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Good shrubs for hedges


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)

Watch Now: Tips for Selecting the Right Shrubs

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 forsythia bushes. 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 an evergreen shrub 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

    💣💣💣 BLACK FRIDAY IN GARSHINKA !

    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.
    • Produces 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 a haircut, 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 quickly recover 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 lilac 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.
    • A 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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    Fast growing hedge shrubs: hardy varieties

    Plants on the site can serve not only as a decorative component, but also are able to perform certain functions. Cover unsightly outbuildings, strengthen the soil or divide the territory, for example. Today we will talk about deciduous shrubs that are suitable for forming hedges. A country house hedge is a densely planted chain of plants for decoration and division of space into certain zones, to replace the traditional fence, and protect the territory from prying eyes or even protect the garden from wild animals.

    Regardless of the purpose of the hedge, it is a very beautiful ornament that can transform any landscape.

    Hedge Benefits:

    1. As we said above, a hedge is able to divide the site into certain zones. So, for example, with its help, you can separate the central areas from the adjacent area. Or a vegetable garden area from an orchard.

    2. A living wall can easily replace the fence we are used to. If you decide to delimit the territory with a non-traditional stationary fence, densely planted crops will hide your garden from prying eyes with ease.

    3. If your site is already fenced, but the fence is unattractive, or maybe just old, then hedges will also come to the rescue, which will create a picturesque background.

    4. The same rule applies inside the garden. By planting a dense hedge along the buildings, you can hide unattractive walls and give the overall landscape neatness.

    5. By choosing deciduous crops with thorns (for example, from hawthorn) for the construction of a living wall, you can not only decorate the garden, but also protect it from uninvited guests - wild animals.

    6. Dense growth of deciduous shrubs planted in a row will perfectly protect the site from the scorching sun, strong drafts

    7. If recreation areas are distributed on your site, a hedge can make these corners not only cozy, but also add coolness and shade on especially hot days. A great place to hide from the hustle and bustle while reading your favorite book!

    8. Of course, planted plants make the garden more presentable, add colors to it and make the air much cleaner.

    9. If you choose lush flowering plants for hedges, they will become excellent honey plants and will attract beneficial insects to your garden.

    10. Strengthening the soil. So that water erosion does not harm the soil cover, it is necessary to think about strengthening it. A sod slope is one of the mandatory elements in the case of a predominance of a non-uniform relief. Dense plantings of shrubs will come to the rescue in such a situation.

    Having analyzed the main functions of a hedge, let's proceed to the selection of plants. Since our goal is a thick, as if revived wall, performing the tasks of zoning, protecting and hiding the garden from prying eyes, the plants must be selected at a certain height: from one and a half meters. The second criterion for choosing seedlings is that they should be fast-growing shrubs for hedges, so that in a couple of years they will create a dense, lush barrier.

    Conditionally hedges are usually divided into 2 types: homogeneous and mixed. The former are created from one type of plant (a bright and dense living wall of barberry, for example), and in mixed ones several species alternate (for example, thuja, hydrangea, thuja, hydrangea, and so on).

    Popular deciduous shrubs for uniform hedges:

    Vesicle

    A very interesting shrub that looks spectacular in ordinary plantings. It is valued for its decorative leaves with carved edges, juicy color, unpretentious care and good ability to tolerate haircuts. Depending on the variety, can be created as a single color hedge, for example using a variety with red foliage "Diabolo" (Diablo), and diversify the wall with a golden representative - the bubble "Dart`s Gold" (Darts Gold). A juicy, bright hedge year after year will enchant with its decorative effect with minimal labor to care for it.

    Deren

    Bright, attractive and shade-tolerant woody shrub - soren. All kinds of leaf colors will allow you to easily find a variety that is attractive to you: green with a white border, dark red, golden and others. Deren perfectly tolerates any vagaries of nature, grows quickly and has a dense, dense crown. Depending on the tasks, you can create a hedge in a free-growing form, or give the turf any shape - it safely tolerates shaping haircuts.

    Cotoneaster

    Asking the question: “What to make a hedge from?”, Turn your attention to the cotoneaster. Spectacular representative of deciduous shrubs, changing its foliage during the season. In summer it is juicy green, and by autumn it acquires crimson hues. By the end of summer, colorful black fruits will decorate the hedge. The cotoneaster is distinguished by its unpretentiousness to growing conditions, tolerates pruning perfectly, pleases for many years with its neat, dense crown. Great option for a living wall!

