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The Shrubbery Thread


Merlyn

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image.png.5bdcb678118f8d383d69d3a9620277d9.png

Well...how else do you start a thread on shrubberies?  :D  

When I first started building my tropical forest, one of the first steps was to plant a perimeter of Viburnum Odoratissimum.  I have about 350 feet of hedgeline, planted about 5 feet apart.  That's a shocking $1000 worth of 3 gallon pots of Viburnum, and for the most part they've done a good job of filling in and blocking the neighbors and highway noise.  The only problems in the past 3 or 4 years are:

  • I've had a few random deaths of entire plants, which unfortunately leaves about a 5 foot gap in the hedge.  It's relatively easy to cut them down and replant another, but the Armillaria Root Rot that killed the last one is moderately likely to kill the replacement.  Viburnum are susceptible to root rots (fatal) and leaf fungus (cosmetic) but otherwise fairly fast growing and cold hardy.
  • After they've grown to 10-15 feet tall, the bottom 6 feet becomes very sparse of leaves.  The thick, waxy leaves are ideal for noise blocking, but they won't block any noise if you can see right through the hedge!  And of course it doesn't block the neighbors if you can see right through the hedge...

So I started looking into other options.  Hopefully a few of you can offer some advice for Central Florida and other areas.  Here's a few options that I've found, many courtesy of @Silas_Sancona:

  • Viburnum Suspensum - A slightly smaller Viburnum with more shade tolerance, but is slower growing and also is susceptible to root rot.
  • Cherry Laurel - Prunus Laurocerasus:  Thick waxy leaves like Viburnum, but substantially smaller leaves.  It's a fairly fast grower at 1-2ft per year, and can get to 20-30 feet tall as a tree or a hedge.  One advantage of this shrubbery/tree is that it can grow in full sun to full shade.  And it has nice flowers!  There's another bigger one Prunus Caroliniana that gets up to 45 feet tall, and might not make a good hedge.
  • Wax Myrtle - a very common shrub and small tree in Florida, a lot of times they are kinda scraggly-looking if not regularly trimmed and fertilized.
  • Azaleas - generally sparse in Florida, certainly not ideal as a sight/sound blocker
  • Ficus Auriculata, Palmata, Lyrata - Very dense and big leaves, with complete blockage in full sun.  The problem is that they defoliate at the first freeze.  In the mid to upper 20s they burn to the ground and you have to wait 6 months to get foliage again.  Supposedly Palmata "Icebox" from Plant Delights Nursery is hardier, I'm trialing it now.
  • Coccoloba Uvifera "Sea Grapes" - also very dense and equally not hardy.  These defoliate for me at about 30F, and burn to the ground in the upper 20s.
  • Marlberry - This is a possible winner to me, an evergreen shrubbery with intermittent blooms, thick glossy large leaves and interesting leaf appearance.  It's rated at 9A-11 hardiness and is a Florida native with tolerance of part shade to even deep shade.  It has no significant disease problems.
  • Jamaican Caper - 6 to 18 foot tall glossy oval leaves, this is a nice evergreen shrub but may take damage in the mid 20s.  It can be grown into a shrubbery or a small tree.  It's a fast grower and prefers full sun to part shade.  This is noted for growing dense in full sun but "open" in shade.
  • Myrsine Cubana - This is a smaller-leaved common shrubbery and native to Florida.  It's a full sun to part shade plant, and tends to get sparse in full shade. 
  • Aucuba Japonica - "Spotted Laurel" - This variegated shrub has big leaves and is evergreen, and can grow to 6-10 feet tall though normally is grown as a 3-5' tall accent shrubbery.  It'll grow in shade only, and may not tolerate a lot of sun in Florida.  I might try this one on the SW side.  It's officially zone 6-9 hardy, the UFL IFAS site suggests it's ok in all of the South, coast-to-coast, except down in Miami.  It's slow growing.
  • Schefflera Arboricola - green and variegated forms are listed at 10A, but might be suitable for a 9B area?  These "dwarf" types can grow 8-12 feet tall and might be moderately dense in full sun or shade.  Silas said he thinks they defoliate in the upper 20s, and have a habit of dying with cold, wet soil.
  • Camelias - good for zone 8 and grow 12-15 feet tall, but they don't grow well in the heat and humidity of Florida.  Silas said he thinks they are susceptible to nematodes.
  • Hibiscus - commonly grown as large shrubs here in Florida, but they are very attractive to whiteflies if not in full sun.  I had a couple in pots and immediately got infestations that started spreading to other plants and palms.
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Here's an interesting shrub in the neighborhood.  This is in AM sun and pretty much full shade by noon, and it's grown nice and dense and looks great!  The new leaves are silvery, and they turn deeper green later.  Any idea what this one is?  Maybe Silver Buttonwood?

