Evergreen for wet area (zone 7, TN)

10 years ago

When we purchased our home it came with a double row screen of Leyland Cypress trees in the back yard. There are 18 across and the right half of the line of trees is two deep (the ones on the left half died prior to us purchasing the home). I feel that he planted them too close together.

The previous owner planted them as a screen (some are 30 feet high), and they are about 15 years old now and not doing very well--you can 'walk' through them as the inside areas have gotten blighty and died (we have had them sprayed and treated a few times). They run in front of the community 'drainage stream' so they get a lot of water--in winter/spring it is essentially a running stream, over the summer it dries out and we mow back there. Lately we seem to be losing 1-2 every winter from ice tipping them over since all of the weight is on the outside of the trees--like I said, you can walk through them.

As we have lost them we have tried to fill in with a couple of trees (front row only). We have put in two river birch (I know, not evergreen) and two teddy bear magnolia trees (slow growers). Only in the 'front' row of the line, we are not putting anything on the back row closest to the stream as those trees are coming out.

My question is... do you have any suggestions for evergreen shrubs that will act as a screen, that can tolerate the wet soil, and will have some height, moderate to fast growing to fill in. We figure we will be putting in two or three a year at this point.

thanks for any suggestions

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Comments (6)

wisconsitom
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
smarge, not a shrub, but bald cypress is the premiere species for both your part of the world and for that type of site. How's the light exposure? BC will want pretty close to all-day sun. Dawn redwood-a similar deciduous conifer, is able to handle some moisture too I believe, though others here will have better knowledge than I on that interesting species. Otherwise, there are numerous cultivars of Thuja occidentalis-arborvitae-in globe form and that's a plant that, at least in its species form, is preeminently suited to high water tables. Just a few quick thoughts off the top of my head.
Embothrium
10 years ago
The cypress are being undermined by the water and/or toppling over on bound roots due to careless container culture. Where there is water activity causing failure of existing planting new planting will fail also - you cannot insert new starts into a dynamic situation involving water and expect them to make it, without providing adequate protection and stability. You will either have to tame the water or stay away from it with new plantings.
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ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
a prime example.... of the prior owner plan ting a monoculture ... and the problems inherent with such ...

a pic would sure help me .. help you ...

ken
User
Original Author
10 years ago
Cannot 'tame' the water, it is part of the neighborhood drainage system. Right now the back row is about 3-4 feet away from the stream of water, the front row is situated about 10-11 feet from the stream of water. Our plan is to only replace the front row as the Cyprus fail and leave the back row empty. Just looking for suggestions of evergreens that can tolerate having wet feet every now and then.

http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/smarge117/media/cyprusLeft1%20320x240_zps9bqvpdbg.jpg.html

http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/smarge117/media/cyprusRight1%20320x240_zpshpu9q6pa.jpg.html

http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/smarge117/media/cyprusLeft2%20320x240_zpshvxlnskt.jpg.html

http://s1318.photobucket.com/user/smarge117/media/cyprusLeft2%20320x240_zpshvxlnskt.jpg.html?sort=3&o=2
Dave in NoVA • N. Virginia • zone 7A
10 years ago
last modified: 10 years ago
Consider Magnolia virginiana 'australis'... the more evergreen Sweetbay (to 20 feet). They seem to enjoy wet locations. Perhaps plant a row in front of Myrica cerifera, Southern Wax myrtle (to 10 feet or more) and Ilex glabra (smaller shrub), also a moisture lover.

Also, if Swamp Bay - Persea palustris is hardy for you, that's a good evergreen that appreciates lots of moisture. But I would seek out one of good provenance.

You didn't specify a height besides 'have some height'. So I don't know what that means exactly, but you also want something that could remain foliated to the ground and not drop lower limbs defeating the purpose of a screen. Mag. grandiflora would be good if it tolerates that much moisture. There may be some other hollies -- like East Palatka or Savannah that could tolerate that much moisture. Not sure. You might ask at your local good nursery.

Will this area get good sun?
sam_md
10 years ago

smarge117, here are pix of Wax Myrtle in the native setting in Delaware. They are growing in saturated soils with swamp rose and blueberry as companions. They are in full sun and they are evergreen. The reason I couldn't get better pix is because I didn't have hipwaders LOL. VERY WET and swampy.

They could suffer in a wet, heavy snow but my experience is that they bounce back quickly. The more sun, the better the habit.