. - Coenosium Gardens âÂÂCatalog of Rare Plants For The Discriminating PersonâÂÂ; Catalog Number Seventeen, January 2006.

Dax

Yep Dax, Bob is right, the 'Columnaris' is much more narrow the the 'Cupressina'.
I grow both at my nursery, much for export to the colder European countries with a lot of snow in winter.

I have the opposite problem. I love the shape of columnar norway spruces, but I don't want it to get too tall, because it would block a spectacular mountain view. As it grows, could I shear it down so it doesn't get too tall, keeping it in a slender conical shape? Or would that ruin everything?

If you are shearing and you cut off buds on any given branch they will not produce new buds so the branch will die out.

Topping it will forever destroy it's shape.

I'd say you have the wrong tree, unfortunately, when you need a shrub.

Dax

Marilyn, you may want to look at the 'NorthStar' Spruce (variety of Picea Glauca). We are currently installing trees at our new home and our landscaper has recommended this tree for our smaller landscape. Its a white spruce that is narrow 5-7' but only grows 8-15' in height.
Anyone else have experience with this tree? We hope to get a few this spring.

only grows 8-15' in height

No conifer or other tree or shrub is going to stop growing taller without having entered a decline and died or been cut down.

Embothrium... true, but my research indicates it is a dwarf variety of Black Hills Spruce, and a slow grower, so it should not get exceptionally tall in its expected lifetime. Of course a lot also depends on soil type/ water/ light/ etc, so if someone is looking for a fast grower, this may not be the right tree.

'North Star' is from a branch reversion of Picea glauca 'Densata', otherwise known as Dwarf Alberta Spruce. This reversion has an intermediate rate of growth and in time will become decent-sized.

Overall it is a nice all around green tree for a smaller landscape but it does grow nearly 6"-8" a year here in zone 4. So, figure out what size you are planning on starting with and add 6-8" every year (possibly more when it is fully established) and you will get what you can expect for a full sized specimen.

I can see the ones I've used in the landscape will need candle pruned in several years to maintain the size required. If you are looking for something a little slower there are many other options.

PRO , 'Densata' is black hills spruce,,,,Dwarf Alberta is Picea glacua 'conica' or 'Albertina Conica'

ron

You are correct. Picea glauca 'Conica' was my intention. Thanks!