20230305_131754.thumb.jpg.eb6fbd376ef0b4facf765c0cd9f8a5b0.jpg

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And this is an example of what happens with my Viburnum.  I've had 6 shrubberies die like this already, and my neighbor had two die a couple of years ago and one die this winter:

20230305_150043.thumb.jpg.2bd2b112b848d1932fef3e0b837d1f42.jpg

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2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Here's an interesting shrub in the neighborhood.  This is in AM sun and pretty much full shade by noon, and it's grown nice and dense and looks great!  The new leaves are silvery, and they turn deeper green later.  Any idea what this one is?  Maybe Silver Buttonwood?

20230305_131754.thumb.jpg.eb6fbd376ef0b4facf765c0cd9f8a5b0.jpg

SilverThorn, Elaeagnus pungens..  Seldom noticed, Flowers are extremely fragrant. An otherwise invasive shrub option in numerous areas.

https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/elaeagnus-pungens/

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4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

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Well...how else do you start a thread on shrubberies?  :D 

Ni!  Ni!

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Jon Sunder

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3 hours ago, Silas_Sancona said:

SilverThorn, Elaeagnus pungens..  Seldom noticed, Flowers are extremely fragrant. An otherwise invasive shrub option in numerous areas.

https://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/elaeagnus-pungens/

Ugly Agnes

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So many species,

so little time.

Coconut Creek, Florida

Zone 10b (Zone 11 except for once evey 10 or 20 years)

Last Freeze: 2011,50 Miles North of Fairchilds

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13 minutes ago, Jerry@TreeZoo said:

Ugly Agnes

:greenthumb:  They're ok as a potted, Bonsai specimen though..

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Would add all of the Stoppers to the list of dense-leaved shrub / small-ish tree options ..when trimmed correctly anyway.. Native, and generally pretty tough.

Simpson's Stopper will grow in a wider area in and outside FL as well. Can't say how the other Stoppers would do below 9B, or in areas like say here or CA ..though i'd love to try all of them, lol. Simpson's also has the smallest sized leaves of the group.

More of an informal "bush" than boxwood-like,  Mangle Dulce could be used as a privacy barrier..  Grows great here in the desert too ( Grows along parts of the Gulf of CA ).. Very dense when tipped once or twice a year / allowed to fill in..  Can get quite massive if left on it's own.

Wild Lime, Zanthoxylum fagara, would be an interesting, lightly trimmed occasionally shrub option..

For 9b-11, Locustberry, Byrsonima lucida,  Nance, Byrsonima crassifolia ( grows more like a medium-sized tree ), and Cocoplum can work as low to medium height, Indian Hawthorn - like stand-ins. All produce edible fruit as well, though fruit off B. lucida might be an acquired taste.

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Cocoplum is an interesting one I'd never heard of before, but looking at photos I have definitely seen it down in the keys.  I thought it was a mini version of the seagrape.  Unfortunately for me, it seems that 32F is the limit and it might die at or below that.  https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/cocoplum.html

Simpson's Stopper seems like a good choice for a sunny spot.  I did read that it gets less dense in shade, which could be an issue on my Southwest side.  They said that it "shows off the trunks" in shady areas, which seems like an odd euphemism for "sparse leaves."  :D

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2 hours ago, Merlyn said:

Cocoplum is an interesting one I'd never heard of before, but looking at photos I have definitely seen it down in the keys.  I thought it was a mini version of the seagrape.  Unfortunately for me, it seems that 32F is the limit and it might die at or below that.  https://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/plants/trees-and-shrubs/shrubs/cocoplum.html

Simpson's Stopper seems like a good choice for a sunny spot.  I did read that it gets less dense in shade, which could be an issue on my Southwest side.  They said that it "shows off the trunks" in shady areas, which seems like an odd euphemism for "sparse leaves."  :D

Cocoplum can survive in 9b areas, though a hard dip into the 20's for a couple nights might cause some damage ..if i remember correctly.  I had a bunch of seedlings / couple plants i picked up from where i'd worked when we moved here but lost them ..to the heat ( Put in too much sun that first summer ) rather than cold.. Wish i could find a nursery there that can ship starter plants.

