Are you trying to create forest-like conditions with no grass underneath?

hi lou!

i'm trying to screen out a neighbors house. i think i'm going to try at least 1 shantung. 24 ft south of it is a persimmon tree, so maybe a could plant another in between. & 10 ft north of the first shantung there's another open spot. so i could conceivably have 3 in a row.

in downtown allen tx they've lined the streets with 30-40 ft tall oaks 18-20ft apart; & even though the limbs all grow together at the top, the overall effect is quite nice. so if allen can crowd oaks together, i thought maybe i could crowd shantungs.

the trees will be in a north-south line, should be plenty of sun for all

thanks!

bob

Bob-

It's hard to visualize how they would turn out. Like you, I would have to look at mature shantung maples to get a better idea. Their growth habit is different than oak trees though. I'm sure you know what I mean. I had thought about doing something similiar as well for more shade on my house from afternoon sun like 15 feet spacing which would mean two more fire dragons to the front yard. I already have 2 fire dragons in the front yard (i live on a corner lot so I have more room to plant).

I was hoping for Skinny Dragon but it doesn't look like they will be available before spring unfortunately.

Have you looked into Montezuma Cypress esp the ones from New mexico (they are originally from Mexico/South Texas) and they apparently have significant better cold tolerance. They are fast growing and would provide privacy most of the year since they tend to hold leaves longer - they are evergreen/semi-evergreen bald cypress depending on the location but semi-evergreen up here.