Native Plants for Boundary Hedges

If you are interested in buying plants to make a boundary hedge, in addition to the individual species listed below you might also like to look at our conservation hedge mix or stock friendly hedge mix.
All the plants are bare root, and are consequently available for delivery from November until March, depending on weather conditions. We will only charge your debit/credit card when the trees are ready for delivery.

Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) The majestic Beech has been here since before we were an island - pollen in Hampshire has been dated back to 6000 BC. It is an antisocial tree, growing best among its own - hilltop beech groves are one of the most beautiful landscape features of Southern chalk downlands. It is adaptable, growing in moist soils and tolerant of shade, but it is vulnerable to dry conditions and grey squirrel damage. View more information and

Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) Blackthorn is a fine hedge plant, slow growing but suckering freely and having needle like spines. Its habit makes it a fabulous refuge for small birds and mammals, who feast on its sloes, and a raft of moth and butterfly caterpillars feed on it. It is tough as old boots, and as a hedging plant lays well and forms a good stockproof - and people proof - barrier. Its prolific white flowers are an important nectar source in spring. View more information and

Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris) The Crab Apple is a small tree of woods and hedges throughout Britain. It's relatively scarce; mostly you will now find cultivated varieties or "wilding" apple trees. The Crab's extended flowering period (pretty pale pink blossom) is helpful for bees as much as it is for cross pollinating other apple trees, and its fruit makes delicious jelly for us and good winter eating for the birds. View more information and

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) The Hawthorn or Quickthorn is a fast growing tree, beautiful in flower. Its habit makes it an ideal refuge for small birds, who feast on its red fruit. It is tolerant of most conditions, and as a hedging plant lays well and forms a good stockproof - and people proof - barrier. View more information and

Common Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) This large spreading tree looks very similar to Beech, although it's not related and has an attractive fluted and sinewy trunk. It's a useful tree, holding its leaves in winter in a hedge (although not as a tree) and tolerating surpringly deep shade. Its wood is amazingly tough, hence it being known as "Ironwood", and burns well. View more information and

Common Hazel (Corylus avellana) Hazel is a tremendous wildlife resource; its yellow catkins ("Lamb's tails") are an invaluable source of early pollen for bees, and its nuts, an iron age human staple, are a boon for insects small mammals. Not only is it an important hedging constituent because of its speed of growth and habit, but it is widely used for all manner of traditional coppice products. View more information and

Common Holly (Ilex aquifolium) Holly is slow growing but tremendously useful, not only as an impenetrable evergreen screen, but also as it is very hardy; it grows in deep shade and on a wide range of well drained soil types. It is a good protective habitat for birds and small mammals, and of course they love the female plant's berries. Iti is the food plant of the Holly Blue. It transplants poorly, and we consequently sell it in containers rather than bare root. View more information and

Field Maple (Acer campestre) A beautiful medium sized but fast growing tree, often found in mixed hedges and mixed woodland. Its leaves turn bright yellow, then orange brown in the autumn. In spring it has small yellow flowers, succeeded by red fruit. View more information and