 

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46 minutes ago, Silas_Sancona said:

Cocoplum can survive in 9b areas, though a hard dip into the 20's for a couple nights might cause some damage ..if i remember correctly.  I had a bunch of seedlings / couple plants i picked up from where i'd worked when we moved here but lost them ..to the heat ( Put in too much sun that first summer ) rather than cold.. Wish i could find a nursery there that can ship starter plants.

Then it might not be a bad choice for this area, if it really can survive the upper 20s.  Any info of Clusia Rosea or Guttifera?  Supposedly Guttifera is a bit hardier, but there is some dispute as to which is which?  HD carries Guttifera, and my wife really liked them in the Keys. 

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1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

Then it might not be a bad choice for this area, if it really can survive the upper 20s.  Any info of Clusia Rosea or Guttifera?  Supposedly Guttifera is a bit hardier, but there is some dispute as to which is which?  HD carries Guttifera, and my wife really liked them in the Keys. 

If you know where some are planted, and can access them when fruiting, Cocoplum are pretty easy to start from cleaned seed.. A fairly easy and cheap way to test how they'd do there and not have spent anything, just in case you're just a little cooler than they'd handle..

Think we'd discussed Clusias somewhere around here in the recent past. Agree that between the two, the plant everyone sells as guttifera was hardier than rosea or lanceolata.  Like Sea Grapes, Clusia definitely adds a nice tropical island feel to a landscape.. Thinking they were fairly easy from cuttings too.

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Yeah @Silas_Sancona I recall the discussion on Clusia but couldn't find it.  I recall you also know a bunch about Ficus.  I have Auriculata and Lyrata here and they burn at the first frost...annd burn to the ground in the upper 20s.  They have grown back several times now, which is more than i can say for Benghalensis / Audrey.  Any experience or knowledge of Umbellata?  It's fairly new to the US but I saw some reports of 9B hardiness...

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1 hour ago, Merlyn said:

Yeah @Silas_Sancona I recall the discussion on Clusia but couldn't find it.  I recall you also know a bunch about Ficus.  I have Auriculata and Lyrata here and they burn at the first frost...annd burn to the ground in the upper 20s.  They have grown back several times now, which is more than i can say for Benghalensis / Audrey.  Any experience or knowledge of Umbellata?  It's fairly new to the US but I saw some reports of 9B hardiness...

Not familiar w/ that sp..  Thought F.  benghalensis  was hardier than the upper 20s.. Interesting

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In fairness, the Benghalensis was only about 3 feet tall when the frost burned it to the ground.  But after 6 months it had only grown 3 or 4 new leaves from a tiny stub, so I dug it up and repotted it.  It did survive, but took a long time to regrow.  Auriculata regrew a lot faster for me.

Firebush (Hamelia Patens) is a neat plant, but apparently not frost hardy.  They do say it regrows rapidly  from the roots: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP237

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4 hours ago, Merlyn said:

In fairness, the Benghalensis was only about 3 feet tall when the frost burned it to the ground.  But after 6 months it had only grown 3 or 4 new leaves from a tiny stub, so I dug it up and repotted it.  It did survive, but took a long time to regrow.  Auriculata regrew a lot faster for me.

Firebush (Hamelia Patens) is a neat plant, but apparently not frost hardy.  They do say it regrows rapidly  from the roots: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/FP237

Hamelia does regrow reliably from very cold temps. I used to grow it in Natchez, Mississippi where as I remember it would always regrow from even the bad freezes to the teens (like 2010). Ironically I could never grow it at our place in the Keys, where it is native, because the Key Deer eat it, have almost extirpated it from Big Pine Key because it is so tasty, but plants would periodically sprout up in the yard from a dropped seed, then be eaten before it could look like anything. I grow it now out here in the Palm Springs area, it is readily available at nurseries with several cultivars (including a yellow-marbled variegated type). The funny thing, I planted some in the coldest area of the yard under open sky where it went down to the low thirties a couple of times this year, plus we have had a miserable, consistently well-below-average winter. The shrubs look perfect, no damage, but they turned completely red-purple...not just a little, but completely. I'm used to seeing some anthocyanin buildup in some plants when exposed to cold nights, but this is really bizarre, you wouldn't even think it was the same plant!

