Hi Tom,

I didn't chime in earlier waiting to see if any citrus folks could help you out. Since there have not been any responses I'll throw this thought out, how about bamboo? Scroll down to the pictures in this link and give it some thought.

Tom

Simpson's Stopper is very slow growing, at least for me, and not very "hedgy" for your purposes.
I love bamboo for a hedge, just make sure you get "bambusa" types that are clumping and not anything with "phyllostachys" in the name which are running bamboos and you will be very sorry that you planted.
Having said that, clumping bamboo is not cheap if you need to do a considerable amount of hedge.
Areca palm is a possibility. Fast and not expensive.

How much area are we looking at? Are you only putting up a screen on one side or all around? Why do you think you need the screen?

I have a problem in my yard with blooms being blown off of citrus trees in March, but I've never seen a commercial grove with that problem.

If you're talking about a large area, maybe red cedar would work. It's native, grows fast, and a lot of farmers use it as a windbreak.

If you have plenty of room then silverthorn would work well. Despite the name it doesn't have thorns. It grows very fast, is tough and drought tolerant once established, I've never seen it attacked by pests or desease, and it looks good even if you don't keep it manicured hedge. On the down side it can get huge.

Here is a link that might be useful: silverthorn

Thank you very much for the responses and advice. The pictures of the bamboo look great. How does clumping bamboo reproduce? Is there any way it can spread? Is it considered invasive in Zone 9A? Does bamboo perform well on unirrigated sites?

Junkyarkgirl - you bring up a good point. I may not need a wind hedge in the first place. We are growing citrus in 9A, a borderline zone for good citrus performance. The healthiest tress I've seen around here have been well protected. The site we are planting is completely unprotected. It's in the middle of a 1000 acre field. Last winter the winds were constant and chilly from the North and West. I was considering planting a windbreak hedge on the West side and the North side of the area, which, when fully planted, will be about 75' x 100'. On the East and South sides I am considering planting a loose natural hedge row to enclose the grove in a sort of outdoor room.

I will look into silverthorn. I don't want to shade the trees and will have to figure out the height of the plants and the sun angle.

Thanks again,
Tom

How about Morella faya?