igolfchip, how broad can the plants get? I.e., how far out from the fence can their branches encroach before it would become a problem? Also, how much sun versus shade exposure does that fenceline get? In my experience, these are two important criteria to consider with respect to selecting screening plants in addition to the ones you already mentioned. Plus, is it important you aesthetically that the screen be composed of all the same type of plant, or are you open to using a combination of two or more kinds of plants to create the screening effect? There's no right or wrong answer to that questionÂit just comes down to your personal preference and what looks appropriate in the space you're working withÂbut it is something to think about.

TL - thanks for your posting. Not sure - would prefer to be closer (within 3-4 feet) to fence than farther away. As for sunlight - will get a lot of direct and some partial depending on time of day.

Wouldn't mind using just one type of plant.

Chindo viburnum would work very well for you.

igolfchip, you said originally that you're "not the biggest fan of evergreens." I take it from the context of the rest of your messages that you meant that you don't especially like conifers, i.e. needle- or scale-leaved evergreens. Obviously, if you do want to make sure your plants have leaves year-round, then what you want are evergreens. But it sounds like you prefer broadleaf evergreens, rather than coniferous ones. That's fine. There are lots of great broadleaf evergreen plants that grow well in our area and make terrific privacy screens. Frankly, though, if you have a sunny, dry-ish area and want a plant to grow quickly and densely to 10 to 30 feet but only encroach 3 or 4 feet into the yard, that mostly means conifers. There are a number of species and varieties of cypress, arborvitae, cryptomeria, and others that work really well at doing exactly what you're looking for. If you really insist on using broadleaves, though, realistically you'll probably have to accept a good deal of maintenance in the future in the form of trimming and pruning to keep them within four feet of the fence. bumblebeez suggested the 'Chindo' viburnum, which is definitely a beautiful plant and a tough, hardy, vigorous screening plant, but keeping it as narrow as you need it to may be a considerable challenge. At least, though, Chindos have a generally upright growth habit, so they can be pruned heavily to keep them from getting too wide without disrupting their natural form. That's not as true of some of the other popular broadleaved evergreen screening plants used around here, like ligustrums, waxmyrtles, and various hollies. But, unless you're committed to regular and frequent trimming to control breadth of spread, you maybe should really consider conifers. If your apprehension is based on over-exposure to junipers, leyland cypresses, and the ubiquitous loblolly pines around here, maybe you'd like cryptomerias better. I think they're really pretty, and they definitely have a different "look" than some of the other conifers mentioned above. Two cryotomeria varieties: 'Yoshino' and 'Radicans' are commonly available around here as screening plants, and should fit your site needs quite well. One other thing I'd like to mention: if you're willing to do a little hunting, you might be able to find another excellent broadleaf evergreen screening plant, which is the 'Carolina Sentinel' holly. It's got the typical lush, prickly evergreen holly foliage and bright red berries in the winter, but it naturally grows in a distinctly narrow, vertical, upright form that might work well in your situation. Unfortunately, though, it's not a very common plant yet, and finding some to plant in your yardÂespecially in a size larger than a 3-gallonÂmay be very difficult. Good luck.

Anyway, I hope this helps. If you have any further thoughts, please share them. Thanks.

If you are looking for a vine to climb a fence it's hard to beat ordinary honeysuckle- evergreen, fast and heavenly smelling. I have cuttings.

"ordinary" honeysuckle is probably japanese honeysuckle (flowers are yellow and white) - an invasive pest in the South.

If you're interested in honeysuckle, try the very colorful native one - Lonicera sempervirens, Coral honeysuckle. Unfortunately it doesn't have much fragrance, but it's a real beauty.

Consider using our native Southeastern Carolina Cherry Laurel (_Prunus caroliniana_). It grows rapidly and responds well to shearing. It is a beautiful, broadleaf evergreen that produces white flowers in March, followed by dark blue-black fruit, an excellent food source for songbirds. Look in the Floridata database for a good, illustrated description of cherry laurel. Go onto Google and type _floridata cherry laurel_ to retrieve this document on the Internet. I use cherry laurel in the landscape as an accent plant in the woodland garden. It adapts well to hedgework and is inexpensive. Its waxy green leaves are especially pretty in winter sunlight.

I dearly love the formal look of a row of all-of-a-kind shrubbery: simple, and elegant. However, there is one major drawback you should consider before you commit to this look. If even one plant succumbs for any reason, it may be extremely difficult, not to mention, expensive, to replace it with something large enough to fill the hole. This is particularly true as the years go by and the row of plants reach full size. I have found that as years go by, some plants that were once commonly available can become very difficult to find too, which can be another difficulty.

All that being said, I would recommend that you look into Arborvitae "Smargd", also sold as Emerald or Emerald Green. They are elegant, easy care, and large, but not gigantic, columnar shrubs. I have them all over my property and they prosper in fullest sun to deepest shade. I cannot comment as to drought tolerance, but Arborvitaes tend to be tough. Perhaps some research will answer that one question.

If you decide on a mixed screen, I would encourage you to check out varieties with colorful foliage, in addition to different shades of green. There are a number of broadleaf evergreens, as well as conifers that have golden green, purple, or variegated foliage. These can add such great interest over the long haul (though you certainly don't want a big jumble of variegates all together). Some particular favorites of mine are: Chaemycyparis pisifera "Aureo variegata" (Golden false cypress), Osmanthus heterophyllus, "Variegata" (crisp white and blue green variegated leaves/slow growing and difficult to find, but so worth the search and wait), Purple Loropetalums (they need a fair amount of pruning and trimming to stay neat, but still, they are gorgeous).

As you plan, keep texture and form in mind, and don't forget bloomers and/or trees!

I agree with donnabaskets, go with a mixed hedge if you can. I'm in a similar situation as you with a lot of room to work with. I've planted a line of white pine, I'm coming back in as a front with some holly, and some well placed interest points/screens. I'm incorporating large trellises with vines, flowering dogwood, redbud and some more exotic flowering cherry. I'm trying to kind of "enclose" my front yard with well placed beds and building a "wall of green" down the sides of my property. I'm working with 15 acres. It's a chore, but will pay off in lots of privacy a few years from now. Good luck to you!!