Thread: Tree's.......... i want to plant a fast growing Gum and some screening natives

First up, I dont
Just a thought though
dont fast growing trees have shallow roots and equal fall over easy
cheers
blaze

Try some Lilypilly's (Syzigium sp.) for your screens and one of the Red flowering gum (Eucalyptus ptyghocarpa??) grafted onto a hardier rootsock.This tree has the big gumnuts and the grated versions are now available in white,pink and mauve (this one is stunning) flowering cultivars.

I've just put in 100 or so Grevillea Rosmarinifolia. These are quick growing, should come up to about 2m (depending on where you read about it some say up to 3m) and spaced at 1.5m are meant to provide a good screen. They are a needle leaf and come up in a red flower which are reported to bring in the bird life. They are as common as to get (although they may have run out at this time of the year) and I paid about $1.90 ea for 6" plants in little Ag tubes.

what slunnie said! grivellia's or banksia's (not as fast growing) they will bring native birds from all over!

cheers phil

I agree, there are some great hybrid Grevilleas out now, or bottlebrushes ( Callistemon ) are another thought.

Westringias are a good fast growing choice too ,-grey green foliage with purple or white flowers.

They all need a bit of a prune back every year to keep their shape - you can do it with hedgeclippers.

Go to your local State Forest Nursery and ask their advice for your area soil type.
Having said that, Grevillea's and Bottle Brushes are bloody good at screening.
We've done the same as Slunnie, but our soil is a bit rich for most Grevilleas and so they aren't doing so well, (chocolate/black basalt) although Silky Oaks (Grevillea Robusta ) thrive here. (but don't plant them, they tend to drop branches and themselves a bit)
Banksias just die here

The fastest growing trees on our place ATM are Lemon Scented Gums and and Willow Gums, oh, and our Claret Ash are storming ahead in this wet season. They are outdoing all the other trees, including the deciduous (we've planted well over 150 trees twelve months ago)
All the natives went in as el-cheapo tube stock from the State Forrests nursery and we hardly lost anything in the first frosts. (Lemon Scenteds aren't supposed to be very frost tolerant)

If you want a native screen, these might be worth a look.

Acacia howittii - Growing Native Plants

VERY fast growing. They are weeping tree but can be grown into a dense hedge with closely spaced planting. We have one which has put on 2m in less than 18 months from a 400mm tall sapling. Flowers are amazing too.

In terms of the Gum, choose wisely!

Grevillea Elegance grafted on Grevillea Robusta (Silky Oak)root. Plant it 1.8 meters apart. Wii grow more than 3 meters high and about 2.5 wide.
Cheers