Willow Wall,Fir Fortress

I need a tall opaque barrier. The fence portion can only be so tall , so I'm leaning towards plants.
Bamboo is too crazy, much as I hate the asshat next door, I want to leave this lot a better place than i found it.
Sunchokes are seasonal, so I've been thinking about willows and evergreens.
I have a source of free willow staves and have been wanting to grow them for rooting compound and fuel.
Fast growing evergreens should be easy to come by via state run nurseries.


One more idea is an arbor for vines that starts at six feet up 12 foot poles, and sits just behind the 6' privacy fence, thus effectively blocking line of sight almost as well as a 12' tall fence. I don't prefer this method, as it takes materials and maintenance, and produces liability if it falls.

I have a source of free willow staves and have been wanting to grow them for rooting compound and fuel.

This looks like an interesting option as you have a free source, they grow quickly and you can use it for rooting compound and fuel.  So multi functional!  By harvesting for fuel, you will be able to harvest them when they start to get a good enough size,  coppicing them at the ground.  You will be able to pick which ones in order to still having enough privacy.  The small branches can be a good source of chop & drop around other trees and plants as needed.

I was looking into the same thing for a friend.  Arborvitae are a great screen but the deer love to eat them.  So if you combine it with a 6' fence you won't see the deer damage or the fence could encircle the trees to protect them.  Another tree the nursery suggested was a tall/narrow juniper.  They are more deer resistant and don't split with snow load (per the nuserywoman), but they were very expensive...  

Unless I'm missing something, willow sound like they'd have the same annual problem as sunchokes though they'd still have wood blocking the view in winter.