In theory elderberry would do well but I've found the dark leaved varieties disappointedly tender.

Ninebarks are tougher and offer the same color ranges, ditto barberry. Also look at some of the newer Hydrangea paniculata cultivars like 'Pink Diamond'. Rugosa roses might also be nice. Super hardy and carefree. Don't forget about lilacs.

Ted

I have 3 'Black Beauty' Black Elderberrys here in Minneapolis I bought in 2005. They died down to the snowline in 2006, but grew pretty rapidly after that (3-4 foot long branches). "Whippy" is probably the best way to describe how they looked-growing more horizontally than vertically. I'm not going to throw them out-probably just move them to a less prominent area of the garden.

'Sutherland Gold' Elderberry is a much better cultivar I think for our area-no dyeback so far and the leaves are very nice-deeply cut and yellow in color. If you don't mind gold-another good choice would be 'Tiger Eyes' Sumac.

If you are looking for dark leaves-wine and roses weigela is quite nice. I've seen pictures of purple-leaved plums used as hedges as well.

Hey there Jenny,
I have found that they are very pretty to look at- but without a lot of tender loving care, they will die out as mine did.....
You might want to try a combo of tiger eyes and wine and roses- I do like the chartreuse and deep burgundy combo- throw in some orange poppies, daylillies and calendula- and you are good to go! I might be tempted to consider some of the chartreuse or "orange" evergreens/conifers to provide winter interest as well.....
Good luck with your buckthorn!! Pull it (the best way)- chop it and cover with a can a bit below soil level so NO LIGHT AT ALL will touch the stump- or "paint" poison on the fresh cut stump immediately with HEAVY DUTY roundup. Otherwise you will have a buckthorn "shrub" with many trunks, which will be more difficult to deal with.
If you can't get to it all next year- focus on the female fruit bearing trees. If you see berries- you can lop the berry laden branches off- but you should burn them- as they can still ripen even on cut branches!!
I too dislike the buckthorn all through my back yard- and whack away at it as I can- but I do have to admire it's fortitude- and ability to thrive even as I do my best to curb it.....

Julie

Thanks! I am just now starting to gather ideas for this. It's more like a hedge than a bed. I don't believe I will be putting flowers there. My yard is right next to the gravel road, which gets a fair amount of traffic. By right next to it, I mean that there is not even a ditch, the yard goes up to the hedge, then the road. And my front door is about 20' from the road.

Right now this hedge is fairly thick, but full of buckthorn. I like that it is thick, it cuts down on dust, and sight seeing neighbors. My goal is to have a variety of colors, textures, etc. So it is interesting all year.

As I said it is quite long too, about 100' maybe more. And it does have a few nice trees in the row. I know I see at least one chokecherry and 1 or 2 big old oaks. I am thinking we will do a little piece at a time. Clean out and replant 15' or so. Then when that is done go on to the next 15'. Might take a year or two to finish that way, but then I won't be without the privacy.

Jenny Pat

If privacy is what you are looking for-I would consider-as Julie suggested-adding evergreens into the mix. Weigelas and Sumac (or Elderberrys for that matter) won't provide you much in the way of privacy from October-May.

Thank you
Evergreens would be nice, and we do have a couple started just inside the row already. The problem is that we can't plant trees that grow very tall there. There are overhead electricity wires. The oaks that are there are far enough to one side that they are ok. But every so often the electric company comes and cuts off the branches on the side towards the wires. So the trees end up looking lop-sided!

I was so mad last year!! In the back yard there are a number of old cedar trees. The electric company has never had a problem with them before. But last year the guy came along, and cut the tops of 2 of them! Not just trimmed on the side of the wires but the whole tops of the trees! They might as well have cut the entire tree. Now I am going to have get some one to do it! I didn't realize what they did until a week or two after they left. And it was to late to yell!

Jenny P

Okay, keep in mind that I'm Irish, but is it really ever too late to yell?

Fitz

No- I do not believe it is too late when they do a poor or incomplete job. Your electric company (who hired the tree service) should foot the bill to remove them completely- and maybe even replace them.

Unless you signed a form allowing them access to do what ever they like to that specific area.

I know we had to sign a form to allow them to cut- and we were given the option of how much to cut- branches that posed a problem (clearly outlined in the form) or whole tree removal- they did not "do " stumps.

I would look into your options (laws in your area) a bit more carefully, and have a go at em!

You could also ask around and see if any others had the same or similar problems in your area- usually if they botched one job there is a whole string of "errors" and approach the electric company "en-mass".

They do have the right and responsibility to "protect" the electric wires and service to those whom they serve- but they do not have the right to damage your property with impunity- unless you signed away those rights.

On another note- there are several dwarf and mid range growing evergreens to choose from for all season admiring- LeftWood and other conifer lovers might be able to point you in the right direction to find out about these options.

And yet another note.... No flowers in the shrub bed?? You keep on WinterSowing and swapping for seeds- and believe me- no place will be free of flowers!! Shrubs and hedges are the perfect foil for perennials and blooms.....

Those that I mentioned could be just plunked in and left to their own devises. They are hardy buggers and will do just fine by themselves after they settle in a bit. Plant them on "your" side so you can enjoy them- maybe even toss in some sedum- the black and chartreuse ones..... I have seeds of "Purple Emperor"- and they winter sow real well! Nudge Nudge, wink wink- And some poppy seeds too- Oh and how about some belemcanda/Black Berry lilies to toss into the mix.... They all winter sow real well..... Need a few more seeds???

Well, good luck with the hedges- and the electric company- and wintersowing!

Julie

Julie you are naughty! Offering a girl seeds like that! Especially ones she doen't have. That sedum sounds neat. Poppies, I have the red poppies coming out my ears! No thanks! I have a few of the blackberry lily seeds. I had never heard of them until I went to the MN Arboreteum last fall. Saw some there, and fell in love!

As for the electric company, I would have yelled, but the DH wouldn't let me. Said to just let it go. These trees were behind the house in the woods ( we call them that, but it is really just a small thicket).

Jenny P

The electric company has the right to remove any branches etc. that interfere with the wires. But that said if you talk to them and tell them you would prefer they take the whole tree down they will do. However the stump removal is left to you. We had them take down two trees. We didn't care for the trees and I really hate the look of pollarding. The trees came down at no cost to us except for stump removal.