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Which Hedge?

Hedging Plants Explained

We sell many different types of hedging plants

If you are not sure which type of hedge to choose or the plant names just don’t mean anything to you, then the guide below will help you choose which hedging plants are best for your garden.

Most of the hedging plants we sell are fast growing and evergreen (meaning they keep their leaves all year round) although we do also sell native hedging plants that lose their leaves in winter.

To find out more about a specific hedging plant, please click the link below:

Leylandii (Green)

Other Common Names: Leyland Cypress, Leylandi, Conifer Hedging 

Botanical Latin Names: x Cupressocyparis leylandii, x Cuprocyparis leylandii, Cupressus x leylandii

Speed of growth: up to 1 metre (3ft) per year

Hardiness:  Hardy down to -25 to 30°C

Why choose Leylandii?

Leylandii is a fast-growing hedging plant, Evergreen (keeps its leaves all year round) with least expensive pricing at heights over 4ft tall. This variety can be found in larger sizes and thrives even when the weather gets rough (Hardy & wind tolerant)!

Description

The Leylandii is a conifer that’s the fastest-growing, evergreen hedge and will create one quickly.
Because it grows so fast you can get your hedges up in less than 6 months! The cheapest way of forming an elegant garden for all seasons at low cost – which makes this popular with families who want everything under control without breaking their budgets too much

If it is pruned every year, Leylandii will create a formal dark-green evergreen screen or box-shaped hedge, similar to a Yew hedge.  Leylandii can be kept to any height as long as you trim it once or twice a year. We have kept a Leylandii Hedge 4ft tall for over 25 years. We trim the tops of most of our Leylandii Hedges twice a year and the sides once a year. 

Other benefits of Leylandii hedging plants are:

  • Leylandii is also very tolerant of wind and cold temperatures.
  • Dense foliage acts as sound barrier
  • Best at filtering particulates (air pollution) from passing traffic
Soil types & growing conditions

Leylandii will grow in wet, heavy clay soils but not soils that become water-logged. 
Leylandii will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

Leylandii trees will grow very tall (over 30m or 100ft) if left untrimmed but like a Beech tree/hedge can be kept trimmed to heights as low as 1m (3ft) tall. Keeping it trimmed regularly will also mean the foliage stays dense down to ground level. If a hedge is allowed to grow too tall, especially where there is competition for nutrients and water from hedging plants planted together, it will often shed the lower leaves/needles. It is also much easier to trim a hedge that is kept to a reasonable height.

Laurel Hedging

Other Common Names: Cherry Laurel, Common Laurel, English Laurel

Botanical Names: Prunus laurocerasus, Prunus laurocerasus ‘Rotundifolia’, Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’, Prunus laurocerasus ‘Caucasica’

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: up to 60cm (2ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -20°C 

Why choose Laurel Hedging Plants?

Fast-growing – the fastest growing hedging plant if you don’t want a conifer
Evergreen (keeps its leaves all year round)
Least expensive non-conifer hedging plant
The best hedging plant for shady sites
Tough & Hardy
Grows in most soils
Available in larger sizes

Description

Laurel is the quickest growing evergreen hedging plant that isn’t a conifer, so if you don’t want a conifer hedge, Laurel is the quickest and cheapest way of creating an evergreen hedge.  Laurels will also provide the most instant hedging as the taller sizes (4ft, 5ft and 6ft) are bushy and can often create an instant screen if planted close enough. 

Laurel leaves are rounded, glossy and bright green leaves and look good all year round.  They can be trimmed into formal box-shaped hedges or they can create a less formal looking hedge.  You will need to trim a Laurel Hedge once a year.  Laurel hedging plants will regenerate from old wood if they become overgrown.

Soil types & growing conditions

Laurel hedging plants will grow in most soils except shallow chalky or very wet soils.

They will grow in the full sun or in shade as long as it is watered while it is establishing a root system. Laurel is often seen growing under trees in National Trust properties and is probably the best evergreen hedging plant for growing in the shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

Up to 6m (18ft) tall

Portugal Laurel – Prunus lusitanica Angustifolia

Other Common Names: Portuguese Laurel

Botanical Name: Prunus lusitanica, Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’, Prunus lusitanica ‘Myrtifolia’

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 50cm (20in) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -20°C 

Why choose Portugal Laurel?

Evergreen (keeps its leaves all year)
Neat & tidy formal appearance
Fragrant white flowers and attractive red stems
Available in larger sizes

Description

Portugal Laurel has a dark green leaf that is much smaller than the leaf of Cherry Laurel. It is medium-fast growing although not quite as quick growing as Cherry Laurel. The stems of Portugal Laurel are red when young and this contrasts well with the dark green leaves. We mainly sell the smaller leaved form of Portugal Laurel hedging plants that looks very similar to Bay Laurel but is much hardier (will take much lower temperatures) than Bay Laurel. It forms an excellent evergreen garden hedge and can be kept to any shape or size.  It is easy to maintain and keep it looking neat and tidy but it will regenerate from old wood if it does become overgrown.

