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Common hedge bushes


15 Best Evergreen and Flowering Shrubs for Hedges

Create Privacy With Natural Borders in Your Outdoor Space

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman's World and American Way.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

Updated on 09/30/22

Reviewed by

Kathleen Miller

Reviewed by Kathleen Miller

Kathleen Miller is a highly-regarded Master Gardener and Horticulturist who shares her knowledge of sustainable living, organic gardening, farming, and landscape design. She founded Gaia's Farm and Gardens, a working sustainable permaculture farm, and writes for Gaia Grows, a local newspaper column.  She has over 30 years of experience in gardening and sustainable farming.

Learn more about The Spruce's Review Board

Fact checked by

Jessica Wrubel

Fact checked by Jessica Wrubel

Jessica Wrubel has an accomplished background as a writer and copy editor, working for various publications, newspapers and in public libraries assisting with reference, research and special projects. In addition to her journalism experience, she has been educating on health and wellness topics for over 15 years in and outside of the classroom.

Learn more about The Spruce's Editorial Process

The Spruce / Autumn Wood

A hedge is a living wall composed of plants. Hedges can be purely decorative, primarily practical, or a combination of both. Hedge plants are either evergreen or deciduous shrubs, and they're often trimmed to precise sizes and shapes. Decorative hedges sometimes use flowering hedge plants for added visual interest. On the flip side, practical hedges that are intended for privacy screens, windbreaks, and security are often composed of densely growing and tall shrubs. They might have thorns (such as hawthorns) or prickly leaves (such as English holly).

Here are 15 plants that make a nice hedge, including flowering hedge plants and evergreen shrubs.

The Spruce 

Warning

Yew, holly, and several other shrubs are toxic, so be careful when growing them if children or pets are present.

19 Classy Living Privacy Fences (Plus Plant Examples)

Article Sources

The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

  1. Ilex aquifolium. NC State Extension. 

  2. Yew. Yale University.

  3. Holly Berries. National Capital Poison Control Center.

  4. The Invasive Japanese Barberry. Penn State Extension.

  5. Deer. Missouri Botanical Garden.

  6. Privet. PennState Extension.

  7. Pruning Evergreens in the Landscape. University of Vermont Extension.

  8. Canadian Hemlock. University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

17 Fast-Growing Shrubs for Privacy Hedges

  • 01 of 17

     

    Mark Turner / Getty Images

    Its leaves are gone. Its berries have disappeared. Its flowers are absent. It is winter, and yet red twig dogwood still stands out. Despite having lost so many features, red twig dogwood may be at its best when nothing blocks the view of its finest feature: its signature fire-red bark color (the same applies to yellow twig dogwood, but in a different color). Looking at such a plant can lift your spirits on the gloomiest of winter days.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, fertile, moist soil

  • 02 of 17

    aga7ta / Getty Images

    The wonderfully fragrant shrub, mock orange is rather unfortunately named for what it is not, rather than for what it is. As the "mock" in its name suggests, mock orange is not a true orange. But the citrusy smell of its white blossoms is enough to invite comparison. Another white-flowered option is doublefile viburnum. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, loamy soil

  • 03 of 17

    vav63 / Getty Images

    Like mock orange, the traditional lilac is an olfactory treasure with fragrant flowers that you probably remember from your grandparents' yard.  There are plenty of new cultivars available.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy soil

  • 04 of 17

    Olga Strogonova / EyeEm / Getty Images

    There should be a special place in your heart for forsythias. When their flower buds start yellowing up, forsythia flowers herald nothing less than spring, itself. Among the bushes, they are some of the earliest spring flowers.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained soil

  • 05 of 17

    IB_photo / Getty Images

    The branching of rock cotoneaster is stiff and dense, giving the plant a rather bristly look. Stems shoot off the branches in what is often referred to as a "herringbone pattern," a term also used in hardscaping. The bristly look is significantly softened once the red berries appear, as your attention will be drawn to their fleshy orbs. But for a privacy hedge, go with one of the taller types of cotoneaster, such as C. lucidus.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 5 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Loamy, well-drained, evenly moist soil

  • 06 of 17

    nitimongkolchai / Getty Images

    Beautyberry is such a fast-growing bush that many recommend pruning it down to within a foot or so of the ground in early spring. The resulting new growth, laden with berries by autumn, is sufficiently large to make for a compelling display. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

  • 07 of 17

    skymoon13 / Getty Images

    Even though ninebark was named for its bark, it is not in quite the same class as red twig dogwood. The Diablo cultivar offers something beyond an interesting bark: Dark foliage that makes it one of the so-called "black" plants.  

    • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Clay or loamy soil

  • 08 of 17

    Sviatlana Lazarenka / Getty Images

    Forsythia may be one of the earliest heralds of spring, but it's not as early as pussy willow, which displays its characteristic fuzzy white catkins even before the arrival of forsythia's yellow blooms. You can also try another willow shrub that grows quickly, Flamingo Japanese willow. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained

  • 09 of 17

    Supersmario / Getty Images

    Loropetalum's use is not restricted to the American Southeast, but that region may well be considered its "capital" in the New World, where it is evergreen and an immensely popular plant.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 9
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained, loamy, acidic soil

  • 10 of 17

    MariuszBlach / Getty Images

    There are many kinds of evergreen arborvitae that are used in hedges (including the relatively small 'North Pole'), and they do not all exhibit the same rate of growth. Therefore, not all arborvitaes are equally suited for use in privacy hedges. A good choice for large privacy hedges is the fast grower 'Green Giant', which can reach 50 to 60 feet tall (with a spread of 12 to 20 feet). If you want a bush that is more compact and do not mind waiting a bit longer, 'Emerald Green' arborvitae is a better option. The latter usually reaches just 12 to 14 feet tall, with a spread of 3 to 4 feet. Its foliage comes in flat sprays and, if you look closely, the needles appear covered in scales. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 2 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Moist, well-drained, loamy soil

  • 11 of 17

    Iva Vagnerova / Getty Images

    One advantage that yews have over many similar evergreens is that these shade-tolerant plants will thrive in north-facing foundation plantings, no matter how sunlight-deprived. Yet they can be grown in full sun, too.

    Warning

    If you have small children, make sure they do not eat the berries: Their toxic seeds classify yew as poisonous plants. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to shade, depending on type
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained soil

  • 12 of 17

    pcturner71 / Getty Images

    This is not the poisonous plant that famously killed the Greek philosopher Socrates. No part of this tree is poisonous. Moreover, whether you think of hemlock as a tree or shrub may well depend on where you live. If you dwell in a rural area of North America, you probably know hemlock as a towering tree. But some of the finest privacy hedges in suburbia are composed of scaled-down Canadian, or Eastern, hemlocks. 

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 7
    • Sun Exposure: Part sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, moist soil

  • 13 of 17

    Barry Winiker / Stockbyte / Getty Images

    Burning bush may be the poster child for invasive shrubs in North America. It is a fast grower with a terrific fall color that ranges from red to pinkish-red. Burning bush also produces reddish-orange berries in fall. Just be aware that this is an invasive shrub and should be planted with care.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 4 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Sandy, loamy soil

  • 14 of 17

    Garden fence with leylandii (Cupressocyparis leylandii) hedge. Stephen Shepherd/Getty Images

    Also known as leyland cypress, leylandii is a hybrid of Alaskan cedar and Monterey cypress. It is an aggressive grower, capable of growing up to 3 feet per year, and it gets a bad rap for being difficult to handle. However, if you keep up with annual or semi-annual pruning, leylandii makes an excellent privacy hedge or windbreak.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun
    • Soil Needs: Clay, loamy, sandy soil

  • 15 of 17

    Elena Odareeva / Getty Images

    Like most maples, the amur maple is prized for its brilliant fall color, but it's also a fast-growing shrub that makes a great privacy hedge as well as a winter windbreak. The most popular cultivar for hedges is 'Flame', which grows in USDA plant hardiness zones 3 to 8. It can grow up to 2 feet per year and needs only annual pruning to keep its shape.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 3 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Clay or loamy to sandy, well-drained soil

  • 16 of 17

    Martin Siepmann/Getty Images

    Cherry laurel, also commonly called English laurel, is a good option for those in relatively warm climates, as it's hardy only to zones 6 to 8. In ideal conditions, it can grow up to 3 feet per year. Its glossy green leaves are evergreen and do not change color in fall. Creamy white flowering clusters bloom in spring.

    • USDA Growing Zones: 6 to 8
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part shade
    • Soil Needs: Rich, well-drained soil

  • 17 of 17

    Nenov / Getty Images

    The privet is the quintessential (or at least the most familiar) privacy hedge plant. It grows quickly, prunes nicely, and has flowers that lead to fruit clusters that last through the winter. While Ligustrum vulgare was once the most common type of privet planted, it has lost popularity to some of the more ornamental varieties, such as Japanese privet (L. japonicum).

