A Handbook for Forest Vegetation Management in Recreation and Historic Parks
Authors:
Amy C. Helms, former Graduate Research Assistant and James
E. Johnson, Extension
Forester,
College of Forestry and Wildlife Resources
Publication Number 420-143, October 1996
Appendix III
Native species suggested for planting as
vegetative screens (Sources: Flint 1983, Dirr 1990 and
Hightshoe
1988).
Small-Medium Sized Deciduous (with dense
canopies)
- Amelanchier arborea Downy serviceberry
- Amelanchier canadensis Shadblow serviceberry
- Size and Habit: Shrub to small tree;
13 ft in 15 yrs, 40 ft in 40 yrs
- Light: Full shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Select plants grown from material native to
the
same region where they will be used for best results.
Subject to
fire blight and mites which can be controlled without
difficulty;
scale insects can also be a problem in warmer areas, yet
this is
not considered a high maintenance tree.
- Carpinus caroliniana American hornbeam
- Size and Habit: Small tree; 16 ft in 25 yrs, 33 ft in
65+ yrs
- Light: Full shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-6.5
- Comments:
Relatively trouble-free and needs little maintenance.
- Cornus florida Flowering dogwood
- Size and Habit: Small tree; 13 ft in
18 yrs, 30 ft in 35 yrs
- Light: Full shade to partial sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-6.5
- Comments:
Susceptible to borers but less so with good maintenance,
which
includes fertilization and irrigation in times of severe
drought.
Good soil drainage is essential. Transplanting is difficult
at times
and must be done carefully. Performs best with some shade
in
the south, but susceptible to dogwood anthracnose on moist,
shady sites.
- Corylus americana American hazelnut
- Size and Habit: Shrub; < 10 ft
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to dry
- Soil pH: 4-7Comments: Grows well in
poor, gravelly soils.
- Crataegus crus-galli Cockspur hawthorne
- Crataegus punctata Dotted hawthorne
- Size and Habit: Small tree with strong horizontal
branching;
10-13 ft in 15 yrs, 23-30 ft in 60 yrs
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to very dry
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Well
adapted to environmental stresses, including urban
environments. Moderately susceptible to infection by the
cedar
apple rust fungus; plant away from eastern red cedar and its
varieties, which are alternate hosts of the causal fungus,
or be
prepared to tolerate a certain amount of disease. Plant
dormant
trees after a few days' activation in a warm, moist
atmosphere;
prevent drying of roots during handling. The very large
thorns
these trees bear preclude their use near heavily used
areas.
- Diervilla sessilifolia Southern bush honeysuckle
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 2 1/2 ft in 2 yrs, 4 ft in 5 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to dry
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Unusually widely adapted to soils, light, and
moisture conditions. Spreads by underground stems to make a
dense mass. Unusually free of insects and diseases.
Requires
pruning every 3 years to maintain form and density; cut off
tops
a short distance above ground level in spring.
- Hamamelis virginiana Common witch hazel
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 6 1/2 ft in 10 yrs, 13 ft in 25
yrs
- Light: Full shade to partial sun
- Soil Moisture: Average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Grows best
with at least light shade in the south. Relatively
trouble-free and
requires little or no maintenance.
- Ilex verticillata Common winterberry
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 6 1/2 ft in 15 yrs, 10 ft in
25 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Wet to average
- Soil pH: 4-6
- Comments: Foliage is frequently
affected by leaf spots and mildew, but seldom completely
disfigured. Otherwise is relatively trouble-free.
- Morus rubra Red mulberry
- Size and Habit: Small tree; 20 ft in 12 yrs, 46 ft in
40 yrs
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Average
- Soil pH: 4-8
- Comments: Requires little or no maintenance.
- Ostyra virginiana Hop hornbeam, ironwood
- Size and Habit: Small tree; 20 ft in 25 yrs, 60 ft in
80 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments:
One of the most trouble-free deciduous trees. Hard wood
result
of slow growth rate. Difficult to transplant, so move in
small
sizes using container grown seedlings if available.
- Vaccinium corymbosum Highbush blueberry
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 5 ft in 6 yrs, 10 ft in 20 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-5.5
- Comments:
Tolerant of shade but requires full sun for best fruit
production.
For the fullness necessary for screening, the plants must
grow
vigorously; this requires sites where soil conditions are
ideal.
Several insects and diseases can be troublesome, depending
on
location. Iron chlorosis (leaf yellowing) is common in
soils that
are not sufficiently acidic; this can be corrected using
chelated
iron or foliage sprays.
- Viburnum acerifolium Mapleleaf viburnum
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 6 1/2 ft in 8 yrs, 11 1/2 ft in
15 yrs
- Light: Full shade to partial sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to dry
- Soil pH: 5-6
- Viburnum dentatum, V. pubescens, V. recognitum
Arrowwood
- Size and Habit: Shrub; 6 1/2 ft in 8 yrs, 11 1/2 ft in
15 yrs
- Light: Full shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments:
One of
the most trouble free viburnums.
- Viburnum prunifolium Black haw
- Size and Habit: Shrub or small tree; 8 ft in 10 yrs, 15
ft in 25 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-8
- Comments: Unusually trouble free
but occasionally subject to insect problems. Scale insects
and
borers can be serious enough to require control
measures.
