I need to fill an area with no more than a 6ft diameter with a tree that will grow to about 15-20 feet. Sounds more like an arborvitae, I realize, but I'm trying to avoid planting what is a ubiquitous tree around here and not terribly attractive, IMO. The area is not terribly sunny, but does face south. The prospective tree would screen some unattractive city scape.

Any thoughts on non-arborvitae-esque trees?

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Hurts like a bastid...

scroll down the page for aesthetics, space constraints

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

those alibaba links are also ubiquitous.

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Hurts like a bastid...

Some kind of evergreen ? Arborvitae don't do well on their own when they get tall... they bust up in heavy snow and whatnot.

6 foot wide and no more than 15-20 foot tall is kind of tough unless you want to rent a bucket truck and like pruning.

Course it will likely be at least ten years before you get to that point.
Even with a narrow growing tree like a cleveland select flowering pear, which won't block much view in the Winter.

There are arborvitae that stay relatively thin.
I have an arborvitae that stayed thin but it was slow growing and took at least 25 years to get 15-20 feet tall.
It also grew in a corner so it has been protected from snow damage.
It is time to yank it out and start over.

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The Phorum Wall keeps us safe from illegal characters and words
The doorstep to the temple of wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. -Benjamin Franklin
BOYCOTT YOPLAIT [www.noyoplait.com]
[soundcloud.com]

Where do you live? You want an evergreen or deciduous?

Bamboo....
Just pick your species carefully, or you'll be eybrows deep in the stuff before you know it!

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Paul F.
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A sword never kills anybody; it is a tool in the killer's hand. - Lucius Annaeus Seneca c. 5 BC - 65 AD
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Good is the enemy of Excellent. Talent is not necessary for Excellence.
Persistence is necessary for Excellence. And Persistence is a Decision.
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Eureka, CA

Check out American Holly [en.wikipedia.org] if you want evergreen, but a different look than Arbor Vita. Quite a few cultivars for specific growth and climates. The American Holly is more tree-like in its natural form than European Holly.

Junipers of various kinds can column nicely and are evergreen, with trimming, but the needly foliage is rough on the hands.

Sweetgum? Nice Fall color. Yes, Cleveland Select pears... Beautiful flowers in Spring, beautiful Fall color. We have seven-they are gorgeous and they are much hardier than the Bradfords. Their limbs don't break off after 15 years.

What about an Italian Cypress?

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Roswell, GA (Atlanta suburb)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/11/2012 06:44PM by rgG.

You might want to look at a pyramidal, compact, European hornbeam. I have two, and they stay really narrow for the height they reach. [www.friendsoftrees.org]

The Italian Cypress is also a good suggestion.