I want to plant fast growing trees! Which will do the best?

We have a home in Northern Wisconsin. I want to plant fast growing trees that provide a lot of privacy around the border of our property. I would love some recommendations!

I have heard that the deer are eating Arbor Vitae? This has been said up in Northern Wisconin. True?

Hi, we planted 50 'green giant' thuja(aborvitia) which is reportedly deer resistant! We basically have 50 sticks now! At first the deer left them alone. Then one day we noticed a couple with the tops nipped off. Now six months later-all foliage has been eaten! Sometimes just one or two deer may acquire a taste for a plant while the rest of the herd would "resist" eating it. So whatever you decide on just try a couple to test the taste buds of your local bambi!

Mignin, I also planted the "resistant" Arbor Vitae with same results. Don't know where your at, but locally we have both sandy soil (suited to pines esp Northern red) or clay gravel based soil ( suited to the balsams and spruces). Look in the forested areas close to you and see what's growing naturally. In my experience the deer will eat the white pine seedlings but not the three mentioned above. For privacy it should be an evergreen because with 7 months without leaves one can see a long way through the forest esp if deer exist anywhere near that 50/sq.mile density. Remember what works best in nature will probably work best for you. Ken

If Hemlock does well in this area I'd consider that. I drove through a section of the Chequamegon (try pronouncing that!) Nat'l Forest a while back and saw some beautiful large Hemlocks. I don't know if they're considered fast growing, but they sure are a beautiful conifer and I think would make a nice screen.

Hemlocks aren't particularly fast growing(at least not here) and deer like 'em.

Yes, spruce sounds like a winner, norway spruce are fast growing. For a decorative
landscape and disease resistance, plant a mixed bag of trees, too . In deer areas
putting small fences around trees may be necessary. Also, consider a privacy
fence . See past posts on tree or fence screens for privacy. Red oak is hardy
in northern wisconsin and it's a faster growing oak. It takes a few years for trees
to get established before the average growth for a given species begins. 2-2 transplants of some species get established better than 2-0 seedlings.

Wisconsin's Dept of Natural Resources has some recommendations for just such a project-
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/

As a tax payer in Wisconsin, you are eligible to receive free publications-
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/es/science/publications/

They also have a state nursery that you might be able to tap into-
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/forestry/Nursery/

The Norway Maple suggested above might ultimately end up creating far more work for you than what you may be interested in for the long haul-
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/invasives/photos/index.asp?mode=detail&Code=Acepla
http://www.invasive.org/eastern/midatlantic/acpl.html

I'll second Maackia's recommendation of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) but there are others, albeit not necessarily fast growing, that you might also like.

Refresh/spell check:

jimwil22 suggested Norway spruce (Pices abies), NOT Norway maple (Acer platanoides). I'd agree with researching the natives before the introduced species, too, though the selection for deer-tolerance is probably pretty thin.

That's no refresh/spell check boo boo, that's a blatant not reading every word in the sentence and seeing the word Norway and assuming boo boo. Yes, you're right V V... now where is your Levilyla to stop in to post "of course SP is always right" ;)

Norway Spruce was recommended by jimwil22, sorry about that jimwil22. The species you recommended doesn't possess nearly the potential for invasiveness that is possessed by Norway Pine. I too agree it is best to research natives before introduced species but I'll go one step further and add that it is best to plant native species when ever possible particularly in a situation where one doesn't reside at the property year round. Deer tolerance may be low these days given I believe many of us are contributing to the over population issues and I also believe we are sort of starving them out by planting so many exotics but this is not irreversible.

Maybe mignin should consider checking with the state nursery though because the trees they offer would be very affordable and possibly even free. Not to mention quality publications free for the asking.

editing to correct/add what I meant to type since I had originally thought he had typed Norway Maple not Norway Spruce-
"Norway Spruce was recommended by jimwil22, sorry about that jimwil22. The species you recommended doesn't possess nearly the potential for invasiveness that is possessed by Norway Maple."

This message was edited Jan 28, 2007 7:36 PM

Oops, forgot to mention I live down in the Chicagoland area and have property up north myself. Selecting plants is always challenging when one doesn't live there year round.

How about this one ? Hardy to Zone 3

http://seedlings.uidaho.com/nurseryshop/product.asp?dept_id=1&sku=POID20

Some interesting offerings at that site. I'm rather surprised to see a University offering a few of the species they listed but they've got some really great prices.

"Norway Spruce was recommended by jimwil22, sorry about that jimwil22. The species you recommended doesn't possess nearly the potential for invasiveness that is possessed by Norway Pine."

Sorry, I don't know how to put quotes into the cool blue y'all use. EQ, by Norway Pine are you referring to Pinus resinosa? It's my understanding that the common name for this native came from Norway, MI. I can't imagine the native Red Pine being considered invasive.

mignin,
I have lost 'Green Giant' as well as a long list of others, but the very fast 3' a year growing Leyland Cypress have remained un touched after ten years. kt

Maackia, I read that P. resinosa was called Norway pine before Norway, Maine or Mich. existed, supposedly because of confusion with Norway spruce by European explorers.

That could very well be, Claypa, but my point is that it's a native and to my knowldege not on any invasive list.

Oddly enough, I'm not from too far away from the Norway Michigan area.

