Road screen in minimal sun

[4wanderingeyes]

I have about a 50 foot section that is thin and you can see through it in the winter. It is in a lightly wooded area, and fairly wet ground on normal years, but most of the time no standing water.

I would like to plant something for a road screen, but I don’t know what will grow in the understory of the currently present trees, and the damp soil.

I am in NW Wisconsin, in zone 3b, probably close to transitioning to 4a.

I had planted some balsams, but they don’t seem to be growing very fast.
Anyone have any recommendations?

 

[TreeDaddy]

Perhaps hinge cut trees in the section

Button bush grows rapidly and does well in the damp souls of my creek bottoms

bill

 

[Tree Spud]

Black spruce would be a good choice.

 

[H20fwler]

Second the black spruce…or any spruce would be year round thick screen once established and good winter cover for birds.

 

[Bassattackr]

Eastern Red Cedar grows extremely well in the shade. It will self prune fairly bad in shaded areas however. Long term you will lose the lower limbs, needles..

 

[Bassattackr]

Button bush grows rapidly and does well in the damp souls of my creek bottoms

Damp souls.. Too creepy for my taste.

 

[Telemark]

Beech could work

 

[homerj1]

Damp soil or wet soil? Norway spruce will do fine in damp soil, less so in wet soil. The native solution would be black spruce. I'd guess you have plenty of black spruce swamps in your area?

 

[loshonhora]

Only 50 feet? Put up a privacy fence,