Choosing the best hedging plants: yew, beech, hornbeam and more
The best hedging plants for most UK gardens are yew for a dense, evergreen, formal hedge, beech or hornbeam for a green hedge that holds its coppery leaves through winter, and a mixed native hedge for wildlife. The right choice depends on your soil, the look you want and how much trimming you are happy to do. All of them are long-lived and give a garden lasting structure.
Why hedges are worth planting
A good hedge is far more than a boundary. It gives shelter from wind, frames views, creates a backdrop for planting and provides food and nesting sites for birds and insects. Compared with a fence, it also improves with age. Choosing well at the start makes everything easier for decades to come.
Yew (Taxus baccata)
Yew is the classic choice for a formal, dense, dark green hedge. It clips beautifully into crisp shapes, regrows well even from old wood, and looks good all year round. Despite its reputation, yew is not especially slow once established, often putting on a good amount of growth each year in decent soil.
The one thing yew dislikes is waterlogged ground, so it is best on well-drained soil. All parts of the plant, except the fleshy red aril around the seed, are toxic, so bear this in mind where livestock graze nearby.
Beech (Fagus sylvatica)
Beech gives fresh, bright green leaves in spring that deepen through summer. When it is clipped as a hedge it tends to hold its dry, coppery leaves through winter until new growth pushes them off in spring, which gives warmth and a surprising amount of privacy. Purple or copper beech adds richer colour and can be mixed with green beech for a tapestry effect.
Beech prefers well-drained soil and does not enjoy heavy, wet clay.
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
Hornbeam looks very similar to beech, with slightly more crinkled, serrated leaves, and it also holds many of its brown leaves through winter when clipped. Its great advantage is that it copes far better with heavy, damp clay and exposed sites. If you are unsure whether your soil suits beech, hornbeam is the safer choice.
Mixed native hedges
A mixed native hedge is one of the best things you can plant for wildlife. A typical mix might include hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) as the backbone, with blackthorn (Prunus spinosa), field maple (Acer campestre), hazel (Corylus avellana), dog rose (Rosa canina) and guelder rose (Viburnum opulus). Together they give blossom for pollinators, berries and nuts for birds, and dense cover for nesting. It suits a more relaxed boundary and works especially well in rural gardens.
Other good hedging plants
Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica): glossy, evergreen and tolerant of many soils, with a more refined look than cherry laurel.
Holly (Ilex aquifolium): evergreen, tough and wonderful for wildlife, though slow to establish.
Field maple (Acer campestre): tough, native and good for autumn colour, either on its own or in a mix.
Low evergreen hedges: with box blight and box tree caterpillar now widespread, many gardeners use alternatives such as Ilex crenata, Lonicera nitida or dwarf yew for low edging.
When and how to plant a hedge
The best time to plant most hedges is during the dormant season, from November to March, when bare-root plants are available. Bare-root hedging is economical and establishes well, provided the roots do not dry out before planting. Container-grown plants can go in at other times, but will need more watering.
Clear a strip of ground about a metre wide, free from perennial weeds. As a rough guide, beech and hornbeam are often planted at around five plants per metre in a staggered double row, or three per metre in a single row. Yew is usually planted at two to three plants per metre depending on size. Water well after planting and keep the strip weed-free for the first few years. A mulch of peat-free compost or leaf mould will help; my guide to peat-free gardening has more on mulches.
Trimming your hedge
Most formal hedges need one trim a year, usually in late summer. Yew, beech and hornbeam can all be trimmed in August or September. Shaping the hedge so it is slightly wider at the base than the top lets light reach the lower branches and keeps it dense. Before trimming, always check for nesting birds, which are protected by law, and wait if you find an active nest. Mixed native hedges are best trimmed in late winter, leaving berries for birds through the colder months.
Choosing a hedge at a glance
Formal and evergreen: yew, on well-drained soil.
Coppery winter leaves: beech on free-draining soil, hornbeam on clay.
Wildlife: a mixed native hedge with hawthorn as the backbone.
Plant bare-root from November to March.
Keep a metre-wide strip weed-free and water through dry spells.
Trim formal hedges in late summer, after checking for nests.
Hedges also make a wonderful backdrop for borders; see how to plan a planting scheme for ideas on using structure.
Quick answers
What is the fastest growing hedge in the UK?
Plants such as Lonicera nitida, privet and hornbeam establish quickly, but faster growth also means more trimming. For a long-lived, low-fuss hedge, slightly slower choices such as yew often prove the best value.
Which hedge keeps its leaves in winter?
Yew, holly and Portuguese laurel are evergreen. Clipped beech and hornbeam are deciduous but hold their dry brown leaves through most of the winter.
Is beech or hornbeam better for clay soil?
Hornbeam. It copes well with heavy, damp clay, while beech prefers lighter, well-drained ground.
