Trees or bushes for very exposed location

TutuKaka

Hi,
we are looking to plant some trees or bushes to provide shelter and privacy to a house on the west coast. The location is about 500m from the coast and very exposed to high winds and salt.
Hoping to eventually grow to about 10 to 15ft in height. The faster growing the better.
Any recommendations?

The Princess Bride

Escallonia macrantha is an evergreen flowering shrub which is most suitable for coastal areas. It can grow up to 13ft high.

http://www.woodview.ie/plants/hedging/escallonia-macrantha

Marhay70

Escallonia is an excellent choice. You should also consider Griselinia, Olearia Macrodontia, Eleagnus. Bear in mind that whatever you plant you will need to protect it with a net wind barrier for the first few years until it is secure on its own roots.

TutuKaka

thanks

lottpaul

We grew a variety of shrubs and trees in different bands into the garden but for the outermost we had a mix of different olearia and escallonia, interplanted with phormium and anything with a grey leaf that we could find. The casualty rate can be high - and continues to be (30 years later) so we have a few cuttings always on the go to replace the next victims of the storms. One thing we should have done was to restrict the height of the olearias - by doing so you get more lower leaves - and they seem to be one of the first to topple in the wind if you let them get too high. The phormiums have been a godsend as the trees grew taller and became bare lower down but you could just underplant them with smaller shrubs if you prefer.
A final word would be to plant younger/smaller plants -- they settle in and get a better root system before the wind gets at them. If you plant larger ones you will need to stake and protect them and the smaller ones catch up very quickly.

macraignil

lottpaul wrote: »

We grew a variety of shrubs and trees in different bands into the garden but for the outermost we had a mix of different olearia and escallonia, interplanted with phormium and anything with a grey leaf that we could find. The casualty rate can be high - and continues to be (30 years later) so we have a few cuttings always on the go to replace the next victims of the storms. One thing we should have done was to restrict the height of the olearias - by doing so you get more lower leaves - and they seem to be one of the first to topple in the wind if you let them get too high. .

What height would you recommend restricting the height of the oleria to?
Is now a good time of year to trim them back?

As to the OP I think it would be worth considering fuchsia and Myrtle as I have seen them do well by the sea.

lottpaul

macraignil wrote: »

What height would you recommend restricting the height of the oleria to?
Is now a good time of year to trim them back?

I just keep them to about 1m below the height my extended pruning saw can reach. That way I can easily reach new growth as it takes off - and they do come back very well from pruning. Not an expert on when to do it but as a rule I do mine in early autumn/late spring before or after the worst of the winter storms.

taxusbaccata

Go native. Hawthorn (Whitethorn) hedging is hardy, native and feeds native wildlife. They have evolved in our challenging climate.

50c per bareroot tree - soon time to put down the bareroots.

lazybones32

A pampas grass is suitable to those conditions and grow quickly. You could use them as a shelter-belt of sorts (not as a hedge, which would be unsightly).

CJhaughey

New Zealand Flax Phormium Tenax is hardy in those kind of conditions.
It provides a very good shelter for other plants as well.

Igotadose

In the identical situation as OP. Here's what I've found, just doing this for a year and a half:

Escalonia really REALLY needs shelter from wind and doesn't transplant readily. We got ours from a gardener neighbor who had a few dozen starts he wasn't ever going to use, some were fairly good sized. about 1/3 didn't survive transplant shock, and the wind really seemed to wreak havoc with the foliage. Sheltered against a berm they did best. We've seen that the neighbors don't use them 'stand-alone' but instead plant them in among Olerias and similar (ash) trees to keep the wind down some.

Griselinia is a good choice, it does grow well in the breeze, doesn't mind the salty air and rapidly set roots. Don't forget about the salty air, it is also a problem for more soft-leaved things.

Euonymous (the basic type, not the fancy variegated versions) is doing well from seedlings and thrives in the area as a 'fill in' under something taller. Likewise hebe which has a nice bushy shape and will get tall

Oleria's by far the best, transplants readily, including transplanting some well established 3-4 foot high versions from a neighbor that wanted them moved. They don't root deeply as far as I can tell, so being blown over is a possibility.

Next to try are bare-root willow cuttings, neighbors all rave about their ability to get going and thrive in the soggy bogs around here, including our yard, which like so many gets and stays wet most of the time. We've also taken some steps to improve the drainage which is helping but there's lots more to do, ditches, swales, etc.

We have established NZ flax in a few places. It *is* durable and it does keep the wind down. We're not crazy about the plant, but in desperation I'd try it in places nothing else will grow. We haven't added any to the yard. I expect it would be very hardy, and it really doesn't drop the leaves.

FWIW, with some careful cultivation the native rugosa roses do fine and grow rapidly to fill in. Have tried an elderberry bush, it died in the wet, as did raspberries, red currants and tayberries. Now, however, with this year's drainage work will try some of the berrys again in a drier part of the yard.

Overall, the plan is to get Oleria going well and fill in around it with escalonia, hebe and griselinia. YMMV of course, best of luck

Squiggle

taxusbaccata wrote: »

Go native. Hawthorn (Whitethorn) hedging is hardy, native and feeds native wildlife. They have evolved in our challenging climate.

50c per bareroot tree - soon time to put down the bareroots.

Not much good for privacy during the winter as they are deciduous !

taxusbaccata

Squiggle wrote: »

Not much good for privacy during the winter as they are deciduous !

When close together they are still very private. To stop all light use holly another tough and beautiful evergreen.

rob1air

this is my third time trying to post it keeps throwing me out when I press post quick reply.

I did write a really long reply to your question but it did not post and dont fancy writing it again, mmm although I probably should.

First of I am a landscaper and nursery owner not that I am promoting or selling my business on here.

We have done plenty of planting on coastal sites and have tried and failed with numerous plants and trees. Escallonia was a big bust for us we planted over a 100m on one site and it never did anything did not grow and did not die it just looked sad... So hedge was removed and replaced with Elaeagnus Ebbingei what a wonderfull plant has not problem with the wind, salt etc... it actually thrives and grows fast to give a good evergreen hedge to give shelter and protect some less salt resistant plants within it. We also planted many whitethorn further inland about 500m still completely exposed to the wind and that did not fair to well either so was replaced with Elaegnus also and now a 2.5m tall hedge is in its place. I hope this helps and I am not saying that Escallonia wont work where you are it just did not work for our clients site.