Hedges | CSU Extension

Quick facts…

Growing plants to create hedges can serve many purposes.
Plants used for hedges should be uniform and healthy.
Pruning can help renew a hedge that has been neglected.
For less maintenance and minimal pruning plant an informal hedge.

Using closely planted shrubs to create a hedge adds functional beauty to a landscape. A hedge can be used as a windbreak, living fence, a barrier for noise abatement, or as a foundation backdrop. Formal and informal landscapes can both benefit from hedge plantings. Understanding species selection, planting procedures, and pruning are important when planning and maintaining a hedge.

Selection

Shrubs for hedges should be healthy and uniform. When selecting plants for a hedge, consider the area’s location, exposure, space for growth, and desired landscape effect. Shrubs such as privet, arborvitae, and viburnum respond well to shearing and are a good choice for a formal landscape. For informal landscape plantings use lilac, dogwood, or juniper to achieve a more natural look. For year-round screening, use evergreens such as yew, juniper, or hardy forms of boxwood.

Consider budget, availability, and immediate needs when selecting materials. Large ball-and-burlap shrubs are more expensive and more difficult to handle but will have a mature look more quickly. Shrubs in small containers, number five to number fifteen, are less costly but will need more time to grow into a dense hedge. Using bare-root nursery stock makes hedge planting more affordable. Not all retail nurseries carry bare-root stock— check with local nurseries in early spring or order from reputable online retailers.

Drainage and Soil Conditions during planting

After a site has been selected for the hedge planting, consider the height and spread that the area can accommodate. Improperly placed shrubs may overtake walkways and yards, or crowd access ways, easements, and property lines. Planting and spacing shrubs according to their mature height and spread will reduce maintenance problems later. Also, be cautious when planting near or under utility areas.

Hedges which will be sheared, or kept formally, are planted closer together, slightly closer than their natural spread. Natural, informal hedges are planted at a wider spacing and allowed to grow together. For help with spacing refer to the included table; in which plant sizes are based on height and spread on three average years of growth. All hedge material will need to be planted into soil that has been amended to meet the various species’ requirements. Adequate watering is necessary to establish plant material. In the first season use a soaker hose, or drip irrigation with mulch to reduce drying from sun and wind. Success with bare-root nursery stock will depend on planting early in the spring and maintaining proper soil moisture.

Pruning

Hedges can be maintained in either a natural or formal form referred to as sheared hedges. Proper pruning is important for training and maintaining a healthy hedge. All hedges need regular pruning to maintain shape and increase density. Allowing hedges to follow their natural habit or form will require less maintenance which is ideal for an informal landscape. Species used informally are spaced so natural habit and form can be preserved. This is why species selection must reflect the needs of the site. It may be necessary at times to prune old, broken, diseased or unfavorable growth.

Sheared hedges require more maintenance. Shearing trains and helps maintain the proper shape of the hedge so that a dense growth habit can develop. Privet, boxwood, yew, and currants are shrubs that respond well to shearing and are often used in formal landscapes. Once a hedge has been trained, the frequency of pruning will depend on species and landscape use. Commitment to a pruning schedule can determine the difference between a beautiful or an overgrown hedge.

If shrubs have gotten too large, it is possible to rejuvenate certain species. Plantings of lilac or honeysuckle, for example, can be pruned using renewal and thinning cuts on the old wood. Some species are easier to maintain with renewal pruning than others. Overall success with a hedge will depend on understanding and coordinating proper pruning on a regular basis.