    • USDA Growing Zones: 7 to 10
    • Sun Exposure: Full sun to part sun
    • Soil Needs: Well-drained, rich soil

    • Top 15 Best Hedge Plants

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    Published:

    4 years ago

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    We present to your attention a selection of the best plants in our opinion for creating a living fence on your site.

    1. Thuja. Evergreen tree or shrub. In the conditions of the middle lane, it can reach a height of 3 m. It is widely used to create hedges. The optimal planting distance is 80-100 cm. It can be planted in two rows in a checkerboard pattern. In a temperate climate, among the various forms of thuja, the thuja western “Smaragd” and “Emerald” feel best. Among other plants used to create hedges, thuja has its advantages and disadvantages

    Advantages:

    • Endurance. Not demanding on lighting, frost and heat resistant, feels good in urban environments.
    • Tolerates shearing well. Thuja is distinguished by strong branching, forms a dense fence, takes any shape.
    • Possesses volatile properties.

    Drawbacks:

    disadvantages of arborvitae include its burnout in the bright sun, while the needles lose their decorative effect and become brown.

    2. Juniper. Common, Cossack, virgin, scaly, and Chinese junipers are used to create hedges. All of them have their own characteristics, but their main advantages are the same:

    • Creates a fairly tight enclosure.
    • Drought resistant.
    • Not picky about the soil.
    • The needles do not crumble.

    Of the shortcomings of juniper, one can single out its need for good lighting. Otherwise, the bushes become loose and lose their decorative effect. Like all conifers, juniper has a rather slow growth, although this is a minus or plus for a hedge - a moot point.

    3. Berry yew. Evergreen coniferous plant. Great for creating a living fence and for good reason:

    • Excellent shear tolerance.
    • Forms shoots even on old wood.
    • Long-lived and slow growing.
    • Hardy.
    • Drought resistant.
    • Forms bright red decorative fruits.

    The yew has one drawback - all its parts are poisonous.

    4. Lawson Cypress is one of the most beautiful coniferous plants.

    Benefits:

    • Forms a dense dense conical crown.
    • Very decorative bluish-green needles.
    • Undemanding to soil fertility.
    • Quite resistant to diseases and pests.

    Disadvantages: prefers well-lit areas (goes bald in the shade), requires regular watering and spraying.

    5. Derain white. Fast-growing deciduous shrub up to 3 m high. Very beautiful, retains its decorative effect even in winter, thanks to bright red shoots. Blossoms twice a season, in the fall, along with young flowers, rounded white berries appear. The shrub has many virtues , among which:

    • Decorative throughout the year.
    • In autumn, the foliage turns a variety of hues.
    • It lends itself well to shearing, able to take various forms.
    • Not picky about conditions.
    • Heat and winter hardy.
    • Adapted to urban conditions.
    • Fast growing.
    • Does not need additional feeding.

    Perhaps the only feature of turf that can be called its disadvantage is the need for regular cutting. If this condition is not observed, the bush is exposed in the lower part, it looks sloppy.

    6. Califolia vesicle. Spectacular shrub with spreading drooping branches and large ornamental leaves. It reaches a height of 3 m. With proper care, a vesicle hedge will become a real highlight of your garden.

    Benefits:

    • Varieties of different colors allow interesting combinations.
    • Undemanding to the soil.
    • Drought resistant.
    • Very unpretentious in care.
    • Even a novice gardener can handle pruning.
    • Grows quickly to form a solid wall.
    • Heat and frost resistant.
    • Not affected by diseases and pests.

    has no defects.

    7. Coronal mock orange

    A beautifully flowering fragrant shrub up to 3 m high. It is frost-resistant and unpretentious, excellent for the conditions of the middle lane. In addition to the already listed advantages of mock orange, the following should be noted:

    • Bright green foliage.
    • Relatively small shrub width.
    • The ability to recover quickly even after heavy pruning.

    The plant has no significant shortcomings, it should only be noted that well-lit places should be chosen for planting mock orange, and the soil should not be compacted and waterlogged.

    8. Spirea. A very ornamental shrub with beautiful abundant flowers. A spirea hedge can reach a height of 1.5 m. The plant has many advantages, including:

    To maintain a neat appearance of the shrub, it is recommended to trim the faded inflorescences.

    9. Thunberg barberry. Great for hedges because it:

    • Unpretentious and adapts easily to various conditions.
    • Very decorative, changes its appearance throughout the season: bright green bushes in summer turn into a noble red color in autumn, the bush is covered with small red berries.
    • Able to create a dense enclosure.
    • Good for cutting.

