Be careful if she is in an area with deer with arborvitae! Leyland cypress is supposedly deer resistant, but nothing is fool-proof up here! :-(. However, it is a fast grower. I havent had any problems with Norway Spruce and deer.

Just did a quick search...forgot about Cryptomeria....that is a powerhouse and haven't seen reports of any deer damage.

Are deer a problem in your daughter's area? If so, IME most arborvitae, including Emerald Green, are favorites of deer so that the bushes end up with bare branches at the bottom up to the height the deer can reach and then greenery above that. It isn't an attractive look. Yews are similarly popular with deer, so you want to avoid them.

How wide is the area that you are thinking of the screen taking up?

What is the zone where your daughter is? If you don't know you can plug her zipcode into the top of this web page to see a map of zones in her area. There are some broad-leafed evergreens that might work if she is in one of CT's warmer areas.

Does it have to be evergreen or would a denser deciduous shrub or small tree work?

How does your daughter feel about fencing, and are there limits as to allowable fence height? A fence in combination with smaller trees or larger shrubs can offer a fair amount of privacy.

Hi thanks... Leyland cypress and aborvitae at least down in Ga are deer resistant. Leyland is just way to tall. I do use Cryptomeria here but didnt know if it is hardy there. She is in Fairfield close to the water so my guess is she it would be Ct s warmest zone. I just looked it up 6b. The neighbors have some fencing on all sides its just one area about 20 ft she wants to block them out. I gave her a girt certificate to Broken Arrow Nursery a few years ago so we will probably go there unless its just someone common and then I will look around Fairfield. thanks again

Arborvitae are the standard option. Other, more interesting options are Juniperus virginiana 'Burkii' Burkii Eastern Red Cedar, American Holly (Ilex opaca).

In New England arborvitae are "deer candy"...in the winter the deer's menu choices are limited and they go for evergreens. Don't know if she has dear in her neighborhood.

In parts of New England Leyland Cypress can have issues with damage from ice storms/snow load.

A couple of other comments. You can see how successful arborvitae are likely to be by driving around the area before choosing plants. If grazing pressure is high, it will be visible on existing plantings.

In most of New England right now, it's still a bit early for planting and well-stocked nurseries, though I don't know for sure about zone 6b CT.

We've found many great things at Broken Arrow. It's a great place for planting advice, especially if you're worried about deer. BA is deep in the woods of Hamden and so they should be "familiar" with deer. They open to the public on Friday, April 1, but meanwhile you can check out their website to see what they offer.

Hi Thanks for all the help. I am going up to Ct Mar 28 so glad you told me they arent open till April 1st. I think I will use Cryptomeria and will look around locally to see if I can find it cheaper before going up to Broken Arrow

Crytomeria do get *very* tall, so careful on that (think 40 ft?) in our yard, same zone, but inland woodlands, we have lots of laurels (a specialty of BA nursery...) they flower and may be a nice mix in. Thye are beautiful. Loved the advice of NHBabs. You will tell very quickly if there are deer in the neighborhood - lots of lollypop trees! :-)

I have close family in the Fairfield CT area, and deer can be very bold (not to mention hungry!) there. My relatives gave up on a vegetable garden years ago, and have basically let their yard go "native" due to deer grazing on everything they planted. And they live on a fairly "busy" corner lot!

You might look at Green Giant Arborvitae. It is the fastest growing arborvitae. It is more like a tree as it has a single leader and is deer resistant. National Arboretum , this is a link that will give some information. They grow 1-2 feet per year with some 'claiming' 3 feet per year. 2 is very much possible. As the link explains it is considered a better alternative to a Leyland. If you don't want instant gratification or have room for a big plant, then it is not for you.

Jon