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Michael Norell

Rancho Mirage, California | 33°44' N 116°25' W | 287 ft | z10a | avg Jan 43/70F | Jul 78/108F avg | Weather Station KCARANCH310

previously Big Pine Key, Florida | 24°40' N 81°21' W | 4.5 ft. | z12a | Calcareous substrate | avg annual min. approx 52F | avg Jan 65/75F | Jul 83/90 | extreme min approx 41F

previously Natchez, Mississippi | 31°33' N 91°24' W | 220 ft.| z9a | Downtown/river-adjacent | Loess substrate | avg annual min. 23F | Jan 43/61F | Jul 73/93F | extreme min 2.5F (1899); previously Los Angeles, California (multiple locations)

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I picked up a Schefflera Arboricola "Trinette," Podocarpus "Maki," and Ilex Crenata "Sky Pencil" today. 

The nursery said the holly needed a dry area,, but I also read they don't get along with nematodes.  I'm not sure if that's true or not, since the UFL info page says it's not normally a major concern.  Any experience with this one?

I'm going to try the "dwarf" schefflera in an AM sun / PM shade spot and see what happens.  :D

And I am going to replace a Viburnum that died from Armillaria root rot (I think) with the Podocarpus and see what happens there too.  "Maki" is supposed to grow smaller, slower, and more dense than the normal type.  More dense foliage is good, and the max nominal size is 8-12ft tall and 4-5ft wide.  That's about half the normal size.  This spot is also AM sun /PM shade.  

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@bubba nope this one is a tall, skinny holly:

image.png.d74e18c378f9710308006461c07710c0.png

I visited the Leu Gardens plant sale and talked with @Eric in Orlando briefly about shrubberies.  He recommended Viburnum "Awabuki" as a better option than Odoratissimum.  They have bigger, glossier leaves than Odoratissimum, and may not have the same root rot problems that have randomly been killing mine.  He also recommended Cocculus Laurifolius, which is a big-leafed shrub/small tree with dense foliage and an interesting draping form.  I took a photo of one at Leu, at least I think I got the right plant!

1057254707_CocculusLaurifoliuscropped.thumb.jpg.5957c2f7c1cab949856da161857efc6e.jpg

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Thats the Cocculus!

Ilex crenata won't grow here, too hot and the nematodes will kill it off quick. We have tried several and they only make it a few months. I have no idea why they are sold around here.

 

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Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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  • 5 weeks later...
On 3/5/2023 at 5:27 PM, Merlyn said:

And this is an example of what happens with my Viburnum.  I've had 6 shrubberies die like this already, and my neighbor had two die a couple of years ago and one die this winter:

20230305_150043.thumb.jpg.2bd2b112b848d1932fef3e0b837d1f42.jpg

Three of my big viburnum trees did this in Gainesville as well.  I don't know why, but IFAS tested them and confirmed botrysphora fungus.  They said that the tree would eventually come back, but that never happened.  Also, this spreads so you need to remove the dying ones immediately 

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@Sandy Loamthe weird thing is that I just cut down the dead one, and there was no sign of any fungal infection.  The bark looked pristine, and there was no discoloration in the center.  Except for the lack of leaves, you'd think it was a totally healthy plant.

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On 3/14/2023 at 9:57 AM, Eric in Orlando said:

Thats the Cocculus!

Ilex crenata won't grow here, too hot and the nematodes will kill it off quick. We have tried several and they only make it a few months. I have no idea why they are sold around here.

Eric, any idea on growth density and growth speed of Cocculus Laurifolius or Viburnum Awabuki in full shade? 

My Ilex Crenata is already struggling with the hot drought, I'll probably just give up on it...

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3 minutes ago, Merlyn said:

Eric, any idea on growth density and growth speed of Cocculus Laurifolius or Viburnum Awabuki in full shade? 

My Ilex Crenata is already struggling with the hot drought, I'll probably just give up on it...

Both are fairly fast in shade and dense. But as they mature they become more tree like unless you prune to keep dense on the lower part of the plants.