Soil types & growing conditions

Portugal Laurel hedging plants will grow in all free-draining soils (i.e. not waterlogged) including chalky soils and will grow in full sun or partial shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

Prunus lusitanica ‘Angustifolia’ or ‘Myrtifolia’ (Smaller leaf) – up to 6m (18ft)

Thuja Plicata – Western Red Cedar

Common Name: Western Red Cedar, Pacific Red Cedar, Western Arborvitae

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 
Thuja plicata up to 75cm (2’6”) per year
Thuja Brabant grows up to 60-75cm (2’-2’6″) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25°C 

Why choose Thuja Plicata or Thuja Occidentalis?

Fast-growing hedging plants
Evergreen hedging
Tough & Hardy
Available in larger sizes
Wind Tolerant
Can shoot from old wood

Description

Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar) and Thuja ‘Brabant’ are fast-growing conifers that create an evergreen hedge. Thuja are extremely hardy and will tolerate strong winds. They grow in most soils (except for water-logged soils). Thuja plicata and especially Thuja Brabant tend to be a bit bushier than Leylandii in the pot or as a rootballed hedging plant (one dug straight from the ground) but they are slightly slower growing than Leylandii so are generally cost a little bit more for the equivalent height plant.  Leylandii and Thuja will form a very similar, dense hedge although Thuja will sometimes shoot back from old wood. Thuja have aromatic, fruity foliage when brushed against. Keep them trimmed once a year to the height and width you need and they will form a fantastic field or garden hedge.

Thuja plicata tends to be slightly quicker growing and has a darker green foliage that turns bronze in cold winters or in windy locations.

Thuja occ. Brabant tends to be a paler green in colour than Thuja plicata

Soil types & growing conditions

Thuja will grow in all soils except those that are waterlogged for long periods in winter.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

up to 30m (100ft) or trim to the required height.

Griselinia Littoralis

Botanical Name: Griselinia littoralis

Common Names: None

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 50cm (20in) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -13°C in sites sheltered from cold winds.

Why choose Griselinia Littoralis?

Evergreen (these hedging plants keep their leaves all year round).
Attractive apple-green leaves
Good for coastal locations 
Easy to maintain

Description

Griselinia is a medium-fast growing, evergreen hedging plant that forms an excellent garden hedge. As it is tolerant of salt, it is good for coastal locations or for hedges near roads where gritters pass by in the winter.

Its leaves always looks a fresh ‘Granny-Smith’ apple-green, even in winter and it creates a dense hedge down to ground level.

Griselinia will take temperatures down to -13°C in sheltered sites and will grow in any free-draining soil. It will grow to 6m (18ft) tall if left untrimmed but it is easy to keep a Griselinia hedge as low as 90-120cm (3-4ft) tall by trimming once a year.

Soil types & growing conditions

Griselinia will grow in any free-draining soil in full sun or partial shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

up to 5-6m (15-18ft) or trim to the required height.

Leylandii Castlewellan Gold & Excalibur Gold

Common Names:  Golden Leylandii, Golden Leyland Cypress, Golden Leylandi

Botanical Names: x Cupressocyparis leylandii ‘Castlewellan Gold’, x Cuprocyparis leylandii ‘Castlewellan’ or ‘Excalibur’

Speed of growth under ideal conditions:
Castlewellan Gold up to 75cm (2’6”) per year
Excalibur Gold up to 60cm (2’) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25°C

Why choose Leylandii Castlewellan or Excalibur Gold?

Fast-growing hedging plant
Evergreen (keep their leaves all year round)
Attractive Golden-yellow foliage
Tough & hardy
Available in larger sizes

Description

Leylandii Castlewellan Gold is the most popular form of Golden Leylandii Hedging. It is fast growing so will form a hedge quickly. If it is trimmed every year, it will create a dense evergreen garden hedge that is bright yellowish-gold in the spring and summer.  The golden colour turns a more lime-green in autumn and it can turn a bronze colour in a cold winter. As with the green leylandii, we recommend trimming the sides of a Castlewellan hedge once a year and the tops twice a year. Castlewellan Gold Leylandii is slightly slower growing than the Green Leylandii for this reason it is usually slightly more expensive than Green Leylandii for the equivalent height plant.  It will grow in any soil except for water-logged soil.

