Hi
Can you tell me a few fast growing hedges for partial sun places in durham region. Nothing over 2 metres. Also can bamboo grow here? I thought it was a plant for hot places.
Thanks
Thank you for contacting the Toronto Master Gardeners.
As per your request please find a list of some of the faster growing hedging shrubs that can be managed with some pruning under 2 meters;
Euonymus fortunei ‘Emerald Gaiety’, ‘Silver Queen’ or ‘Emerald n Gold’;
Red Osier Dogwood (Cornus sericea) 0r Silverleaf Dogwood
Viburnum varieties; such as European Snowball (Viburnum opulus ‘ Roseum’), Compact Highbush Cranberry (Viburnum opulus)
Amur Privet (Lingstrum amurense)
False Spirea (Sorbaria sorbifolia) … (but is invasive)
Dwarf Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’)
barberry (Berberis thunbergii),
burning bush (Euonymus alatus),
Lilac (Syringa) or Dwarf Korean Lilac (Syringa meyeri ‘Palibin’)
Bridal Wreath Spirea (Spiraea vanhoutte)
Red Prince Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Red Prince’)
Arctic Willow (Salix purpurea ‘Gracilis’) or Dappled Willow (Salix integra ‘Hakuro Nishiki’)
Cedars are also generally faster growing and will exceed 2 meters, but can be trimmed to that height. Some vaieties include; Eastern White Cedar, DeGroot’s Spire or Emerald Cedar
Please refer to the following link for more information on hedges;
With regards to bamboo, there are indeed cold hardy varieties that can be used as a hedge or accent plant. Although most are cold hardy most all of them die back to the ground each winter, then regenerate.
It is important to distinguish between clumping types and non-clumping types, because the later group is very invasive and very hard to contain. The Clumping Types are much more manageable and sought after.
The following link has an excellent description of cold hardy bamboos.
https://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/bamboo-species/bamboo-species.html
The following article found in the Globe and Mail provides a good synopsis of cold hardy bamboos.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/yes-canadians-can-grow-bamboo/article25577167/