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Hello Catherine and welcome to LJN.
You say rhodos and azaleas do well so we can assume acidic soil? Laurels are not fussy about such things. Is it free draining? Which side is the plant going to get most sun from? We can't see whether that is taken from north, south, east or west so I mean in relation to the picture rather than to the compass.
I'd be tempted to go for something like Choisya ternata, "Mexican Orange Blossom" which, I think, ticks all your boxes without being too fussy about soil type but does prefer good drainage and will tolerate acidic conditions. It is slow growing and will take ten years or more to reach 5 to 6 feet in height and girth. From the picture it appears you wish to screen about 3 feet initially so do not buy the smallest specimen you can find!
Also, do you think it's a good idea to put a French drain in? There was water that pooled a bit on the patio which is why we removed a giant ewe and dug a trench. I am now unhappy with the privacy/ac hiding that went with it and will install a drain myself. My husband thinks I'm crazy.
Thanks again!!! I was afraid it was a stupid question and no one would answer!
Catherine
My first question regarding drainage would be what caused the build up of surface water in the first place? If it was just a small amount pooling on the patio it may have been due to an inverse camber of the patio tiles and held there by the concrete beneath them. It would have to be far more serious to justify going to the extent of laying a land drain.
It is difficult to know what to suggest. During your tree removal and trenching was any of the patio area removed? Is there any pooling of water since? If my suspicions are confirmed I would not only dispense with the idea of a land drain (French drain) I'd also fill up the trench again, perhaps lining it with gravel first and putting a couple of lengths of land darinage pipe down there if I were still worried about it.
If, on the other hand, the pooling were more serious and especially if it still occurs you really need to investigate the cause. Otherwise you could undertake several major earthworks operations and not effect a cure.
You are being so helpful. Thank you for taking the time. Yes, the pooling is caused by the patio and previously by the stones and ewe that were blocking any other exit. It was not terrible, but we saw some leaking in the basement which prompted the work (this is a 1950 stone home that is new to us). Removing and regrading has helped. I used the word "trench" but I guess they regraded. Even though there has been improvement, it's still not perfect, plus i want a plant there to solve the other needs I have.
That said, I told my husband that I'm installing a drain and planting on top. Haha. Perhaps "French drain" is not the correct term. What I have in mind is a drain at the low pointnext to the patio, a trench dug going down in pitch away from house/patio, filled w/ gravel & PVC pipe with holes, covered by some type of landscape membrain material, and covered with dirt to be reseeded with grass. I don't think there is enough water to warrant an exit point & I'm still not sure how long of a pipe I will need. I was planning on talking to our local plumbing materials supplier about that.
Thank you again for your thoughtful responses!!!
Catherine
French drain is the USA expression for what we here in th UK call a land drain. You certainly need to use some method of draining water away from the plant's roots if the soil is not free draining of its own accord.
For the amount of water you describe to flow away safely you only need the drainage pipe to be slightly downward sloping and just long enough to reach into the nearest point where the land is naturally free draining. However, we have no way of knowing whther that is six feet or sixty feet from where you have the problem. You need advice from a much more local source. You should also ensure that any material you use to fill the trench above the pipe is not going to hold water before it flows down as far as the piping. Gravel, sand, loam or some mixture of those would be suitable as instances, but avoid clay or anything which may form a waterproof membrane.