Give up on the Ilex crenata, it will not grow here. Doesn't like the long hot season and is very nematode sensitive. I don't know why it is sold in this area.

 

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Eric

Orlando, FL

zone 9b/10a

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3 hours ago, Eric in Orlando said:

Both are fairly fast in shade and dense. But as they mature they become more tree like unless you prune to keep dense on the lower part of the plants.

I know that Viburnum Odoratissimum gets sparse if you grow it too tall, but you can hack it off to a 3 foot tall stub and it'll sprout a variety of new branches.  After a couple of months it'll turn into a great short shrubbery again.  Do you happen to know if Awabuki and Coccoulus Laurifolius will do the same thing if you...er..."aggressively prune" them?  :D

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  • 1 month later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I picked up a couple of "Laurel Leaved Snailseeds" (Cocculus Laurifolius) from a random eBay seller, and have them rooting out in 1 gallon pots.  I haven't found them locally, and checked with Lukas Nursery.  Apparently they did carry them, but the last sale was some time in 2018.  They also didn't carry the Awabuki form, but I think I've seen it at a local nursery.  I also picked up a Podocarpus "Maki" that I'm going to try in the SE corner.  I replaced the dead Viburnum on the SW side with a Bambusa Textilis "RG Dwarf."  It's supposed to grow to 15-20' maximum with up to 1.25" diameter culms and is supposed to be a fast grower, very tight clumping, and hardy to around 15F.  So it's a good experiment on that side for noise absorption.

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  • 1 month later...

This thread popped up on shrubberies, and has a bunch of interesting semi-hardy recommendations:

 

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Many Camellia do great in FL it just depends on the parentage. Some species are from further south, some are even tropical in the genus. Avoid the  pure C. japonicum which is the classic large flowered variety. I grow Camellia x Yuletide (has Japonica as one parent), Camellia Koto-no-Kaori, and Camellia x 'Fragrant Fairies', and species Camellia yuhsienensis. The one with Japonica has lowest vigor for me. Most of the fragrant ones have Camellia yuhsienensis which is a more southern species. Growth rate on most is moderate but they are very worthwhile plants I love the "mid-season" ones which are the winter bloomers.

for part sun/shade there's my favorite exotic evergreen: Hagiwara's Everblooming Magnolia figo. Amazing scent on this and it does rebloom several times a year including December for me

I like Yaupon holly, dwarf or even regular both can be kept quite dense. I even have some in full shade beneath an oak that grow as flattened spheres. Inkberry holly is great too, really underrated "filler" evergreen that doesn't look quite like a holly. I'm just unsure if the available dwarf cultivars are ok for central FL however I grow Shamrock at work and it is fine in part shade near a lot of radiating heat and i can't imagine Jax afternoon sun is that different from Central FL

Dwarf palmetto is pretty full-proof too

If you have an average to moist soil type or low water table, either of the native star anises would be great too. My smallflower anise went from 2 feet to 12 feet in a few years because it was in a moist site and unlike my Vibrunum suspensum they do not get leaf spot

It's unfortunate they are difficult to source but Mahonia x Winter Sun does really well for me, which was unexpected as it is a popular PNW plant. Mine has doubled height this year. I grow mine in full evergreen shade on south side of an oak so it gets more sun in winter. Blooms in January. I had a potted second one and had no issues with it getting more direct morning sun.

You also might want to simply try a vine.. Gelsemium sempervirens / Carolina jessamine is very full proof and smells great and has a nice bloom season (peak in mid February but mine usually starts in early Dec) as a bonus the species inoculates emerging bumblebee queens with low doses of a natural pesticide which in studies showed it lowered their invasive parasite loads

We have Laurelleaf snailseed at work the suckers are kind of a pain so I wouldn't grow it in my garden which is a shame as the habit is very attractive

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Collector of native, ornithophilous, Stachytarpheta, iridescent, and blue or teal-flowering plants

 

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oh and cant believe i forgot but Simpson's Stopper is one of my favorites but imo it shines better as a multi trunk tree because of the attractive bark.