    The plant has its own disadvantages . For example, the presence of long sharp spines complicates the care of the shrub. With a lack of sunlight, the decorative effect of the leaves is lost. The plant propagates easily and appears where its growth is undesirable.

    10. Privet. Fast-growing shade-tolerant shrub up to 2-2.5 m high. The plant deserves special attention for the following reasons:

    • Grows well, creating an impenetrable wall.
    • Perfectly gives in to a hairstyle, taking any form.
    • Undemanding to growing conditions.
    • Winter hardy.
    • Does not require watering.
    • Not damaged by diseases and pests.

    The only drawback of privet is poisonous fruits. Do not choose this plant if you have children.

    11. Cotoneaster brilliant. Densely leafy deciduous shrub up to 0.5 to 1.5 meters high. Undoubted Benefits of Cotoneaster:

    • Decorative throughout the season.
    • Resistance to adverse conditions (drought, frost, waterlogging).
    • Not picky about soils.
    • Feels good in urban environments.
    • Possesses volatile properties.
    • It lends itself well to a haircut, taking any shape.
    • The fruits are not poisonous.

    Cotoneaster branches are fairly fast growing so regular pruning is essential to maintain the shape and attractiveness of the shrub.

    12. Blood red hawthorn. Unpretentious deciduous shrub, characterized by high longevity. The undoubted advantages of the plant are:

    • Resistance to adverse conditions (drought, frost, shading).
    • Undemanding to soils.
    • High shoot forming ability.
    • Handles shearing and shaping well.
    • Creates a dense, impenetrable fence over time.
    • Easily propagated by cuttings.

    Irregular shearing of hawthorn can expose the underside of the bush.

    13. Lilac. Very ornamental flowering shrub. To create a hedge, the use of undemanding, frost-resistant, drought-resistant varieties, such as Meyer's, Amur and Hungarian lilacs, is recommended. The advantage of lilac over other shrubs is as follows:

    • Feels good in urban environments.
    • Drought tolerant.
    • Not damaged by diseases and pests.
    • Good for cutting.
    • Winter-hardy, but can freeze slightly in severe winters.

    disadvantages of lilacs include the need for annual cutting of root shoots; a short flowering period, after which the decorativeness of the plant is significantly reduced.

    14. Shrub cinquefoil. A very decorative compact shrub that blooms from early summer to autumn. The main advantages of the plant:

    • Unpretentiousness.
    • Winter hardiness.
    • Ability to grow in urban environments.
    • Good for cutting.
    • Long flowering.
    • Variety of varieties with different colors.

    Every 4-5 years the plant needs a rejuvenating pruning. Requires watering during dry periods.

    15. Hydrangea. Incredibly beautiful shrub with large leaves and very lush flowering. Paniculata and tree varieties are great for creating hedges. Hydrangea Benefits:

    • Long flowering period.
    • Variety of colors.
    • Large leaves and lush inflorescences.
    • Suitable for slightly shaded areas.
    • Grows well in acidic soils.

    At the same time, hydrangea is rather capricious, requires frequent watering, needs shelter for the winter, and is demanding on the composition of the soil. The plant needs pruning, since flowering occurs only on the shoots of the current year.

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    Top 10 hedge plants: A selection of the best varieties!

    Compared to ordinary stone, metal, wood and other fences and internal fences on the site, a hedge of shrubs and trees has many advantages. They complement the garden and harmoniously continue the landscape design, look beautiful from the outside and from the inside, increase the area of ​​the green zone on the site.

    The practical significance of such a fence is to protect the territory from strangers, from wind and dust, and to create a favorable microclimate in the yard.

    With the right choice of plants, hedges shade bright areas, scent the air, beautify the area and help create a cozy seating area. It is used to enclose flower beds and other green landscape design objects, to highlight individual zones and are planted along the border of the site.

    Universal plants for such a fence are coniferous species.

    But beautiful and functional hedges are also obtained from other plants of one or more species.

    Contents

    Cotoneaster brilliant

    Unpretentious cotoneaster develops well in different climatic conditions and tolerates dust and gas content in the air. The shrub grows slowly up to 2 m in height, strongly branched, has shiny green leaves and delicate pink inflorescences. The life span of the plant is up to 50 years.

    It is used to create hedges, thanks to the following features:

  • rarely gets sick;
  • grows on slopes, rocky soils, in arid conditions, in partial shade;
  • is resistant to temperature changes;
  • dense foliage from root to top forms a dense and beautiful fence.