Table 1a. Small Deciduous Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature < 6ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Berberis x mentorensis Mentor Barberry		4-6′	6′	sun/part sun	dense, thorny, dark green leaves, holds foliage late in winter excellent planting for barriers, does not produce fruit
Berberis x ‘Tara’ Emerald Carousel® Barberry		4-5′	5′	sun	deer resistant, heavily thorned, yellow flower, red fruit with red fall color; holds foliage late into fall Adaptable to many site conditions, leaves turn red in fall
Berberis thunbergii Japanese Barberry		3-5′	5′	sun	green foliage, adaptable to all but wet conditions, heavily thorned, good for barriers; red leafed forms available Considered invasive in much of the US
Caragana frutex       Globe Russian Peashrub	‘Globosa’	2-3′	3′	sun	dark blue-green foliage, slow-growing dense globe-shaped. Drought tolerant that grows with natural rounded appearance
Cornus sericea Isanti Dogwood	‘Isanti’	3-5′	5′	sun/shade	dense and compact, red twigs white flowers and white fruit when not sheared
Euonymus alatus Dwarf Burning Bush	‘Compacta’	4-5′	5′	sun/part sun	brilliant crimson leaves for fall, responds to shearing yellow flowers in spring prior to leafing out, bronze fall color
Forsythia x intermedia					yellow flowers in spring prior to leafing out, bronze fall color
Lynwood Gold Forsythia	‘Lynwood’	6-7′	7′	sun/part sun	excessive pruning in fall results fewer flowers in spring
Spring Glory Forsythia	‘Spring Glory’	4-6′	5′	sun	clonal selection with better flower bud hardiness
Northern Sun Forsythia	‘Northern Sun’	4-6′	5′	sun	clonal selection with better flower bud hardiness
Ligustrum x vicaryi Golden Vicary Privet		4-6′	3′	sun	golden leaves hold late into season, less hardy than “Cheyenne’ privet
Ligustrum vulgare       Lodense Privet	‘Lodense’	2-3′	3′	sun/part sun	very compact, xeric
Lonicera x xylosteoides Clavey’s Dwarf Honeysuckle	‘Clavey’s Dwarf’	4-6′	4′	sun/part sun	yellow to white flowers, grey – green leaves
Physocarpus monogynus Rocky Mountain Ninebark		3-4′	4′	sun/part sun	native, bark sheds into paper thin layers
Potentilla fruticosa Shrub Potentilla		3-4′	4′	sun	yellow flowers early, compact, rounded
Abbotswood potentilla	‘Abbotswood’	2-3′	3′	sun	white flowers, spreading
Gold Drop potentilla	‘Gold Drop’	2-3′	3′	sun	bright green leaves with smaller yellow flowers
Jackman potentilla	‘Jackmannii’	2-3′	4′	sun	bright yellow flowers all season, upright rounded habit
Ribes alpinum Alpine Currant		3-5′	6′	sun/shade	good for shearing, good green foliage
Ribes aureum Golden Currant		4-6′	6′	sun/shade	native, red fall foliage, fragrant yellow flowers
Rosa x Meidiland® Meidland® Rose Series		3-4′	5′	sun	available in many colors, white, pink, red, fuchsia flowers throughout summer
Rosa x Carefree Series Carefree Wonder, Carefree Delight, Carefree Beauty, Carefree Sunshine		2-3′		sun	double or single flowers throughout growing season
Rosa x ‘Rad Razz’ Knockout		2-3′		sun	single flowers throughout growing season
Spirea x japonica	‘Froebelii’	3-4′	5′	sun	natural rounded form
Spirea x japonica	‘Anthony Waterer’	2-3′	5′	sun	leaf color purple red, then matures to dark green
Spirea nipponica	‘Snowmound’	3-5′	5′	sun	white flowers, blue-green leaves
Syringa patula Dwarf Lilac	‘Miss Kim’	3-5′	5′	sun	good for small gardens, pale lilac flowers
Viburnum opulus European Cranberrybush Viburnum	‘Compactum’	4-5′	5′	sun/part sun	white flowers, scarlet fruit, compact rounded habit

