Can't stand my neighbors

I hate looking at my neighbors junk! What can I plant that will block my view? Those comments are frequently asked almost on a daily basis working at Guzman's Greenhouse.

Folks hate to look at dirty trash cans, old junk cars, dog houses, junked out sheds and a slew of other unslightly items that your neighbor may have piling up in their yard. Following are some great shrubs/trees that will grow quickly and help eliminate that unsightly view.

Ligustrum japonicum 'Texanum' (L. texanum) or commonly known as Waxlef Privet. This shrub will grow very fast and is an evergreen. They have small white blooms during spring. The can grow up to 10' tall and almost 6' wide. They can tolerate heat and will do well in shady areas. Cold hardiness is 0 to 10 F. These are not drought tolerant plants and they like to be watered reguarly. This is an excellent hedge plant and can block that view in no time. 1 ga. containers will take about 3-5 years to do the job. Very little maintenance.

Golden Bamboo or Phyllostachys aurea. This type of bamboo grows very fast and has dense branches of dark green foliage on stiff cane like limbs or trunks. Can grow up to 10' tall, they are evergeen in the southwest. They spread by underground runners. This bamboo is ideal if you have a large space that needs covering quickly. However caution needs to be taken because they can get invasive. There are other varities but this is one of the more common ones and most nurseries should have them. Some maintenance during the peak summer months. Oh by the way no blooms whatsoever.

Afghan Pines or Eldrica Pinus. This type of evergeen pine tree is also called a Mondell pine and a desert pine. They grow very fast if watered frequently during it's first 2-3 years after planting. They grow to about 80' tall and about 5-6' wide. Do not trim the bottom limbs if you need additional lower blockage. These pine trees are very drought tolerant once established. They do require quite a bit of maintenance as they will drop numerous pine cones and pine needles. Plant them about 7-10' apart for a good evergeen hedge. These trees will get large but will do the job rather quickly.


Oleanders or Nerium oleander. These shrubs are an exellent border privacy type plant. The red variety can grow up to 20' tall and about 10'ft wide. They are a profilic growing type of shrub. They can take lots of water or very little water. They bloom all summer long and provide excellent hedge privacy. However they do not like temperatures lower than 20 degrees f. They do get stressed out during the cold southwestern winters. However they are very hardy and can be trimmed back during the winter months and they will bounce back even stronger than the year before.

You can also use Arizona cypress, thuja arborvitae, and pyracantha. Ask for them at your local nursery or visit our garden centers located in Las Cruces, NM.

At Color Your World Garden centers we will almost always have these type of plants during the spring, summer and fall months.


Remember if your neighbor has recently started to plant the plants mentioned in this article you might want to take a look at whats in your backyard!

Thanks from Paul and Gary Guzman