Rose of Sharon maybe?

Here is a link that might be useful: For the hummers

What kind of sun would the plants be growing in? A few natives to consider, elderberry, serviceberry, red or black chokeberries, several types of viburnums, bottlebrush buckeye and misicanthus grass.

Arborvitae work pretty well. So do ornamental grasses. I like grasses because they change so nicely with the seasons. When you cut them back in the spring it's only a few weeks 'till they are several feet tall and screening your property again.

Bamboo's always fun :).

BTW: if you're in the philly burbs, you're probably in zone 6b, not 5.

Thanks for the information.
The side of yard faces south and get a lot of sun.

Regards.

I like ABG's ideas.

It depends if you are looking for year-round privacy and want a screen from lights on the road, and a buffer from noise. If that's the case, you may want to use evergreen plants. Arborvitae ( Thuja occidentalis) is a good screen.
Cryptomeria japonica grows fairly quickly and I've used that for a screen, too. I'm not into pruning or trimming of hedges so don't know if you are looking for something that will grow to only a certain height.

If you do plant arborvitae, select a form that has one main leader. There are cultivars that are more suited for snow and ice than others that split apart.

I've seen nice groupings of plants instead of a straight line used to screen.

What is the ultimate height you want? Most fast growing plants tend to become quite tall.

Carol

Leyland cypress might work for you, but they tend to get quite tall unless you keep them pruned back. They are quick growing as well.

Thom

Carol23, I like your idea of Arborvitae as a screen. I would like height of the tree/bush to be around 8 to 9 feet.

Since, I am very much a newbie, I am not sure by what you mean by "Select a form that has a main leader". Please elaborate.

A colleague at work mentioned using Red Cedar as a privacy screen. What are your (and the forum members) thoughts.

Thanks.

I'm looking for the same thing. We have a line of pines across our backyard that have reached the end of their life span. After they come down, I will need to get something else in there fast - our neighbors have a pool that creates a lot of noise. Would arborvitae cut down on that? How soon after taking the trees down could they be planted? I am also curious about the "form that has a main leader".

Main leader means having one main trunk, rather than a bunch of smaller competing trunks. Plants with a single leader tend to hold up better under snowloads (arborvitae have serious problems with wet snow if they're multi-trunked.

Privit makes a great hedge and is low maintenance.

There are probably a few cultivars that have a main leader but here is just one , 'Brabant'. You could ask on the Conifer forum for recommendations.
Both a friend and I made the mistake of planting the " other " kind, which heavy snow/ice makes the tops split apart. I've trimmed them so that only one terminal is the tallest but it's still a problem in heavy snow as they tend to remain wider at the top.
I've also planted some that remain pointed at the top, with a central leader.

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Brabant'

Organic_johnny, do you know of a bamboo that will survive our winter in a large pot? I like the idea of bamboo for privacy, but need something in a container. It should be about six or seven feet tall.

There's an ornamental grasses forum here on Gardenweb that would have some great bamboo recommendations. The Japanese Garden forum people would have great tips too.

Also try the Bamboo Garden Nursery web site. When I lived in Oregon I bought some bamboo from them for a privacy screen and it turned out great. See the link below.

Also, if you don't particularly want to use a container, there are bamboos that spread by clumping rhizomes rather than running, so they only spread a little bit every year. The Bamboo Garden web site has info on that too.

Cheers,
Susan

Here is a link that might be useful: Bamboo Garden Nursery

I've found that large ornamental grasses when planted en masse, create the absolute BEST privacy!
We put them in around our pool at strategic spots...you can swim 'sans' bathin suit anytime! LOL
Some of ours are around 8' tall.

PLUS...they're carefree! Mebbe divide'm every once in a while...but that gives ya MORE! :)

AND...the 'blooms' are attractive all winter...then in early March, I just whack'm back and voila!

Thuja 'Green Giant'(arborvatie) ~ is pictured to the left of the stump ~ fast growing, dense, & has a wonderful scent when you brush the foliage. 3rd & 4th is Leyland Cypress - another fast grower.

{{gwi:1111330}}

This is so ironic... I thought I'd look on this site to see what would be good to plant for quick privacy. Our huge 40-foot old arborvitae split from all of the rain and wind last week. It had 3 limbs and split right at the bottom sending one limb onto our garage. We now have a perfect view into our neighbor's house. The single-leader advice is definitely worth following. Regarding the cypress suggestion, I planted about 35 leyland cypress 10 years ago (nursery going out of busines sale $3 each) and they're now over 30 feet tall. Amazing privacy. The only bad thing is they don't put down very deep roots relative to their height. We usually have to pick up one or two each winter and brace them back up when we have a particularly wet and windy winter. Even with this minor inconvenience, they're still well worth it and do a great job of screening out our neighbors' 2-story addition. I might try a tall, fast flowering shrub. Any advice on one for a dry, partial sun area?