Beech Green Hedging

Green Beech (Fagus Sylvatica) are a well known tree/hedge and a favourite amongst many. It is one of the most popular native hedges in the UK and is very versatile, suiting stock proof country hedges as well as formal hedges for your garden.

A Beech Hedge can be maintained at any size from 3 feet/90cm upwards. Beech will grow in any soil provided it does not get waterlogged in Winter, if you do have wet soil conditions you might like to consider Hornbeam which has similar growth and thrives in wet soil. It can be grown in partial or full sunlight and likes to be trimmed in the late summer months. Once established, it can withstand drought and extremely windy sites. This is a reasonably fast growing hedging species, often growing around one to two feet (30-60cm) a year.

It is classed as a deciduous tree that has lovely light green leaves in spring, that then turn a darker shade of green in summer. Come autumn those leaves will turn to gorgeous golden yellow, and an exquisite copper colour in winter. This hedge makes for a great alternative to evergreen hedges, as although it is deciduous it will retain it leaves during the winter months, resulting in a good privacy hedge all year round.

It is a great hedge in areas where there is pollution and salt spray, as these two things do not bother the Beech Green hedge – unlike other hedges that are more delicate to these conditions, thus making it a great roadside hedge. The Beech Tree/Hedge is associated with femininity, and is thought of as the queen of British trees. During Celtic times it was thought to have had medicinal properties, helping to relieve swellings, with the leaves being used as a poultice once boiled. The wood used to be used to smoke herring, and the timber is used today to make furniture, utensils, sports equipment and for the use of fuel.

The number of plants needed for a new Beech hedge depends on your budget, how patient you are and which size plant you would like to start with. As a guide 3 plants per metre is enough if you are patient, for a thicker hedge that develops more quickly you may like to plant a double row which will require 5 per metre. For the smaller sizes (60/80cm or smaller) you could plant at 7 per metre for a really dense hedge.

We are able to provide these hedges in either bare root, pot grown or rootballed form to meet your specific requirements.

For more information on our wide and varied selection of Beech Green plants or any of our other hedging varieties, contact our specialist team members for more information.