Plant fruit only if you intend to harvest it. Otherwise it becomes a real nuisance, attracting pests, etc. And the odor is nasty, too. If it's for your food as well, I say never plant just a tree when you can plant something that feeds you!

Thanks gran2. I was thinking food for me and food for the birds but..I may have been going a bit overboard with the bird part. I was told service berries are a hit with so many birds that I may not have to worry about leftovers..but then one never knows with the birds and the beasts. We had a deer family constantly feeding on the grass by the pond for about a month but no sign of them for the past two weeks!

Have you checked the Gurney catalog? I know it sounds a bit simple,but they usually have a page or two of deciduous trees and shrubs and diagrams of windbreaks. See if their suggestions coincide with your info.

Pine may grow fast but it won't stop the wind. Pines are "airy". If it has to be ever green and laurals are not hardy, cedar is probably the thickest. Cedars grow as fast as pines, or faster.

In some places, Lombardi Poplars are traditional as windbreaks. They grow fast and do the job, plus they were traditionally pollarded for minor building material and firewood. But they're messy and tend to drop brances regularly in storms.

Dan

Lombardy poplars haven't much of a life-span. I planted Thuja evergreens; grow like crazy. Also, there are trees developed for fast growth and wind-break purposes. They are called Austrees. Look up on internet. Pros and cons. Fast growth but don't expect THEM to live forever and be completely disease resistant as promised. They do well, but we have some and they can/will die but in a weird way. Main part of tree dies but life is renewed on other parts. Wish I had daughter's camera. We trim out the dead and leave the rest for re-growth. :But they do grow fast. Myself, I've always been partial to Russian olives. Drought resistant and good growth as long as you don't get tiny weeny ones. Tartarian honeysuckle good as well as canadian hemlock (quick growing and very thick). If you want something to block the wind all season, I would think about canadian hemlock hedge. Our windbreak has russian olves outside, silver maple, thuja and ash (my fave for wood)on south side. Cottonless cottonwood is a fast grower, too. We have that and austree poplars on west side growing on outside and caragana hedge shrubs. Understand, we want some air-flow on west side due to orchard. You have to have that. Gets very hot for trees on north and south with those evergreens during summer. Put in a wind-break this spring on east side next to new peaches we planted; russian olives and salix willows. Turn awesome red during fall/winter and grow to 6ft. Again, wind-flow a consideration. Don't want plum or berries around; don't necessarily want to attract birds. They have some small plums tucked into windbreak on north side and it attracts deer and birds. Don't know if we are going to keep or not. Fpr area around front of house planting American hazelnuts and elderberries and saskatoon trees (like blueberry fruits but on small tree - hardy) with a red-leafed barberry hedge behind these trees , closer to house. Other side has established spirea vanhouttei. Would like to experiment with amur maple hedges. Persian lilacs established along back of house area along with burning bushes.

I live in Ontario and 25 years ago I planted norway spruce
12 feet apart.
Today trees about 25 feet high. This tree will not lose its lower limbs, still bushy at the botton, and now the branches from ajoining tree are joining together.

White pine will eventually loose its foliage at the bottom 20 feet which makes it useless.

White or Red cedar is also an excellent option, planted 3 to 5 feet apart, it grows slower but little wind and for my area snow will get very far.

Colorado Blue spruce is recommended in this area for the North side of the building a good distance away .It is thick, evergreen, and stops or slows the wind year round . It is slow growing . California Redwoods are fast growing but they can grow to over 250 feet. Do not grow these to close to your house. You do not want a tree that sheds its leaves in winter because a bare tree will not stop the wind or slow it as much as an evergreen in the winter which is when you need it most . Plant fruit trees on the South and on the East and West sides of your house if you wish .I am unfamiliar with fruit bearing evergreens that are hardy but there are "pine nuts " and a sloe gin plant .

Myself, I prefer plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife and food for the bees.

If you go to the University of Idaho's reforestation program, they specialize in plants that provide for the wildlife and they have information about what plants and why.

They sell extremely healthy seedings for a very low price.

I like blue spruce, ponderosa pine, wild wood roses, service berry, and I would add some hardy hibiscus for beauty. If you have a squirrel problem, then don't plant the ponderosa pine trees. Squirrels live on the pine nuts.

U of I also offers plants that live in wet conditions, if you happen to need those.

I don't like the look of poplars and they are bug magnets. Also, you don't want a deciduous tree for your tallest wind break element.

I like edible landscape myself. you can check onegreeenworld.com they even have olives that can grow in zone 6 , red blossomed apples and other hard to find plants .