    Grefsheim gray spirea

    Charming flowering spirea that will not leave anyone indifferent. Thin sprawling shoots, rounded openwork crown, incredibly abundant flowering, juicy green foliage. By planting a spirea in a hedge, you will effortlessly create a dense, very beautiful wall, which every year will delight, covered with snow-white flowers and exuding a magnificent aroma. Spirea is not only very beautiful, but does not require additional attention at all: it is frost-resistant, puts up with light shading, does not require frequent watering and is good for haircuts.

    Hawthorn

    As we said above, hawthorn is very often used specifically to protect the site from unwanted wild animals. Its spines and crown create a dense veil from strangers. And due to the average density, the hawthorn lets in enough air so that the area is sufficiently ventilated. Depending on the species and variety, hawthorn can grow up to 6 meters in height, but some representatives do not grow more than 3. Since the hawthorn has a beautiful rounded crown, it will decorate your garden even without additional haircuts.

    Hydrangea

    When choosing which shrub to make a hedge, take into account the magnificent hydrangea. She is able to become not only a first-class tapeworm in your garden, but also in a hedge will enchant everyone around. Dense foliage carved along the edge, neat beautiful crown and, of course, large conspicuous inflorescences densely covering each seedling. A living wall of hydrangea throughout the season will delight you with its decorative effect: in spring and autumn with juicy greenery, and in summer with incomparable flowering and aroma.

    Snowberry

    Another great option for creating dense, interesting hedges is the snowberry, familiar from childhood. A dense deciduous shrub with unusual bluish-green foliage and unique fruits - white or pink balls densely covering each shoot, which children so love to "slap" their feet. It is characterized by high frost resistance, unpretentiousness to the composition of the soil, watering and does not require much care.

    Barberry

    A favorite and often used by landscape designers to create hedges is the barberry. Its juicy neat leaves (depending on the variety and season, almost all the colors of the rainbow) form an openwork dense crown and bring color even to the most monotonous landscape. Excellent frost resistance and tolerability of haircuts make it possible to grow it in any garden. Thanks to the variety of species and varieties, every gardener will be able to choose any type of hedge: noble red, bright green, multi-colored with a frame, even and neat from shrubs with upright branches or lush thanks to spreading shoots. A variety of flowering, no less attractive fruits and foliage with a changeable color contribute to the fact that the barberry changes its appearance during the season without losing its decorative effect.

    Mock orange

    The mock orange looks picturesque in a hedge (many used to call it jasmine). Juicy green leaves, sprawling attractive shape, thin graceful shoots, simple or double snow-white inflorescences and, of course, an incomparable aroma. A hedge in a dacha made of mock orange is not only a unique decoration, but also a planting that is completely unpretentious in care, capable of delighting you and your neighbors for many years.

    Irga

    If you want to plant in your garden not only an attractive, but also useful plant in its own way, then you should stop your attention on the irga. Thanks to unusual leaves that are able to change the color of foliage from month to month (from silver-green to various crimson hues), a hedge of shadberry will be attractive at any time, adding variety to the landscape. It is beautiful in an ordinary planting and, in addition, every year pleases its owners with delicious fruits. And in the spring, the irga is covered with snow-white inflorescences, shading the juicy foliage. Suitable for planting in partial shade.

    When choosing plants for a hedge, pay attention to the size of the crown of shrubs in adulthood: many of the above plants, depending on the type and variety, can create both medium (from 1. 5 meters) and high walls (4-5 meters). The main thing is to choose what your garden needs and will meet the tasks.

    Mixed hedges on site

    Recently, mixed hedges, formed from various hardwood or coniferous species, have gained immense popularity. Such heterogeneous walls look quite impressive and, at least, unusual: they allow you to experiment with shape, color and texture, bringing zest to the landscape.

    Creating a mixed hedge is not difficult: you simply plant different types of plants in a certain order. So, for example, a living wall made of arborvitae, alternating in equal intervals with colorful turf, looks impressive. Or in an equal step blooming hydrangea with dark barberry.

    Or by choosing shrubs with interesting foliage: alternate a plain dark barberry with a bright bordered turf. One of the main rules when creating mixed hedges is not to overdo it with color. Be sure to choose both monophonic species and varieties of plants, as well as bright ones, interesting for their flowering, foliage color or shrub shape.

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