Arizona cypress is a very fast growing evergreen. Bald cypress isn't evergreen but grows fast. Japanese black pine can be nice in Austin. Aleppo pine is another.

Thanks Todd!

Do you need privacy from the ground up, or are you wanting to screen your neighbor's second story view into your yard? You also need to consider how wide a mature tree or shrub will be. Any part that hangs over a property line can be removed by that property owner, so make sure you have enough space.

For instance, BURFORD HOLLY (Ilex cornuta "burfordii") grows 10-20' tall, and can grow just as wide, so one should plant it 6-8' from a house or fence to avoid crowding. This nearly thornless holly has dark green leaves, and is self-fruitful, so female specimens don't need male plants to produce berries. While it will take hedging, it does not require pruning, and generally has a rounded, vase shape in maturity. It's drought tolerant but only moderately fast growing. The dwarf varieties are generally under 5' tall, so make sure you specify tree-form type for privacy.

The ARIZONA CYPRESS (Cupressus arizonica) has a pyramidal shape, and does best in well-drained soil. It grows 30-40' tall and 15-25' wide. The ITALIAN CYPRESS (C. sempervirens) is a conical tree to 35' tall. Most cultivars are tall and narrow with mature width of only 4-5', and have a formal look. This tree grows about 3' per year, and is long lived and very fire resistant. The BALD CYPRESS (Taxodium distichum) prefers more moisture, but grows well in an irrigated lawn. It can grow 40 to 50' tall in 15-20 years, and eventually to 100' tall. However, there's no guarantee on how any plant will grow for you.

I've only grown the Afghan Pine (Pinus eldarica), and it did quite well in my calcareous clay UNTIL the remnants of a hurricane dropped 12" over three weeks in summer. The warm, humid weather gave rise to a fungal disease that started at the lowest limbs, turning the needles brown, and worked its way upward. I don't know how the Japanese Black Pine would do, but the Aleppo Pine is a dry-country tree mostly grown in NM, AZ, NV, and southern CA. Central Texas heat and humidity is a big problem for lots of plants.

The best roses for the south are always grown on their own roots. Check out the varieties at THE ANTIQUE ROSE EMPORIUM, as well as DAVID AUSTIN ROSES. They have been recommended in various books on Texas gardening.

Excellent PDF, bostedo. I downloaded it for future reference, so thank you.

This has 4 roses.

http://texassuperstar.com/plants/index.html

I highly recommend Nelly Stevens Holly. They're green year round. They grow up to 30ft tall quickly. They have a pyramidal form while they are small. They are also relatively disease and pest free. I love members of the cypress family, but in hot climates with sproratic rainfall, I find that they tend to suffer from fungal issues.

Thanks guys for the very useful information!