Found amongst many of our hedgerows is one of the best species for hedging – the Hawthorn (Crataegus). It is a fantastic deterrent for intruders, due to its thorny growth, and is a native plant to the UK and other countries around Europe.
Hawthorn is one of the most common plants seen in mixed native hedgerows, it knits the hedge together making an effective stockproof barrier. You can learn more about mixed native hedgerows by looking at our mixed native page
It flowers in May, covering the whole hedge in gorgeous, delicate white flowers; it is also known as the May-Tree because of this. It is the only plant in Britain to be named after the month it flowers. Interestingly, the plant itself is a hermaphrodite, meaning it has both male and female reproductive parts within its flowers. It does produce berries, known as ‘haws’, which are packed full of antioxidants and are red in colour. These appear once the flowers have been pollinated, and help to feed wildlife including insects and birds.
They’re a sturdy plant that can withstand any soil and situation, Hawthorn hedges can be trimmed at any time from late Summer until Winter.
Planting distance for a new hedge depends on your patience, budget and the size of plant you choose. As a general rule 3 plants per metre will be sufficient (especially for the larger sizes of pot grown Quickthorn), 5 per metre will make a very effective double row hedge. If you choose the smaller sizes (say 90/120cm or smaller) you could plant 7 per metre for a fast developing and very dense hedge.
Take a look at our range of Hawthorn plants below. Should you have any questions or require any advice before making a purchase then please do not hesitate to get in touch with one of our specialist team members on 01580 765600, or take a look at our contact page.
Delivery leadtimes update – April 2025
Spring is our busiest time of year and we are working through orders as fast as we can to get your plants delivered. To give you an accurate idea of when your order will arrive, these are the current leadtimes (delivery is 1-2 days after despatch):
– Orders containing only bare roots – despatch within 5 working days.
– Orders containing only root balls, or root balls and bare roots – despatch within 10 working days.
– All orders containing potted plants – despatch within 14 working days.
Delivery is free for most orders above our free delivery thresholds, these are displayed above our prices in the product listings and summarized below. If you don’t need that many plants it’s not a problem, you can choose to pay our delivery charge and only order what you need.
Delivery is convenient – no signature is required so you don’t need to wait in, we will leave your parcel in the safe place that you nominate.
Delivery is fast – because we pick orders daily from our own growing beds your plants only travel the small hop to our packing shed before being sent to you, they are usually delivered within 5-7 working days.
Delivery is reliable – we have been selling and delivering Hedging Plants to our customers nationwide since 1992. We have a lot of experience in packing them safely and only use tried and tested delivery partners.
Smaller Plants (Parcel Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £90 | £15.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £90 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £24.00 |
Heavy Plants (Pallet Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £420 | £72.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £420 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £72.00 |
Tall Plants 2.5m+ (Specialist Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Under £1800 | Please call us |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £1800 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | Not available |
Exceptions to our delivery charges are Scottish Highland and Isle of Wight delivery areas where we need to charge a little extra to cover the cost of deliveries to these outlying areas. We don’t currently delivery to other offshore addresses including Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Tall plants over 2.5 metres have to be delivered by our own specialised transport, our delivery area is limited to mainland England and Wales only.
Please note there is a minimum order value of £50 for orders containing smaller plants and £250 for orders containing heavier plants
Complete delivery information can be viewed on our Delivery Information page
