Excellent tree type for natural visual barrier between properties in Wisconsin?
 

What type of tree would provide a fast growing, natural visual barrier between my neighbors property and ours? We live in Wisconsin in zone 5. We area also in the country on 4 acres surrounded by a new 80 acre sheep and horse farm with a LARGE house with LARGE windows situated diagonally pointing right at our back yard and house.

desired parameters:

1) fast growing to provide reasonable amount of privacy in 3 or so years
2) dense foliage
3) economical
4) at least 12' high at maturation

Thoughts?

Speedy:)

I suggest consulting with an area nursery or garden shop. The local knowledge thing.

strategically placed rows of poplars. there are fast growing hybrid varieties.

Mix 'em up so if a disease or insect arrives (Emerald Ash Borer, etc...) it hopefully won't take out all of your trees. Mix in some evergreens, maples, etc... Remember that the faster a tree grows, the shorter it's lifespan...

You might want year-round privacy, for which the evergreen-types would be best. We have a blue spruce in the front yard that went from 20-30ft in a few years which the cardinals love.
Just one idea, but they are cone-shaped and will be smaller at the top.

Another idea for hedges are Arborvite. Common, but makes decent hedges fast. Some neighbors have an 80ft tree that looks like Arborvite but is probably a fir tree of some kind.

Put the best one in a direct line from the neighbors house to your window. Remember to plant them far enough apart so they won't crowd at maturity. Pre-composting(not too much) and mutch never hurt anything.

Since you have the space, you might consider planting some legacy trees for the pocketbooks of future generations. Cherry, white oak, black walnut(not many houseplants survive under these), or another type of hardwood. Saplings can probably be sourced cheap from gov tree programs or others.

Plant a row of fast growing poplar and then a row of evergreen. Once the evergreens are big enough you get rid of the poplars.

COMMON PLANTS of WISCONSIN

The first three links are trees.

"SEEDLESS PLANTS
GYMNOSPERMS
WOODY DICOTS"

Stay away from Jack Pines and Ash, we have bugs/diseases around here that will kill them eventually.

The previous owners of our house planted some sort of hybrid willow. They are 30' in only 5 years!

All willows grow rather fast, big down side to them is that they will root after any water source including septic systems and sump drains.

Leland Cyprus if the climate allows.

Evergreen/pine grow quickly but cause problems in the soil underneath. Oak grows more slowly but some varieties hold their (brown in the winter) leaves until spring, live for (literally) generations, are drought tolerant (deep tap roots) and are truly beautiful trees. Maybe a tight row of poplars then a well spaced row of bur/swamp white oak. By the time the poplars croak, the oaks would be well set-up.

Arborvitae

i hand planted over 5000 conifers during high school to reforest my parents sod farm...that was 15 years years ago. it's taking forever.

BUT...i also stagger-planted Austrees along our highway. those might be the willow hybrids you're talking about. lots of water, and they can grow like 20 feet a year. ours are probably 60-70 feet and very full. gotta have the water though.

The larch

completely different!

Speedy,
Try checking with the UW Extension ( Tree & Shrub Selection | Wisconsin Horticulture ) Master gardeners well versed in local microclimates they may even be able to direct you to a member with trees for planting and definitely for care and under plantings. Near Milwaukee they have a perennial sale each spring from their own gardens. I have 2 black walnut trees and the only thing that has really lasted near them are bleeding hearts. Ferns and hosta lasted 5-7 years then started dying off and in the fall lots of stinky nuts.
They do grow somewhat quickly though and squirrels will help plant more.

Whatever you get, make sure it is not Siberian Elm.
Someone who developed this neighborhood planted them everywhere. They rain litter year round, drop branches(logs), and split at the low "V" of the base. I don't think they have any value for burning either.

Cypress....