Table 1b. Medium Deciduous Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature < 10ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Cornus alba Variegated Dogwood	‘Argenteo-marginata’	6-8′	8′	part sun	white-edged leaves
Cornus sericea Redosier Dogwood	‘Baileyi’	6-8′	8′	sun/part sun	very adaptable, red stems in winter
Cotoneaster lucidus (aka acutifolius) Hedge Cotoneaster (Peking)		6-8′	5′	sun	black fruit, tolerates extreme pruning, good fall color
Euonymus alatus Burning Bush	6-8′	8′		sun/part sun	deer resistant, brilliant red fall color, corky wings more prominent
Forestiera neomexicana New Mexico Privet		6-8′	6′	sun	olive-green leaves, finely twigged, yellow flowers in early
Hibiscus syriacus Rose-of-Sharon	many clones available	6-8′	6′	sun	dark green foliage turns pale yellow in fall, showy late flower
Ligustrum vulgare Cheyenne Privet	‘Cheyenne’	6-8′	6′	sun/part sun	glossy green foliage, dense, responds well to shearing, good formal hedge, white flowers and black fruit when not sheared

Philadelphus lewisii Cheyenne Mock orange	‘Cheyenne’	6-8′	6′	sun/part sun	thrives with no special care, fragrant white flowers in spring
Physocarpus opulifolius Diablo Ninebark	‘Diablo’	6-7′	6′	sun	purple red foliage, layered bark
Physocarpus opulifolius Luteus Ninebark	‘Luteus’	6-7′	6′	sun	yellow new foliage color, layered bark
Prunus x cistena Purple Leaf Sand cherry		6-8′	4′	sun	purple foliage all season
Spiraea x vanhouttei Vanhoutte Spirea		6-8′	10′	sun	fountain habit, white flowers in spring

Table 1c. Large Deciduous Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature > 10ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Caragana arborescens Siberian Peashrub		10-15′	5′	sun/pt sun	good for screens and windbreaks
Lonicera korolkowii Blue Velvet Blueleaf Honeysuckle	‘Floribunda’	10-12′	8′	sun	blue-green foliage, pink flowers, Plant Select&reg: 1999
Prunus tomentosa Nanking Cherry		6-10′	8′	sun/part sun	good bird habitat, red fruit, pink flowers in spring
Rhamnus frangula Columnar Buckthorn	‘Columnaris’	8-12′	3′	sun	upright growth habit, glossy green leaves
Sambucus nigra Golden Elder		8-12’	8-12’	Sun/shade	Larger shrub develops purpose berries
Sambucus pubens Native Elder		4-12′	12′	sun/shade	red berries late summer to fall, dark green leaves
Syringa vulgaris Common Lilac		10-12′	12′	sun/part sun	fragrant purple flowers in spring, prone to powdery mildew
Viburnum opulus var Roseum       Snowball Viburnum	‘Roseum’	8-12′	5′	sun/part sun	profusion of sterile white flowers, xeric, aphids often a problem

Table 2a. Small Evergreen Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature < 6ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Buxus sempervirens Boxwood	‘Julia Jane’	3-5′	3′	part sun/shade	dark green foliage, hardier form
Pinus mugo Slowmound Mugo Pine	‘Slowmound’	3-5′	4′	sun	remains dwarf, dark green foliage
Taxus x media Dense Yew	‘Densiformis’	3-4′	8′	part sun/shade	tolerates shearing
Thuja occidentalis Hetz Midget Arborvitae	‘Hetz Midget’	3-4′	3′	sun	slow growing, rounded dense growth habit

Table 2b. Medium Evergreen Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature < 10ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Buxus sempervirens Boxwood	‘Green Tower’	6-8′	2′	part sun/shade	upright habit, good green leaf color in winter
Juniperus chinensis   Blue Point Juniper	‘Blue Point’	8-10′	4′	sun/part sun	maintains shape with little shearing, sets fruit
Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’ Upright Yew		8-12′	4′	part sun/shade	upright habit, darker green foliage in winter

Table 2c. Large Evergreen Shrubs for Hedge Use (generally mature > 10ft)

Species	Cultivars	Height	Spread	Light	Comments
Juniperus scopulorum Rocky Mountain Juniper	‘Wichita Blue’	8-12′	5′	sun	tolerates shearing
Thuja occidentalis Arborvitae	‘Degroot’s Spire’	10-12′	3′	sun/part sun	tolerates shearing
Thuja occidentalis Arborvitae	‘Emerald’	10-12′	4′	sun/part sun	does not yellow in winter, dark green foliage

Reference: CSU Fact Sheet 7.208