    • Cotoneaster is more suitable for medium to low borders. Shrubs need to be trimmed regularly to form a smooth green wall.

    When forming a fence, it is recommended:

    • prepare holes for seedlings 30-40 cm deep and place them at a distance of 50 cm from each other;
    • use drainage to prevent moisture stagnation and root rot;
    • after planting shrubs, mulch the soil with dry peat or bark;
    • Water seedlings often and abundantly, reducing the amount and frequency as the plants grow;
    • use nitrogen fertilizers during the growing season, potash and phosphate fertilizers - in the middle of summer;
    • prune the branches for the first time after about 2 years, when they grow to 50-60 cm;
    • form a crown 2-3 times a year.

    Cotoneaster is also suitable for complex crown shapes. To do this, it is convenient to use templates from wooden blocks and trim more often 3 times a year.

    Privet

    Privet is a fast growing deciduous shrub that grows up to 4 meters. It has lanceolate, pointed leaves and panicle inflorescences with tubular white fragrant flowers that bloom in July. Spherical fruits remain on the shrub even in winter.

    For planting plants need a flat, dug area. Seedlings are placed at a distance of 50 cm and planted to a depth of 60 cm. Since privet requires a nutritious slightly alkaline soil, humus is laid at the bottom of the hole, then grass and sawdust. Seedlings should be well watered after planting. Feed the plants in the spring.

    2 weeks after planting, crown formation begins. To do this, first pinch the ends of the shoots, and then cut them off as they grow by 10-15 cm. After 2 years, the shrubs gain enough volume to create green sculptures or geometric crown pruning.

    Vesicle

    A plant from the Rosaceae family has dense branches pubescent down, evenly covered with bright large foliage. Lush shrub grows up to 2-3 meters in height and has the shape of a ball. In June, the vesicle is decorated with large white-pink inflorescences.

    For creating living fences on the site, the plant has several advantages:

    • grows on any soil;
    • is unpretentious in care;
    • is resistant to difficult climatic and weather conditions;
    • is growing fast.

    Feature vesicle - susceptibility to waterlogging.

    The plant loves the sun, so it is best planted in open areas and away from tall, sprawling trees. The soil can be anything, but light and loose and nutritious.

    Diabolo blister

    The procedure for planting shrubs is as follows:

    1. Make a trench about half a meter wide and about half a meter deep.
    2. Loosen the soil at the bottom, add mineral fertilizer.
    3. Prepare seedlings - cut off damaged, long roots, remove dry leaves.
    4. Place shrubs in prepared recesses, sprinkle with soil, tamp, water abundantly.

    For dense and dense green fencing, plant 3-5 bushes per 1 sq. meter, and for free and sprawling growth - 1 or 2 seedlings.

    Regular clipping helps to grow strong shrubs and form a beautiful fence. In the first year of growth, you need to cut the branches up to 15 cm, in the second - remove half of the shoots and shorten the side branches by about 10 cm. Then, a shaping haircut is performed several times a year.

    Thuja

    Of all types of arborvitae for hedges, the following are more suitable:

    • Smaragd - bright emerald needles, dense cone-shaped crown, height up to 10 m;
    • Brabant - symmetrical dense conical crown, height up to 4 m in the server and more than 10 m in the southern regions.

    Advantages of emerald thuja - longevity, unpretentiousness, frost resistance and easy care.

    To make a beautiful hedge out of it, it is recommended to follow the rules:

    • if the site is characterized by high groundwater, drainage from crushed stone is placed at the bottom of the pits for seedlings;
    • for fencing up to 2 m high, seedlings are placed at a distance of 50-60 cm and the trees are pruned annually;
    • for an unlimited height of the fence, pruning is required, and the distance between plants can be increased by 2 times;
    • in spring, thujas are fed with complex fertilizers;
    • for planting choose sunny and open areas.

    To quickly make a green fence around the site, it is better to choose thuja Brabant .

    Its main advantage is its rapid growth. In a year, the plant grows up to 12 cm wide and up to 33 cm high. It is recommended to maintain a distance of up to 70 cm between seedlings. You need to cut the thuja 2 or more times a year.

    Spirea

    Golden princess spirea

    Beautifully flowering, bright spirea up to 2 meters high are used to create landscape hedges and combined fences along the perimeter of the site. They bloom profusely, and in autumn the green foliage turns yellow, purple, orange.

