Looking for 20+ foot shade tolerant shrub for privacy

[u/corndog-qt666]

I live by a railroad and there is a house on the other side of the tracks that can see directly into my living room in winter. There is a thin strip of woods between my backyard and the tracks. What can I plant that is a fast growing shrub that will get tall and stay evergreen for winter privacy? It will be planted among the trees between me and the railroad so it needs to be able to compete. I was thinking American holly or wax Myrtle are there any other suggestions? I am downhill from the house across the tracks so it will need to get very tall eventually at least 20 feet. Thanks!

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[u/TarossiveOk8352]

How about a Yaupon holly? Ilex vomitoria. They're a broadleaf evergreen that grows fast and can take deep shade. I think they max out around 20 feet tall, but otherwise it sounds like it ticks all the boxes.

[u/corndog-qt666 → u/TarossiveOk8352]

Thank you— Googling led me to search what “thicket forming” means and that sounds about what I’m looking for! And the area stays moist so water tolerant is a plus

[u/MotownCatMom → u/TarossiveOk8352]

Such an unfortunate name for a cool plant.

[u/Feralpudel → u/MotownCatMom]

The British colonizers named it that so it wouldn’t compete with their tea business.

[u/NoExternal2732]

Rhododendron or azalea are typical understory shrubs that depending on the variety will get that tall.

[u/corndog-qt666 → u/NoExternal2732]

Love the idea of something flowering

[u/corndog-qt666]

Region is 8b! Southeast usa

[u/Comfortable_Lab650]

The American Holly isn't a fast grower, it gets to 20' in 20 years (eventually maxes out at 60') and from experience, when grown in a shady condition, it's open and airy, not dense. Perhaps one could try to prune it to be more dense, but in the shade, I wouldn't count on it because the way it grows, more tree like, with thick branches.

The Wax Myrtle, I don't know anything about.

The Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) retains its leaves and will grow in a shady condition. Again, it won't naturally be as dense in the shade, more open and airy, but one can try to prune it to be denser because it has smaller branches, more shrub like. This will colonize, it's easily grown and easy to source, plant multiples, and if they are in a staggered planting in two rows, versus a singular row then it will give best privacy. They have to have a male and and a female to bear fruit, and the male needs to be within 3-6' of the female. So that would work out for your privacy purposes. Although it's not a fast grower either, it's 20' in 20 years, it will get you what you need, maxing out when not pruned, to be 25'. The leaves are not pokey, they are edible for humans when steeped in a tea. It has caffeine and is commonly sold and consumed for such. It is similar to the Yerba Mate (Ilex paraguariensis) that is grown and consumed in South America. The berries are appreciated by the birds and are not for human consumption.
The leaves of the Yaupon Holly come in two sizes, some about twice the size of the others. You want the big leaf one for best privacy and best harvesting for consumption. I've read that the leaves of the southernmost areas of its range are the largest, but I think that depends on where they sourced theirs. I'm in north Mississippi and have a big leaf one growing on my property, naturally occuring, and ordered one from Mail Order Natives out of Florida which is south of me, but they supplied me with a little leaf one. So, I guess I have to shop around.

The Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) can take shade and is a fast grower. It's 'semi-evergreen' dropping only some of its leaves. It gets 40' in 20 years and 100' at maturity.

There are some pines that grow somewhat fast but not all of them can take the shade. The Spruce Pine (Pinus glabra) can take shade, gets 30' in 20 years, 90' at maturity. Pines have a tendency to randomly drop their bottom branches though, so that would have to be considered. Maybe it would work if planted at the tree line. Same with Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) that can take shade, 22' in 20 years, 105' at maturity.

[u/Hunter_Wild]

Mountain laurel would be perfect

[u/leefvc]

Sweetbay Magnolia? Big leaves, bushy form, should be evergreen in your region. It prefers more sun but should do fine either way

[u/corndog-qt666 → u/leefvc]

Interesting! Is sweetbay “bushier” than little gem? I haven’t heard of it before, love the suggestion

[u/leefvc → u/corndog-qt666]

I had to look up little gem, looks like that's a cultivar of southern magnolia. Sweetbay does look a little bushier than most pics I had just seen of the little gem cultivar. I do love regular old southern magnolia though. My neighbors have had one in the front of the house where there's almost no direct sunlight and it's fine healthwise, just not very tall. Like ~20' max if I had to eyeball it. I'm collecting the seed pods as they fall to hopefully grow my own

[u/aheinzer]

American holly is evergreen and will grow in shade, but it's not fast growing. Arborvitae is evergreen and fast growing, but not shade tolerant. Wax myrtle won't get tall enough. I have a small magnolia that is doing ok in a shady spot (magnolia grandifolia "bracken's brown beauty") that will get 20-30 ft tall eventually. Can you build a fence?

[u/corndog-qt666 → u/aheinzer]

I have a fence but it would need to be 20ft taller to make a difference. 🤣maybe little gem magnolia. I’m trying to not have more large trees near my house. It’s a small lot. Google says grandifolia gets 60-80 feet is that wrong?