are you aware of a bush
that has deciduous leaves in a dense foliage and keeps them throughout the year and grows rapidly to 12 feet
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners.
In order to provide you with options for a bush or shrub that grows to a height of 12′, we need more information about the conditions where you would like this plant to grow.
For example:
- is the location in full sun, part sun, dappled shade or full shade?
- is the soil sandy, loamy, or clayey?
- is the soil usually wet, moist or dry?
- is the soil pH acidic or alkaline?
- what plant hardiness zone will it be planted within? Toronto Master Gardeners have a good explanation here.
- will it be affected by road salt or drying winds, or will it be tucked into a back yard?
Other considerations are: preferred mature width; leaf colour; native or non-native; attractive to birds or pollinators.
Most deciduous shrubs and trees drop their leaves in autumn in Toronto. A few, such as beech (Fagus spp.), may hold onto their leaves during winter but they are dried and brown in colour. These dead leaves will drop in spring when new leaves break bud and push them off – this process is called “marcescence“. Certain beech can be planted close together, be regularly pruned to create and maintain a hedge.
Most coniferous or evergreen shrubs and trees will keep their leaves all year. You may find some useful suggestions in this Toronto Master Gardener response to a request for a fast-growing 12′ privacy hedge.
More suggestions and information can be found in the Toronto Master Gardeners Gardening Guides: “Gardening with Native Shrubs” and “Planting a Tree for Life.”