Pinus resinosa is an awesome choice and that certainly isn't on any invasive lists for that area. That is one I have selected for myself for both my property down here where it is not indigenous (or if it is it's extirpated) as well as the property up north where it is indigenous. P. resinosa would probably be ideal. We always referred to P. resinosa as the Red Pine. Common names can be problematic.
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch

http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norway_Spruce

Rats, I hate that when that happens!

Try these links-

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PIRE

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PIAB

Just found a reference to P. resinosa being referred to as the Norway Pine-
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/forestry/treeid/TreePgs/pinusres.htm

Anyway, it's Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) that is highly invasive not Norway Spruce (Picea abies) which is also an introduced species that was what I actually meant to type somewhere up there. Now I see why Maackia typed what he typed. I still haven't heard of P. resinosa being called the Norway Pine for Norway Michigan but what the heck, we have Norway everything it seems.

I've never heard of a Norway Pine, I have heard of the Northern Red Pine, as kandlmidd posted above.........

Stop...breathe...exhale.

•Norway spruce (Picea abies): perfectly good conifer, not native, deer food?

•Norway pine (Pinus resinosa): perfectly good conifer, native, aka red pine, deer food?

•Norway maple (Acer platanoides): evil invasive deciduous tree in several regions, mentioned in error above, let its name not pass DG lips again

Meanwhile, we've yet to hear from mignin (rhymes with lignin) recently, whether conifers are even what are interesting or whether a multitude of species (what an environmental concept) are more up the requisite alley.

My Norway Spruce have never been bothered by deer, though there are plenty of other selections on the menu here. I assume the need is for evergreen if it's a screen but in case it's not, my Metasequoia glyptostroboides 'Ogon' has grown about 3+ feet per year and the deer have left it alone.

My deer bother pretty much everything but now so much up north.

Equilibrium, the reason that the Univ. of Idaho, at Moscow, Idaho,
sells trees is that the university has a forestry division.
They do research on trees and plants, the things that plague them
and the things to improve disease resistance in trees, etc...
They work with the state Forestry Division, which plants new
trees in the summertime in burned out areas and for reclamation.
If you want to be a Forest Ranger when you grow up, that's where
you go to school.

My husband worked his way through school by working for the
Forest Service in Idaho as a fire lookout, helping plant trees,
helping the rangers with winterburning of brushwood, counting bears
and other species, etc.... It's a great school, and well respected.

At the prices they're listing, if they are making money it isn't that much. I think it's great for a University to offer plants at great prices. Although I do not question why the University is growing trees or if it is well respected or not or if it is a great school or not, I do question some of the species currently being offered by a University and several stick out like a sore thumb. But then again, I question quite a few of the species being offered by Nature Hills which is the nursery that sponsors this forum.

norway pine or red pine (hardy to zone 2) would be a native suggestion. brings up
the question what is native? this question is not new. Jim

What ever your choice I would plant the beautiful (decidious) Swedish Aspen. It grows to 40 ' in a short 6 years/ and side by side would make a beautiful screen April through October. Then when the short slow growing evergreens take over you could cut them or thin them to fit into a beautiful blend of decidious with color and shape with the conifer of choice. This is an example of several. The two in the center are 4 years old the ones against the house between the two are 2 years old and I think you can see the mature one on the left is 8 years old. Their color in the spring emerges as a golden emerald, then in the summer you can see, and finally in the fall they are a unique yellow with tints of orange on the tips. Oh they are planted in unamended Clay and love it.

Do the Swedish Aspen spread by runners like the aspen that are native to this area. Yours are very attractive. Is that a greenhouse attached to your house on the left.

Donna

They have runners and I have easily removed the one or two that pop up each year and used them for plantings elsewhere. They are not as bad as the quaking though. That is my sun room (on the northside of the house) I don't use it for solar heat because we don't need that here. It is my family room, garden viewing area. How are things Donna. We have had a decent winter with no bad cold days here (-14F) one night. This is the view out my sun room.

Nice that you have a sunroom to look out at your wonderful garden. We still have lots of frozen snow. Yesterday was 11 degrees early morning, this morning it is 19 degrees, so I am sure it is still cloudy outside, but at least the groundhog didn't see his shadow here in this area. Tonight a friend and I are going to the annual Kiwanis Groundhog dinner (It is ground hog, that they grind and season themselves) I also buy a chunk of it to bring home and freeze for later.

I am ready for spring. See my post of yesterday of tomato seeds.

Donna

Donna, The ultimate revenge: Eat the varmints! Ken

I did eat some real ground hog once, years ago. My youngest son and a friend had been out in the hills sort of hunting. they came home before noon and gave me this bag of what they said was rabbit, that they had skinned and cut up. They wanted me to fry it up for lunch so I did. It was pretty tasty. After we ate they told me it was a groundhog. They were pretty sure that if they had told me before I wouldn't have cooked it !!!!!!!!!!

Donna

Think I'll pass on eating groundhog...........thank you! I like black angus better!!!!!

Cuckoo

Now, Donna, that's like throwing down the gauntlet.

I'll have to think long and hard about what wine pairs well with groundhog. Is that "the other yellow meat"?

This is cracking me up!!!!

Cuckoo

Being a mountain man of the Midwest we always had 'Everclear' with our Feb 2hog. It accentuates the pauxitawni essence of the dish and further benefits the palate by preventing anyone experiencing the bouquet of the ground hog hide curing out in the garage.

Good thing Steve that I had an idea about the subject upon which you were expounding.

!