You've found the famous Dave's Garden website! Join this friendly global community that shares tips and ideas for home and gardens, along with seeds and plants!
Check out the DG homepage for a brief overview of what you'll find in this gardening mega-site.
Login
If you don't have an account yet, visit the registration page to sign up.
Everybody loves the look of a well trimmed hedge. Living in the North it can be a challenge to find suitable, hardy, hedge plants. Here are a few that will survive our harsh winters.
The good old hedge. They have been in existence for centuries. They can be used in many ways. Livestock enclosures, privacy, wind breaks, or just plain ornamental. We all dream of those beautiful southern hedges using Azaleas, Hibiscus, and other tropical flowering beauties. Alas, it is not to be for we in the north face harsh, cold winters. Do not despair though because there are some flowering beauties that are hedge worthy and will survive our frozen conditions.
Pictured to the right is Hydrangea "Annabelle". A beautiful old cultivar that is hardy to Zone 3a. Growing well in either full sun or partial shade, this beauty is often overlooked as a hedge plant. I think it deserves a come back!!
Purple Sand Cherry(Prunus x cistena). Hardy to zone 2. Pretty pink flowers in the spring and beautiful maroon leaves all summer long. Prune after flowering to keep the desired height. Can grow to 8 feet tall. Prefers full sun but will tolerate partial shade. Reasonably drought tolerant.
Dwarf Burning Bush(Euonymus alatus 'Compactus'). Hardy to Zone 4. Grown primarily for its bright red, fall foliage. Prefers full sun but also tolerates partial shade. Slow growing so regular trimming is not needed. Deer resistant as well which is a bonus. Tolerates any soil conditions but does not like to have wet feet. Small yellow/green flowers in the spring.
Japanese Barberry. Hardy to Zone 3a. This thorny bush makes a great barrier. The purple foliage remains all summer. Bright red berries in the fall are a favourite of birds. This bush is also deer resistant.
Lilac. Why not? As a hedge or windbreak, you can't get much prettier than a Lilac. Imagine the scent!! Hardy to Zone 3a the lilac is versatile enough to be a hedge. Careful trimming is all that is required since they bloom on last years growth.
Spirea. Hardy to Zone 4a the Spirea is a popular hedge bush. Newer cultivars can be hardy to Zone 3. Will grow in full sun or shade. One of the easiest flowering shrubs to grow.
There are many others. I left out the evergreens since we are all familiar with them. Cedar, Juniper, etc. There are many Roses suitable for hedges as well. Mock Orange would make a wonderfully scented hedge.
Hedges are basically living walls. They can be used in a number of creative ways. They can mark property lines, different areas of a garden, line a walkway or a driveway. They can be wind breaks or privacy screens.
Hedges require little maintenance. They need to be trimmed, some a couple of times a year, others every few years. It all depends on what you want from your hedge. Occasionally one of the pieces may die for one reason or another. They would need to be replaced.
My Grandfather made me a fan of the hedge. He had tall hedges between his property and the people next door. He lined sidewalks with scented, flowering hedges. He hid the mulch pile with hedges. He used a hedge to separate the vegetable beds from the flower beds. As kids, we had many hours of enjoyment using the hedges to play games of hide-and-seek. The ancient hedges provided caves for us to crawl in. Some of the hedges he trimmed neatly, others he allowed to grow wild.
There is no end to the possibilities a hedge can provide. Go ahead, experiment. Plant a hedge, or two or three.
Many thanks to LarryR for his Hydrangea hedge photo. bootandall for the Purple Sand Cherry, kniphofia for the Japanese barberry and Spirea, spklatt for the Burning Bush and zone5girl for the Lilac. I thank you all for the wonderful additions to Plant Files.
About Lee Anne Stark
I am an avid gardener who shares my gardens with 2 other equally avid gardeners. I garden for fun and relaxation, never paying attention to the rules!! During the long, cold winter months I occupy my time playing with over a hundred house plants, my six cats and two dogs.
Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on April 23, 2008 at 6:36 AM:
I saw a this the other day at Lowes and almost got it but I had never heard of it before. I wanted to research it a little first. I don't believe everyhting they put on those little tags! I looked very pretty though. May have to go get it!
...
Subject: 2 of the hedges are invasives
Posted by sempervirens (from Northern, NJ) on April 23, 2008 at 4:50 AM:
Both the burning bush and Japanese Barberry recommended as hedges are invasive plants in NJ. They have invaded local forests and take a huge volunteer effort to be removed. Weed Wrenching them out of the forests is very labor intensive. Unfortunately they are still widely sold in nurseries and big box stores and planted regularly in gardens by unsuspecting gardeners. Please be wary and check your area for invasive status before planting. Cultivars that are sold as sterile have proved to be able to reproduce.
...
Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 23, 2008 at 10:45 AM:
Even the DWARF burning bush? I groaned at the sight of that cute little burning bush, because my house was over-planted with the monster variety, and I always wished we had compactus instead. xx, Carrie
...
Posted by Plantedz (from Marlborough, MA) on April 23, 2008 at 11:07 AM:
I have both the burning bush and the Japanese barberry in dwarf variety and so far so good. Both are maintainable and do the trick for me. I can imagine that the larger varieties could be a problem, but I've had them for several year and love them.
z
...
Posted by sempervirens (from Northern, NJ) on April 23, 2008 at 12:12 PM:
carrielamont and Plantedz,
Both Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii) and European Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) and Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) are on the prohibited plant list for Massachusetts.
[HYPERLINK@www.mass.gov]
It is not in our gardens that the problem exists with these shrubs but how they escape into the natural areas. I had no idea of the degree of problem some plants caused until I volunteered to help in a forest regeneration project.
Every state -country has different invasives. If we just check lists for our own area I think we'll have half the problem licked.
...
Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 23, 2008 at 4:33 PM:
I know, Semper, and I would NEVER plant another BB of ANY size - but who will come help us get rid of the ones we have? Our only error was not knowing enough to stipulate their removal when we bought this bargain house 15 years ago.
My personal campaign is with the Norway Maples. Thank heavens the state of Mass no longer plants them along the road, but they take over every lawn that is not Chem-Lawned to death/life, and God help the open spaces. Now They are planting Bradford Pears for us instead!!!
xx, Carrie
...
Posted by crisincincy (from Cincinnati, OH) on April 23, 2008 at 5:00 PM:
What I am looking for is something for privacy. Our backyard seating area is in full view of one of our neighbors. I like them, but some "alone" time without them would be nice also. What can you recommend that would (eventually) grow to about 6-8 feet and be rather full?
...
Posted by irisMA (from South Hamilton, MA) on April 23, 2008 at 7:46 PM:
The plants in place in MA don't have to be rooted out, but no new ones. I would just as soon try & help them deminish. I friend in MO is contrmplating copper sulfate injections in neighbor's mulberry trees which are invading her property. I wonder if it would work with Norway maple. I like shagbark hickory, miss the one we had in CT.
...
Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on April 23, 2008 at 8:10 PM:
The Norway Maples I abhor are on town property so far, until they fall onto mine...
And of course you can be chief biddy - it's a hard job, but somebody has to do it! x, C
...
Posted by Plantedz (from Marlborough, MA) on May 2, 2008 at 9:52 AM:
Thanks Semepervirens. I had no idea of the big picture! Wish I had looked at this list and read information before buying barberries and the burning bush. ; - (
z
