Benefits of Native Hedging

When people hear Native Hedging they think of the British countryside and the farmer’s fields favourite. However native hedging is much more than that and they can be used in many situations including residential gardens.

The great thing about planting a mixed native hedge is the variety of features it includes:

• Pretty flowers
• Bright berries
• Evergreen foliage and autumn colour
• Wildlife interest
• Aesthetically appealing
• Suited to many garden types

Mixed native hedging is popularly used in informal settings but does just as well when pruned into a formal, neat shape. Regular pruning increases flower production, however we do ask that you check inside your native hedging first so as not to disturb any unsuspecting birds nesting in the branches! Mixed native hedging creates a wonderful year round aesthetic whilst also helping our British wildlife to find food and shelter.

Mixed native hedging acts as Nature’s larder to our wildlife, providing food and shelter throughout the year. By planting a mixed native hedge you will attract:

• Birds – Eat the berries and nest in the branches
• Bees – Yield nectar and pollen from the flowers
• Butterflies – Drink nectar from the flowers
• Hedgehogs – Travel safely from garden to garden through the base of hedges

We have a range of different mixed native hedging for a multitude of purposes. Whether you’re planting near the coast or using your hedging for privacy and require some evergreen coverage, we have it all. All of our mixed native hedging packs are extremely beneficial to wildlife and a really convenient option. You can always choose from our huge range of native hedging plants and create your own mix!

There are many beautiful, wildlife friendly, evergreens that are not native –Escallonia, Berberis, Pyracantha, some Cotoneaster varieties and the deliciously scented Choisya just to name a few! A lovely range of evergreen flowering (and some berrying) hedging plants and not one of them are native.

Our Top 5 Non-Native Hedging Plants are:

Cherry Laurel is our best selling evergreen hedging plant and it produces modest white flowers in spring and red berries in Autumn, but both are insignificant and really it is chosen for its vibrant foliage.

The Box hedge plant (Buxus sempervirens) is the ideal species for formal low hedges or pathway hedging as well as being a classic topiary plant.
Because of its versatility and appearance, Box hedging has a universal appeal in both urban and large formal garden situations and can be used to great effect for borders, partitions, green walling (think mazes and pathways) and even beautiful and intricate parterre knotwork gardens.

The Photinia Red Robin hedge plant (Photinia x fraseri) is a marvellous alternative choice for an evergreen hedge because of its brilliant red glossy young leaves, which give a spectacular display in spring and summer before maturing to dark green. Photinia Red Robin is not a particularly dense shrub, so it has some movement in the breeze, attractive for many sites but not recommended where a security hedge is required.

Leylandii x cupressocyparis is a very popular choice amongst those who recognise its superb attributes and those looking for a good height on a small budget. Regular clipping of the mid green, spray like citrus scented foliage, in midsummer and autumn, can make this a superb, dense, formal garden hedge, ideal as a windbreak and for noise reduction.

Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) is a great alternative to Leylandii hedging, as it is slower growing but still provides a dense, evergreen, conifer hedge. The tall stature and delightful green shades of Western Red Cedar makes it the ideal background to smaller, colourful plants as it magnifies their colours making them stand out within a garden.