South FL has some nice shad tolerant native evergreens in general I'm currently trialing some Jamaica caper in protected almost full shade and want to grow Ardisia escallonioides eventually

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Collector of native, ornithophilous, Stachytarpheta, iridescent, and blue or teal-flowering plants

 

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@Calosphace that's some good ideas, thanks!  It looks like Inkberry Holly (Ilex Glabra) is a Florida native plant, suitable for any location in FL.  Apparently they grow dense in full sun but get somewhat sparse in shade, but can be aggressively pruned back to form like with Viburnum.  I've seen them around here but didn't know the name.  I found the same kind of issues with Camellia, they'd probably do great in a sunny area. 

"Hagiwara" looks like a promising choice if it can be pruned to be somewhat narrower than the natural rounded shape.  I read it can grow well easily into zone 8 and is around 10-15' tall and diameter.  I'll have to look into that one to see if it could be pruned into about an 6-10' wide hedge.

In my case Dwarf Palmetto is probably too short, as it would take decades to get up to fill in the 6-10' height range.  But it is a very dense shrub and does a good job of noise blocking!

To me Anise just looks way too much like the weeds that drive me nuts here...  :D But "Grape Holly" Mahonia x Winter Sun has a really interesting shape with straight branches out and holly leaves.  It's almost like a flatter version of an Encephalartos Ferox!

I hadn't heard that Laurel Leaf Snailseed produced suckers, is that similar to the way Viburnum does?  If a Viburnum Odoratissimum branch touches the mulch it frequently starts growing roots and forms a whole new tree.  I've had to prune off ground-level stuff at least a few times on my hedges, just to keep them from getting way out of control.  If Snailseed produces suckers close to the trunk then that's probably fine, but if they pop up several feet away that would be a real problem.

UFL also recommended Marlberry as a good option, it's probably towards the top of my list.  Jamaican Caper might work, but since I routinely get into the upper 20s it might defoliate too often.  I'll have to look into that one.

I've thought about building a vine wall just using some lattice panels.  I started another thread here for vines:

 

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  • 2 months later...

Today I chainsawed out 2 and a half Viburnum shrubberies, which is really odd.  Two weeks ago I was working back in that area and these all looked perfect.  A week later and two were clearly D-E-D.  On the "half" one trunk looks totally normal, but the other one was completely dead.  It looks like they are actually separate plants and the trunks just squooshed together near the bottom.  The cause of death is still unknown, but I noted that the "heart" on some of the branches was collapsed and hollow.  Here's the before:

20231029_122707Viburnumbeforecutting.thumb.jpg.4ddb02c0f85695bb1965e270ff209e7a.jpg

And the 15 foot wide hole in my hedgeline:

20231029_180655Viburnum2_5DED.thumb.jpg.cee7d22dd9fa58c2e5191df338f26f5c.jpg

One possible culprit is that there's an old dead oak stump centered under the fenceline, about halfway between the two visible concrete pads.  Maybe the underground rotting oak trunks are being eaten away by a fungus, and that fungus also attacks Viburnum roots?  Two other spots with random rapid Viburnum deaths also had old oak trunks, so there might be a link.  Here's the cut top of one of them:

20231029_180714ViburnumcutDEDtop.thumb.jpg.731bd18f5c4fd72fda6709d5dcbdee0d.jpg

And on the East hedgeline there was another that died a couple of weeks ago, with no apparent issues with either of the neighboring Viburnum.  I dug this one out and planted a pair of Podocarpus "Maki" and a "Mast Tree" aka Polyalthia Longifolia v. Pendula.  This will be a good hardiness test for a young Mast tree, and give me an idea if the Podocarpus will make a decent replacement:

20231029_180214ViburnumPodocarpusMastTree.thumb.jpg.87f5a6865eb14d0561abad01380ef631.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

And in the backyard another Viburnum died.  This was next to the other two that rapidly died, and I removed those on October 29th.  At the time this looked totally fine...now it's 100% wilted and D-E-D. 

20231112_151020ViburnumDED.thumb.jpg.936be06966d13bf1ed387cae656ba8c1.jpg

In the front yard corner I planted a Polyalthia Longifolia v. Pendula (far left) and replaced a young Viburnum with a Cocculus Laurifolius "Laurel-leaf Snailseed" in the back right.  This is a warm spot in the yard, so hopefully a good hardiness test:

20231112_170003SnailseedMastTree.thumb.jpg.9181fe5261abda3779dc92230cfc64a8.jpg

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