Replacement tree recommendations?

jennyjelly

Until last year we had a flowering cherry against the back fence, which had a wide spread and gave us privacy from the houses backing onto ours. Last spring (2009) it didn't do anything and was clearly dead, We didn't want to lose our screen so we planted a clematis montana to ramble through it which did the same job very effectively.

It is now quite rotten and for the sake of safety we had no choice but to take it down, but we feel so exposed! There is a 6ft fence but we are still overlooked by the upstairs of the house at the back.

Can you recommend a good replacement please? We would like something with good spread which will grow to full size fairly quickly then stop. We don't want another flowering cherry, nor do we want any kind of conifer (we live by the sea and they go brown due to the salt in the air). It is about 30 feet from any buildings.

I quite fancy something that will give us a crop, but not apples. I wondered about nut trees, but don't know how difficult they are to grow.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

zarazara

You could try Almond and /or hazel. both easy to grow. A russian vine planted over a pergola would give speedy cover.

Daftanian

How about a crab apple tree? I have one at the bottom of my garden. It has lovely blossom in the spring and produces crab apples (decorative) in the autumn. You can get varieties that produce crab apples that are edible.