Leylandii Excalibur Gold is very similar to Castlewellan Gold and most people wouldn’t be able to tell the difference. It is slightly slower growing than Castlewellan Gold but as a result usually makes a slightly denser plant when grown in a pot. Once in the ground and trimmed as a hedge, the two types of Golden Leylandii are virtually identical.

Soil types & growing conditions

Golden Leylandii will grow in any free-draining (i.e. not waterlogged) soil in full sun or partial shade. The foliage will be more golden in full sun and pale green in shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

Golden Leylandii Trees will grow up to 25m (75ft) or can  be trimmed to the required height. The hedge in the picture is 1.2m (4ft) tall.

Hornbeam – Carpinus betulus

Common Names:  Hornbeam, Common Hornbeam, European Hornbeam, Horn Beech, Horse Beech

Botanical Name:  Carpinus betulus

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 30-60cm (1-2ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25 to -30°C

Why choose Hornbeam hedging plants?

A good hedging plant for heavy clay soils
Attractive green serrated leaves
Creates a neat & tidy formal hedge
Hardy & Tough

Description

Hornbeam is a native to the UK and creates a wonderful formal hedge if pruned regularly. It is very similar to Beech in appearance but has the benefit of growing in heavy clay and will tolerate wetter soils than Beech. It is deciduous but usually holds on to some of its leaves that turn brown in winter.

Soil types & growing conditions

Hornbeam hedging plants will grow in most soils including heavy clay. They are very hardy and will tolerate windy sites (although not coastal exposure). Grows in full sun or partial shade

Eventual height if left untrimmed

>25m (75ft) or trim to required height

Beech – Fagus sylvatica

Common Names: Common Beech, Green Beech, European Beech

Botanical Name: Fagus sylvatica

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 30-60cm (1’-2’) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25°C 

Why choose Beech hedging plants?

Fresh green leaves every spring
Golden-brown leaves in winter
Creates a neat, formal box-shaped hedge
Grows on chalky soils
Hardy

Description

Beech is a deciduous tree that makes an excellent formal garden hedge. It has fresh green leaves in early spring and although it is deciduous (i.e. not evergreen), it often keeps the golden-brown leaves in the winter months providing some screening. Beech is very hardy but will not grow in wet or heavy clay soils – for these use Hornbeam instead.

Soil types & growing conditions

Any well-drained soil that is not wet over the winter months. If you have a heavy clay soil, then grow Hornbeam instead. Full sun or partial shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

>25m (80ft) but can be kept trimmed to any size.

Native Hedging Plants

Native hedging plants include Beech, Hornbeam, Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Hazel, Field Maple, Dogwood, Spindle and Guelder Rose. Native hedging can be planted as small bare-root ‘whips’ during the winter months. These are usually single stem seedlings that are around 60-80cm (2-3ft) tall and are available in our Garden Centre from mid November until March.  Alternatively, we have container-grown plants available throughout the year or our instant hedging troughs provide a more immediate screen.

Beech and Hornbeam hedging plants are normally planted on their own as a single species often around gardens whereas mixed native, field-hedging is normally a mixture of different species including Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Field Maple, Hazel, Dogwood, Spindle and Guelder Rose.

Most native hedging plants are deciduous (i.e. they lose their leaves in winter) with the exception of Holly (Ilex).

We grow a limited selection of larger sizes of container-grown Beech and Hornbeam hedging plants that can be planted at any time of year and we are expanding the range so watch this space.

Why choose Mixed Native Hedging plants?

Good for providing nesting site and food for wildlife
Provides a mix of flowers and berries
Hawthorn is a good security barrier
Good for livestock
Grows in most soils
Hardy & Tough

Description

Mixed native hedging is a usually a mix of various species of hedging plants including hawthorn, field maple, hazel, dogwood and spindle. These provide a dense screen in the late spring, summer and autumn but lose their leaves in the winter. 
Mixed native hedging is tough and will tolerate most soils and conditions.

Soil types & growing conditions

Mixed native hedging plants will grow in most soils including heavy clay. They are very hardy and will tolerate windy sites. Grows in full sun or partial shade

Eventual height if left untrimmed

A native hedge can be trimmed to any height but if left untrimmed, he eventual height will depend on the mix of species. Hawthorn, Field Maple and Hazel will normally grow to approximately 5-6m tall (15-20ft)

Photinia ‘Red Robin’

Common Name: Red Robin

Botanical Name: Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 60cm (2ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -15°C 

Why choose Photinia 'Red Robin'?

Brilliant red young leaves especially in spring
Fast-growing hedging plant
Evergreen hedging (keeps its leaves, even in the winter)

Description

Photinia Red Robin is a popular, fast-growing, evergreen hedging plant that makes an attractive garden hedge if it is pruned twice a year. It has bright red, young leaves in early spring and, if it is trimmed in late spring or early summer, it will produce more red shoots in summer.