- Viburnum rufidulum Rusty black haw
- Size and Habit:
Shrub or small tree; 26 ft
- Light: Partial shade to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-6.5
- Comments:
Southern counterpart of V. prunifolium, with more irregular,
spreading growth habit. Select appropriate genetic material
for
region of use.
Small-Medium Sized Evergreen
- Ilex opaca American holly
- Size and Habit: Shrub or small tree; 10 ft in 18 yrs,
40 ft in
80 yrs
- Light: Half shade to full
sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-6
- Comments:
Grows well in full sun to half shade in summer, but for most
compact growth full sun is best. Leaf miner is a serious
insect
pest that can be controlled with carefully timed sprays.
Leaf-spot diseases area also troublesome. Many cultivars
exist
of I. opaca; local experience should be relied upon to
select the
best one for the area of use.
- Juniperus virginiana Eastern red cedar
- Size and Habit: Shrub or tree; 13 ft in 15 yrs, 66 ft
in 90 yrs
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to dry
- Soil pH: 4.5-8
- Comments: Susceptible to Phomopsis blight and is
also a principal alternate host to the fungus causing cedar
apple
rust. This disease is a serious problem to the alternate
host
species (the pome fruits of apples and hawthornes), and
selection of J. virginiana should be done with these
susceptible
species in mind. Avoid planting this species near
commercial
apple orchards.
- Kalmia latifolia Mountain laurel
- Size and Habit:
- Shrub; 3 ft in 10 yrs, 10 ft in 30 yrs
- Light: Full shade
to full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-5.5
- Comments:
In the south this is useful only in relatively cool sites -
shaded
northern exposures. Relatively trouble-free, given a cool
site and
acidic soil, but susceptible to leaf-spot disease. Foliage
is toxic
to cattle, sheep, and humans.
- Myrica cerifera, M. caroliniensis
Southern bayberry, Wax myrtle
- Size and Habit:
Shrub or small
tree
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Wet to average
- Soil pH: 4-6.5
- Comments: A low maintenance plant for the south.
Salt-resistance makes it very useful in coastal areas.
- Vaccinium
arboreum Tree huckleberry, sparkleberry, farkleberry
- Size and Habit: Small tree; 20-26 ft; requires pruning
as screen
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Average
- Soil pH: 4-5.5
- Comments: Requires pruning to produce thick foliage for
screen. Select appropriate genetic material for area of
use. Fruits
are not edible.
Large-Scale Evergreen
- Ilex opaca American holly
- Size and Habit: Shrub or small tree; 10 ft in 18 yrs,
40 ft in 80 yrs
- See information in previous
section.
- Juniperus virginiana Eastern red cedar
- Size and Habit: Shrub or
tree; 13 ft in 15 yrs, 66 ft in 90 yrs
- See information in previous
section.
- Magnolia grandiflora Southern magnolia
- Size and
Habit: Tree; 26 ft in 20 yrs, 79 ft in 80 yrs
- Light: Partial sun to
full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Free of problems. Many cultivars exist, so
local
experience should be consulted for the area of use. Foliage
burn occurs in some winters in the northern part of its
range
(Virginia).
- Pinus strobus White pine
- Size and Habit:
Tree; 26 ft in 22 yrs, 79 ft in 75 yrs
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments: Grows best in good soil of
moderate moisture content. Not a good choice for roadsides,
urban planting, very dry or windswept areas, or for very
heavy
soils. White pine blister rust is a serious disease that is
eliminated by removal of the alternate host Ribes (currants)
from
the area. Very sensitive to road salt and ocean spray.
- Pinus taeda Loblolly pine
- Size and Habit: Tree; 26 ft in 20 yrs, 98 ft in
50 yrs
- Light: Full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to very dry
- Soil H: 4-7
- Comments: Fast but temporary screen. Tolerates very
poor soil and exposed sites. One of the most durable and
trouble free of the southern pines in landscape use. Borers
can
be a problem on mechanically damaged trees. Difficult to
transplant in larger sizes, so plant young seedlings or
container-grown trees. Growth is so rapid that trees attain
functional size even when started as young seedlings.
- Prunus caroliniana Carolina laurelcherry,
cherry laurel
- Size
and Habit:
Tree; 10 ft in 8 yrs, 30 ft in 30 yrs
- Light: Half shade to
full sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-7
- Comments:
Unusually sensitive to poorly drained soil, tolerant of salt
at
seashore conditions. Requires pruning for maximum fullness
as
a screen.
- Tsuga canadensis Canada or Eastern Hemlock
- Tsuga caroliniana Carolina Hemlock
- Size and Habit: Tree
or shrub; 26 ft in 22 yrs, 92 ft in 80 yrs
- Light: Partial shade to partial
sun
- Soil Moisture: Moist to average
- Soil pH: 4-6.5
- Comments:
One of the finest evergreens for formal or informal hedges.
Avoid windswept sites and dry soils, as the foliage is very
susceptible to desiccation in winter and during dry periods
of the
summer. Partial shade is recommended for the summer in the
South. In the South, select areas with cool summers.
Susceptible to damage by hemlock wooly adelgid.
Return to
A Handbook for Forest Vegetation Management in Recreation and Historic Parks