    The best varieties for green fences are a deciduous shrub with a dense rounded crown, small leaves, pink flowers Little Princess and low bushes with a lush crown and bright red flowers Japanese spirea .

    Little princess spirea

    Plant advantages:

    • easy care;
    • rapid growth;
    • long flowering;
    • good development in any soil.

    Seedling holes are made 50 cm deep and spaced 60 cm apart. The first cut is done after the third flowering of the spirea. Repeat pruning 2 times a year in early spring and September.

    Barberry

    Thunberg barberry Atropurpurea

    This plant has many varieties suitable for making hedges. From barberry you can make a deaf high fence up to 3 meters high or a small fence in the form of a half-meter curb.

    Advantages of the plant:

    • resistance to adverse climatic and weather conditions;
    • frost resistance;
    • undemanding to the quality and composition of the soil;
    • easy care.

    For the formation of green fences, Amur barberry, common, Thunberg are more suitable. Amur barberry tall, has pale yellow flowers, large green leaves in summer and burgundy in autumn.

    Common barberry is a hardy and unpretentious variety. It reaches 2.5 m in height, has medium-sized green foliage and edible fruits.

    Thunberg variety is distinguished by neat multi-colored leaves, loves partial shade and grows up to 50-150 cm. Beautiful hedges are created from undersized shrubs around the perimeter of the site or inside it.

    It is important to think carefully about the place for the hedge of barberry , as it does not tolerate transplanting.

    It is better to choose a site in partial shade or in open areas, plant bushes at a distance of 1 m from the fence or buildings, so that there is free space for cutting branches with sharp thorns. The distance between plants in the hedge should be at least 50 cm.

    Crown formation should be started 2 years after planting. It is also important to loosen the soil, remove weeds and feed the plants during the period of active growth, using complex fertilizers.

    Spruce

    Slow-growing spruce c retains the brightness of its needles all year round, so hedges made of them look beautiful even in winter. Such fences saturate the air with a pleasant aroma, retain snow, hide the site from prying eyes, gusts of wind and noise. Of different crown shape and needle color firs make unusual combined plantings along fences or on the site.

    Common spruce grows well in the shade, loves loamy and sandy soils, easy to cut. This variety, as well as Canadian, Eastern and Siberian spruce are often used for hedges. For this, seedlings at the age of 3-4 years are suitable, which have already grown to 1.5 - 2 meters. They take root well when planted in April - May or during the period of activation of root formation around September.

    Density, planting pattern and sequence of work depends on the type of hedge being formed:

    • for a living border up to half a meter high, a distance of 35-40 cm is maintained between seedlings;
    • a fir fence up to 2 m high is formed from trees planted at a distance of 80 cm from each other and in two rows at a distance of up to 2 m;
    • higher fences are made from large trees located at a distance of 3-4 m from each other.

    Young trees are fertilized with nitrogen compounds 3 times a year and every autumn - phosphorus-containing or special for conifers.

    Potentilla

    Potentilla is a long-flowering bright shrub with rosehip-like flowers. The plant is unpretentious and resistant to frost, survives in difficult weather conditions. It is easy to cut and shape different shapes.

    For planting, it is desirable to choose a site with light fertile soil. Potentilla grows well in partial shade, and brilliant - in the south of the site.

    Spring is the best time to plant seedlings and create hedges.

    Two-year-old shrubs are placed in the selected area in holes 60 cm deep at a distance of 30 cm from each other. It is advisable to use lime gravel drainage and soil with sand and humus.

    Young seedlings and established hedges are easy to care for - water after sunset several times a week, loosen the soil once a month, remove weeds and fertilize. Sanitary pruning is done every spring.

    Hawthorn

    Siberian Hawthorn

    Hawthorn is good for planting live fences because it is unpretentious, long-lived, rarely gets sick, looks beautiful, creates a dense wall of plantations and gets along with most other plants. Special care for the plant is not needed, and you can form a beautiful fence out of it with your own hands.

    Before planting, dig a trench 60 cm deep and put universal fertilizer on the bottom. To fall asleep seedlings use dug soil mixed with peat, sand and humus. If you want to make a dense fence, plants are planted at a distance of up to 1.2 m from each other.

    It is necessary to form the crown of shrubs 2-3 years after planting, and before that, dry and damaged branches should be cut every spring. To get a multi-stemmed bush with a lush crown, you need to stump. This is done in the fall, and a year later they begin to form the crown by cutting the shoots.

    Derain white

    Derain has several features that explain its choice as a plant for live fencing on the site: