I just posted this in the California Gardening forum.

I am looking at planting a row of podocarpus "maki" along a long wall. I am located near the state capitol, downtown - a relatively dry area. The space I am planting in is VERY tight. Between the building and the wall is only 4' 6". And of that space I need to maintain at least 2.5 feet (30") clear for walkspace. I was told I can plant the maki right next to the wall (about 12"-18" away) and trim/prune the bottom branches high enough so that people can walk underneath without the leaves/branches clipping their heads. The ones I am looking at are about 8-9 feet tall (25 gallon) and run $200/each. I need about 30 of them to cover a long wall section along a duplex.

I also looked at other Podocarpus including macrophylla (the "non-maki" version?) and gracilior. I was told that the macrophylla would be a better bet because they will grow taller than maki and I ultimately want them to get to about 25 feet in height.

Can someone recommend the best option? Thanks in advance