Photinia needs to be trimmed regularly (twice a year) to keep it dense. Laurel, Portugal Laurel or Griselinia are much easier to keep dense.

Soil types & growing conditions

Photinia Red Robin will grow in any free-draining soil.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

up to 4-5m (12-15ft) or trim to the required height.

Thuja Emerald

Botanical Names: Thuja occidentalis ‘Smaragd’, Thuja Emeraud

Common Name:  Emerald Cedar, A form of Eastern or American Arborvitae

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 30cm (1ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25°C

Why choose Thuja Emerald?

Low-maintenance hedging plant
Neat & tidy appearance
Evergreen
Tough & hardy
Good in containers or pots
Usually available in sizes up to 2m

Description

Thuja Emerald is one of the best hedging plants if you do not want to trim the sides of your hedge. It keeps its neat cone-shape so you never need to trim the sides. Even if it is allowed to grow to its full height of 5-6m (15-18ft) tall, it is not very wide so is not over-bearing. If you want to stop it getting to its full height, then just trim the top once a year.  Because Thuja Emerald does not bush out very much, it needs to be planted at closer than Leylandii or Laurel. We would recommend planting 50-75cm apart depending on how quickly you want the screen and how tall you are going to let the plants grow.

Thuja Emerald also makes an excellent specimen plant in lawns or flower beds.

Soil types & growing conditions

Thuja hedging plants will grow in any soil except waterlogged.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

up to 5-6m (15-18ft) or trim to the required height.

Box Hedging

Common Names: Box, Common Box, Boxwood, Buxus, European Box

Botanical Name: Buxus sempervirens

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: up to 20cm (8in) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -25°C 

Why choose Box Hedging plants?

Good for formal ‘box’ hedging
Low maintenance 
Makes a good small hedge
Shade tolerant hedging plants

Description

Box is a slow-growing, evergreen hedging plant with small leaves.  It is neat and compact in habit and makes a perfect small garden hedge. It has the benefit of being tolerant of shade but can suffer from Box Blight especially in damp conditions. Consider Yew as an alternative. Box will regenerate from old wood if it becomes overgrown.

Soil types & growing conditions

Any free-draining soil in sun or shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

4m (12ft) but can easily be trimmed to as low as 30cm (1ft) tall

Viburnum Tinus

Common Name:  Laurustinus

Botanical Name:  Viburnum tinus

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 30 to 40cm (12 to 16in) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -15°C

Why choose Viburnum Tinus?

Attractive white flowers all winter and spring
Evergreen hedging plant
Grows in sun or shade

Description

Viburnum tinus is an evergreen hedging plant that forms a beautiful garden hedge with masses of pink white flowers from early winter until late spring. It is has a medium growth rate and so is slower growing than most of the other hedging plants we sell but if you are willing to wait, it will form a magnificent hedge.  As it is slower growing, it is difficult to find and expensive to buy it in sizes of over 1 metre (3ft) tall.  Will regenerate from old wood if it becomes overgrown.

Soil types & growing conditions

Viburnum tinus are also one of the best hedging plants for shade but will also grow in full sun.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

up to 3-4m (10-12ft) or trim to the required height.

Holly – Ilex

Common Names:  English Holly, Common Holly

Botanical Name: Ilex aquifolium, Ilex aquifolium ‘Alaska’

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: 30cm (1ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -20°C

Why choose Holly hedging plants?

Glossy green leaves
Red berries in winter
Evergreen
Low-maintenance
Prickly leaves for security

Description

An excellent evergreen hedging plant that has glossy, dark green, prickly leaves and red berries in the early winter. Good as an intruder deterrent.  Low maintenance as it is slower growing. Holly clips well to create a dense, formal garden or field hedge and will regenerate from old wood if you need to cut it back.

Soil types & growing conditions

Holly hedging plants will grow in any free-draining soil in full sun or light shade. Holly will grow in sheltered or exposed sites.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

>25m (80ft) but can easily be kept trimmed.

Pyracantha

Common Names:  Firethorn

Botanical Names: Pyracantha

Speed of growth under ideal conditions: up to 60cm (2ft) per year

Hardiness: Hardy down to -15 to 20°C

Why choose Pyracantha?

Good for security due to large thorns
Evergreen hedging (keeps its leaves, even in winter)
White flowers
Bright Yellow, Orange or Red berries

Description
A quick-growing evergreen hedging plant that has white hawthorn-like flowers in early summer and bright orange or red berries in autumn and winter. Large thorns on the branches make it any excellent choice as a security barrier up to 3m tall.
Soil types & growing conditions

Any free-draining soil in sun or partial shade.

Eventual height if left untrimmed

3m (10ft) but can be trimmed to any height