# Looking for some fast growing trees for privacy fence and hold dirt near river ?



## bigric954rr (Jan 29, 2018)

i live near a river in Oregon close to 97810 I’m looking for some trees that will grow fast for a privacy fence. Some to hold some dirt close to the river. Also some to use later down the road for fire wood. It’s gets very wet in the winter and spring dry in summer light rain in fall and winter is a mix’s if anyone guess rain/snow /ice cold/ warm nothing 

Right now I have lots of cottonwoods which keep taking out fencing and driving me nuts . Slowly burning them up for crappy firewood. 

I have a few poplars and Pondarosa pines which are huge 4ft in diameter going to keep the ponderosa pines but might lose one or two as I will be moving some ground around which might choke them out hope not.

Well looking for some trees and ideas ? 
Also any good places to buy from to get good trees at a fair price?


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## Conquistador3 (Jan 29, 2018)

Black locust (Pseudoacacia robinia) is the first tree that springs to mind as both fast growing and good firewood, but beware it can become really invasive, so check with local council if it can be planted. 

If privacy is a concern you may want to check fast growing bushes (according to RHS classification) such as English hawthorn (Crataegus levigata) and various Snowberry species and their hybrids (Symphoricarpos sp). Both are also good for local wildlife. 

Finally for erosion control you may want to check into Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum): there are several hybrids developed specifically for erosion control. I am checking into them for a slowly eroding slope that is driving me nuts.
Again, good for local wildlife and makes good cattle fodder, but mind it can be toxic for horses and goats.


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## bigric954rr (Jan 29, 2018)

ok thank you i will be looking into the black locust. 

Any idea for evergreen type of trees i was looking at leny cypress trees but i guess they only live for 15 years


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## Conquistador3 (Jan 30, 2018)

If by "Leny" you mean "Leyland", the main reasons they are shortlived are because they are a very fast growing tree with very shallow roots, meaning they'll succumb to dry weather (unless generously watered) or will be uprooted by heavy wet snowfalls, gales etc and because they are very susceptible to Cypress canker. 

Cedro blanco (I think it's called Mexican cedar in the US) and Arizona cypress are better alternatives all around, albeit they don't grow as fast as Leyland cypress. Both tolerate pretty much any climate but barren deserts and frozen wastelands, have deep and extensive root system (the former is used for erosion control in much of South America) and can grow well even in areas where Cypress canker is endemic.


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## bigric954rr (Jan 30, 2018)

Ok I was looking at the Arizona cypress to . I also like the fact that it has deep root systems I get heavy wind next to the river . I also want some thing to get down to the water in a dry summer

I just read that the Arizona Cypress doesnt like a high water level which being a river level might cause a issue


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## farmer steve (Jan 30, 2018)

also look at sunburst locust.fast growing and makes good firewood if need be.


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## Conquistador3 (Jan 30, 2018)

bigric954rr said:


> Ok I was looking at the Arizona cypress to . I also like the fact that it has deep root systems I get heavy wind next to the river . I also want some thing to get down to the water in a dry summer
> 
> I just read that the Arizona Cypress doesnt like a high water level which being a river level might cause a issue



A river is not necessarily associated to a high water table: you can tell the latter by standing water after rain, or if your basement gets flooded all the time. 
A nearby river may however provide extra moisture to the ground, which is usually beneficial to cypress trees: Persian cypresses planted in Northern Italy and Crimea usually grow considerably faster than their brethren planted in drier climates and may grow to extreme sizes.



farmer steve said:


> also look at sunburst locust.fast growing and makes good firewood if need be.



Isn't that a cultivar of Honey locust marketed as "Podless and thornless"?


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## bigric954rr (Jan 30, 2018)

Ok thank you . Yea water drains pretty well here . But the ground get water logged 1-2 month out of the year. River come up and the rains turn every to mush. In a bad year I’ve had the river running thought the driveway but I drops back with In a day


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## farmer steve (Jan 30, 2018)

Conquistador3 said:


> A river is not necessarily associated to a high water table: you can tell the latter by standing water after rain, or if your basement gets flooded all the time.
> A nearby river may however provide extra moisture to the ground, which is usually beneficial to cypress trees: Persian cypresses planted in Northern Italy and Crimea usually grow considerably faster than their brethren planted in drier climates and may grow to extreme sizes.
> 
> 
> ...


yes in that family. grows pretty fast. i have found a few pods but not many. it will shoot up suckers from shallow roots.


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## gary courtney (Jan 30, 2018)

sawtooth oak grows fast


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## ropensaddle (Mar 8, 2018)

Willows like it wet !


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## Canyon Angler (May 5, 2018)

Thuja green giant? (I have leyland cypresses and hate them. They get bagworms like crazy, they get diseased, the bottoms die off, nothing like Thujas, which seem to be disease- and pest-free around here at least...)


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## Skeans (May 5, 2018)

bigric954rr said:


> i live near a river in Oregon close to 97810 I’m looking for some trees that will grow fast for a privacy fence. Some to hold some dirt close to the river. Also some to use later down the road for fire wood. It’s gets very wet in the winter and spring dry in summer light rain in fall and winter is a mix’s if anyone guess rain/snow /ice cold/ warm nothing
> 
> Right now I have lots of cottonwoods which keep taking out fencing and driving me nuts . Slowly burning them up for crappy firewood.
> 
> ...



Are you looking for canopy size or height? Remember planting something else can have bad effects out here. For a fast paced tree you might try some Oregon valley pine I have it in a wet area where it’s growing like a weed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sgbotsford (Jun 8, 2018)

Look at birch. Needs some sun. You want a cultivar that is resistant to birch borer. You may be able to get paper birch seedlings from your local extension agent, as they are often used for erosion control. Try your woodlot association.

Birch is good firewood. Trees in Alberta climate typically grow 2.5 to 3 feet a year. Probably close to double that in your climate.

If you want firewood out of it, plant them close together and several rows. Look at native stands to get an idea for spacing. This will minimize branches which are time consuming to cut out.

Birch do like water, but shouldn't be flooded for extensive periods of time.

Another possibility is siberian larch -- same genus as tamarack but will grow pretty much anywhere grass will grow. 3 feet a year in Alberta.

***

Burning poplar: I find that poplar is good wood for burning, but anything over 6" diameter should be split, and dried out of the rain for 2 years. I heat my house of 2500 square feet on about 5 cords of poplar wood a year in a 10,000 heating degree day climate. (House is pretty good for solar gain.)


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## Beetlejuice (Jun 9, 2018)

bigric954rr said:


> Ok thank you . Yea water drains pretty well here . But the ground get water logged 1-2 month out of the year. River come up and the rains turn every to mush. In a bad year I’ve had the river running thought the driveway but I drops back with In a day


My pop dropped a chestnut on the fence line about 10 or 12 yrs ago and I am now trimming it around the power lines.. This is from a ground planting (seed)? Probably do much better from say a 3 ft start.. Just a thought.. I'm not in the know


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