7 Great Hedging Plants For Northwest Gardens

As the old saying goes, fences make for good neighbors. Seeing as hedges are more attractive than most fences, I guess that makes hedges even better for keeping nosy neighbors, unsightly objects and neighborhood troublemakers away from your piece of northwest paradise.
 In an age where housing lots are smaller and neighbors are packed closer together, a hedge is one of the nicest ways of creating a little sanctuary, a bit of privacy and some good old fashioned peace and quiet. It also offers a sense of security and can even create warmer micro-climates by offering some shelter from cold winds and the elements.

Preamble aside, there are many plants suitable for hedging in our area. In this articlw, will introduce you to some common and some not so common hedging alternatives.

Smargd / Emerald Cedar

Smargd Cedar / Smargd 'Arborvitae'
Thuja occidentalis ' Smargd'

If you're wondering who comes up with these names, you would fit in with the rest of us. Truth be told, 'Smargd' is actually Danish for 'Emerald'. Hence this plants dual identity -  the 'Smargd or Emerald cedar. This is by far the most common and most popular of the hedging plants. Stays an attractive green all year, offers a nice tight growth habit and can be trimmed to maintain size and shape. 20-30ft heights are possible. Prefers to grow in sun, in deep, moist, well drained acidic soils. Hardy in zones 3-9.

While cedars are literally a dime a dozen in our area, we strive to offer only the biggest, bushiest, best value plants we can get. Because of their size and girth, it often means you need to buy less plants, and therefore need to dig fewer holes and move less soil!

One additional tip, stay well away from pot dug plants. What happens is that many low-cost cedar growers hire contract crews to basically rip plants out of their fields, drop them into nursery containers without additional soil or nutrients and then send them for sale (often at big-box stores).

What you're getting in this condition is a plant that may have damaged roots, is probably under-stress and has an undersized root ball for its size. While it may be cheap, it's chances of survival are much less than a well grown, well dug plant. The other old saying, "you get what you pay for", couldn't be more true when it comes to plants. Moreover, if you've ever hand dug a trench for a hedge, and then had to redig to replace a sub-standard or dying plant, you'll have learned that sometimes the cost of a well grown plant was well worth it.

At Art's we offer special pricing for volume orders. Buy 10 or more regular priced hedging cedars, and we'll take 20% OFF the price. Give us a call at 604.882.1201 and we'll give you the details. Delivery service is also available.

English Laurel

English Laurel
Prunus laurocerasus
A popular plant for a large evergreen broadleaf hedge. Oval, rounded mid-green leaves, vigorous growth habit and ultimate size make it a great hedging plant. Can make a massive hedge if not pruned. Heights from 15-20ft are possible. Spikesof white flowers appear in mid-spring followed by small black fruits. Hardy in zones 6-8.

Portuguese Laurel

Portguese Laurel
Prunus lusitanica
Anattractive evergreen shrub with shining, glossy green, slender pointed leaves on striking red stems.This plant is particularly attractive in spring when it produces white flower tassels. Small red fruits appear thereafter.  Best grown in sun to part sun. Can be pruned to shape but will reach 15-20ft if allowed to grow. Prefers shallow, more alkaline soils. Hardy in zones 7-9.

Photinia

Fraser Photinia
Photinia x fraserii
A two-colour hedge you ask? It's possible with a Photinia. These evergreen to semi-evergreen plants feature green leaves that emerge red when young. While beautiful, this plant does need some TLC. It is a heavy feeder, requiring fertilizer when actively growing, and can be quite tempermental if its growing conditions are not ideal. Challenges aside, its is gorgeous and worth planting! Grows 6-10 feet in height and 5-8ft in spread. Prefers moist soils in sun to part shade. Hardy in zones 7-8.

Irish Yew

Irish Yew
Taxus bacatta 'Fastigiata'
Yews are one of the staples of the formal English Garden, and the Irish Yew is one of the best. Soft, short dark green needles held on upright branches keep it narrow and tight. Very popular in narrow spots like  urban gardens, patios, and containers. It's also one of the few hedging plants that will tolerate sun or shade. Very easy to prune and shape.  It's only downfall is that they are pricier than many other hedging plants - but they're worth it! Can grow 20-30ft , but is usually pruned to a smaller size. Tolerates any well drained soil. Hardy in zones 5-7.

Sunset Glow Bamboo

Sunset Glow Clumping Bamboo
Fargesia 'Rufa'
For completely different evergreen hedge, consider one of the many clumping bamboos, like 'Rufa'. This variety is not invasive and will not take over your garden. For more information, visit our latest Bamboo post: Well Behaved Clumping Bamboo

Japanese Holly

Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata
Japanese hollies are small leaved evergreens similar in stature to boxwoods, and are often used as an alternative to them. Leaves are small, green and elliptical. Their branches and foliage are stiffer and slightly more sparse than boxwoods. Small black berries add further interest. Tolerates some shearing. Best grown in sun or part shade. Hardy in zones 6-8

Evergreen Barberry

Evergreen Barberry
Berberis verrucolosa
This is one plant that no one will ever willingly climb through. Long, large stiff needles and somewhat pointy evergreen leaves are nearly impenetrable. This attractive, but tough and mean plant is an excellent barrier plant and is perfect for barring access, for example, underneath groundfloor windows. Function aside, this plant is also attractive in its own right. Arching stems, small yellow flowers in spring and summer, black non-edible berries and reddish fall colour add further interest. Grows slowly to 6ft in height and a similar width. Hardy to zone 6.



Boxwood is also a fantastic hedging option, although most varieties are lower growing making them better suited for borders and edges as opposed to tall hedges.

There are many other excellent hedging plants available at Art's Nursery. The choices are limited only by the available space, the growing conditions and your preference. Give us a call and we'll help you pick out the perfect plant for your place.