A good evergreen tree? - Ask Extension
Hello!
I was wondering if you could suggest some evergreen trees that would do well in Monroe, Oregon. With hard clay soil and increasingly hot and l...
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A good evergreen tree? #876155
Asked July 06, 2024, 9:03 PM EDT
Hello!
I was wondering if you could suggest some evergreen trees that would do well in Monroe, Oregon. With hard clay soil and increasingly hot and long summer months, I am looking for trees that would do well in this environment, quick to moderate growth of 15 or more feet and offer privacy year-round and NOT a Doug fir. While I can amend soil, if necessary, are there any that do well in clay soil? I have been considering laural trees but we do have wildlife such as deer, turkeys, etc, that forage on our property. Can you confirm my idea or do you have alternative suggestions? Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!!
Benton County Oregon
Expert Response
Thank you for your question to "Ask Extension". The laurel (Laurus nobilis) tree that you are considering meets all but one of your conditions. It is evergreen, grows to 20 ft., will tolerate soil that is clay if well drained, and is drought tolerant once established. Periodic watering should be considered during the summer months. It makes a wonderful privacy hedge also. It does not have the growth requirement you mentioned as it grows around 12 inches per year.
Two other plants that you may want to consider that tolerate clay soil are arborvitae and photinia. Both make excellent privacy hedges. The most commonly found arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) in the Northwest is ‘Emerald Green,’ which gets about 15 feet tall by 4 feet wide. 'Steeplechase' is another hybrid cultivar of arborvitae (T. plicata x T. standishii). It is more compact with a spread of about 8 feet and growing to 20 to 30 feet. Deer can be a problem, fencing to 4 feet helps
Photinia (Photinia x fraseri) is an evergreen shrub that grows to a mature height of 10’-15’ and can spread to 5’-10’ wide. New growth has a reddish color that many see as attractive. A common disease is fungal black spot. Pruning for good circulation can reduce the risk of this disease.
There are a number of temperate bamboo species that you can select from that will grow to any height that you may desire.
I hope that you find this information and as always Happy Gardening.
Two other plants that you may want to consider that tolerate clay soil are arborvitae and photinia. Both make excellent privacy hedges. The most commonly found arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) in the Northwest is ‘Emerald Green,’ which gets about 15 feet tall by 4 feet wide. 'Steeplechase' is another hybrid cultivar of arborvitae (T. plicata x T. standishii). It is more compact with a spread of about 8 feet and growing to 20 to 30 feet. Deer can be a problem, fencing to 4 feet helps
Photinia (Photinia x fraseri) is an evergreen shrub that grows to a mature height of 10’-15’ and can spread to 5’-10’ wide. New growth has a reddish color that many see as attractive. A common disease is fungal black spot. Pruning for good circulation can reduce the risk of this disease.
There are a number of temperate bamboo species that you can select from that will grow to any height that you may desire.
I hope that you find this information and as always Happy Gardening.
