Italian buckthorn a good hedge?

Hailing from San Diego, Zone 21 or 10a.

I need to grow a hedge to screen out a cantankerous neighbor. Needs to be 10 to 15' tall, maybe 5 to 10' wide, a solid screen. I can put the plants on my drip system. We get moderate frost in some years.

My research yielded Italian Buckthorn (Rhamnus alternatus John Edwards) as a likely candidate. Sounds good but difficult to find in local nurseries.

Does anyone have any experience, good or bad, with Italian Buckthorn? Any other good choices for a tall hedge?

Thanks

Reply to
Walter R.
Loading thread data ...

Rhamnus prefers temperate climates, somewhat adaptable to zone 9, prefers Zone 7 or 8. It'd be a shrub for the full-sun no-care-areas of a temperate zone, rarely asking for water or any attention where normal rainfall is sufficient. But in San Diego it would need to be watered to have any chance or full sun might do it in, and probably the reason San Diego nurseries don't stock it is cuz it's not nice to sell people stuff that more often than not won't thrive in their zone.

I garden Zone 7 pacific northwest and not a lot of knowledge of hot climate gardening, but you might research Australian bush cherry (Eugenia myrtifolia), or evergreen viburnums (V. suspendum, and V. awabuki) to see if they might meet your needs.

-paghat the ratgirl

Reply to
paghat

I have 3 of them in Sonoma in full sun with minimal (but regular) drip irrigation. They are splendid, and I recommend them for the sort of hedge you have in mind. They are fast growing. I would not get the variegated leaf because it appears to be smaller.

Tom

Reply to
tom jones

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.