Privacy Trees or Shrubs

[Mking143]

A friend of mine has some new neighbors of excessive girth and questionable decorum. They've just installed a used, ratty looking Jacuzzi on their back porch, which is in full view of her back porch.

Of course what happens on one's private property is one's own business, but not everyone wants to see that.
Looking for some ideas for fast growing trees or hedge screen that's not overly fussy.
Thanks,
Mike

[Snipe Hunter]

Leyland cypress trees

[fixtureman]

Bamboo grows fast

[branchacctg]

Forsythia

Redtip

Kudzu

[jcredding]

Privet, Oleander, Melaluca or Bottlebrush depending on your location. Melaluca can be purchased fairily large for a reasonable price and grows pretty quickly.

Be careful with Kudzu - it's very invasive so you have to keep an eye on it or over the years it will strangle trees and other plants.

[Mking143]

Thanks all.

I took the kudzu as a joke.  

[JosephP]

I personally don't really like arborvitae trees, but I recommend them on a regular basis because they make great visual barrier without taking up too much room or becoming invasive like bamboo will.  Green Giants grow really fast....  Other cultivers look nicer.

Ninebark is another deciduous shrub that nobody else has mentioned that grows fast.  It is a native so also not invasive.

From the lists above, bamboo, kudzu, privet are all invasive.

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Bamboo is great if it is hardy enough for your area. Look for a clumping bamboo (bambusa) as it will spread only a few inches per year.

[Duane N]

I planted a number of Ligustrum hedges on the front of my property to reduce the traffic noise because my street is fairly busy.  They can be some work keeping them trimmed but they grow easily and the flowers have a nice aroma.

   

[EricU]

A PO of my house planted Hemlock trees along both sides of our yard.  The stupid part is that he planted them so close to the property line that if they get any bigger, the trunks will partially be in the neighbor's yard.  The unfortunate part is that there is a parasite that is killing them because we didn't have deep enough freezes for a number of years.  My neighbor is a bit of a jerk and trims them back so that is also killing them.  I think everyone appreciates the privacy, but they are getting pretty barren in the lower levels.  Probably have to  do something about this soon.