Native hedges are a familiar part of the Irish landscape. They divide fields, provide shelter, line country roads and, importantly, provide food and habitat for a huge range of wildlife.
Planting a native Irish hedge is a simple way to bring some of that biodiversity into your own garden, farm or larger planting project.
A native hedge can be planted using a single species such as Whitethorn, or several native hedging plants can be mixed together to create a more diverse hedge with different flowers, berries, foliage and wildlife benefits throughout the year.
At Cullen Nurseries, our Native Hedging Plants pack contains 50% Whitethorn and 50% a mixture of Hazel and Guelder Rose, giving you a good combination of structure, seasonal interest and biodiversity.
There are plenty of reasons to choose native hedging, particularly if you’re looking for something that fits naturally into an Irish garden or rural landscape.
A well-established native hedge can:
Unlike a formal evergreen hedge, a mixed native hedge changes throughout the seasons. That’s part of its appeal.
There is no single recipe for a native Irish hedge. Different species can be used depending on the site and what you want the hedge to achieve.
Our Native Hedging Pack uses three species that work particularly well together:
Whitethorn (Crataegus monogyna), also known as Hawthorn, forms the main structure of our native hedge mix. It is hardy, fast growing and develops into a dense, thorny hedge.
White flowers appear in spring, followed by red haws later in the year. These provide a valuable food source for birds and other wildlife.
If you’d like to learn more about growing Whitethorn on its own, read our Guide to Whitethorn Hedging.
Hazel (Corylus avellana) is another familiar native species. Naturally bushy in its growth, Hazel works very well as part of a mixed hedge.
Its distinctive catkins provide early-season interest and established plants can produce hazelnuts, providing another useful food source for wildlife.
Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) brings additional seasonal interest to a mixed native hedge.
It produces attractive white flowers followed by bright red berries later in the year, adding both colour and wildlife value to the hedge.
We are often asked whether it is better to plant a mixed native hedge or simply plant Whitethorn.
There isn’t one right answer.
A Whitethorn hedge is an excellent choice if you want a traditional, hardy and relatively uniform field or garden boundary. It is tough, fast growing and forms a dense natural barrier.
A mixed native hedge gives you greater variety. Different species flower and fruit at different times, providing more seasonal interest and a wider range of food and habitat for wildlife.
If biodiversity is one of the main reasons you’re planting the hedge, we’d generally favour a mixed native hedge.
Native hedging is most commonly supplied as bare-root plants and planted while the plants are dormant.
The normal bare-root planting season in Ireland runs from approximately November through to March.
Planting bare-root hedging during winter is also a very cost-effective way to establish a long boundary, particularly when compared with buying the same number of larger potted plants.
Once your bare-root plants arrive, try to plant them as soon as reasonably possible.
If you can’t plant immediately, keep the roots covered, cool and protected from drying winds. Bare roots should never be allowed to dry out.
The number of plants you need depends on the length of the hedge and whether you’re planting a single or double row.
For our Native Hedging Plants, we recommend:
A single row will develop into a good traditional hedge and requires fewer plants.
If you want a thicker hedge, use a staggered double row. The plants in the second row should sit opposite the gaps between the plants in the first row rather than directly opposite each other.
For example, a 25 metre hedge would require approximately 100 plants in a single row using our recommended spacing.
Good preparation before planting will make life considerably easier and give the plants the best chance of establishing quickly.
Start by clearing grass, weeds and other competing vegetation from the planting area.
Don’t underestimate that final point. Grass and weeds compete with young hedging plants for both moisture and nutrients and can significantly slow establishment.
Depending on where you’re planting, young native hedging may need some protection.
Rabbits and deer can damage newly planted hedging, particularly while the plants are small and the young growth is easily accessible.
For rural planting or areas where browsing animals are common, suitable guards or other protection can make a big difference during the establishment period.
Native doesn’t mean that a newly planted hedge can simply be forgotten about.
All young plants need water while their root systems establish. This is particularly important if there is a prolonged dry period during the first spring or summer after planting.
Water thoroughly when required rather than applying a very small amount of water frequently.
Keeping the base of the hedge free from grass and weeds during the first couple of years will also reduce competition and help the plants establish more quickly.
It can seem strange to cut back a hedge when you’re trying to make it grow, but early pruning can encourage the plants to branch lower down and develop into a thicker hedge.
Without any pruning, some plants can concentrate on gaining height rather than producing the dense side growth needed for a good hedge.
As the hedge establishes, trimming can then be used to control its height and width and encourage further branching.
Always check established hedges carefully for active bird nests before carrying out hedge cutting or pruning.
This is where a mixed native hedge really comes into its own.
Whitethorn, Hazel and Guelder Rose each provide something different. Flowers support pollinating insects, fruits and nuts provide food, and dense branches provide shelter and nesting opportunities.
As the hedge matures, it also creates a protected route for wildlife to move between different areas.
If you have enough space, native trees can also be incorporated into or planted alongside a native hedge to add height, structure and even more habitat.
Take a look at our Guide to Native Irish Trees if you’re considering combining native trees and hedging in a larger planting scheme.
Native hedging is particularly well suited to farms, rural properties and longer boundaries.
Bare-root plants make larger-scale planting relatively economical, while species such as Whitethorn have been used to create traditional Irish field boundaries for generations.
For a large project, it’s worth measuring the total length of your proposed hedge before ordering and deciding whether you want a single or staggered double row.
If you’re unsure how many plants you need, contact Cullen Nurseries with the length of your hedge and we can help you work out the quantities.
This depends on what you want from your hedge.
If your main priority is dense green screening throughout the year, an evergreen hedge such as Laurel, Portuguese Laurel or Griselinia may be more suitable.
If you’re looking for a more natural boundary with seasonal interest and strong wildlife value, native hedging is an excellent choice.
For rural gardens, farms and biodiversity-focused planting, a native hedge also has the advantage of looking completely at home in the surrounding Irish landscape.
A native hedge is planted using species that occur naturally in Ireland. It can consist of one species, such as Whitethorn, or a mixture of several native hedging plants.
Our Native Hedging Pack contains 50% Whitethorn and 50% a mixture of Hazel and Guelder Rose. This provides a combination of strong hedge structure, seasonal interest and wildlife value.
Bare-root native hedging is normally planted during the dormant season from approximately November through to March.
For Cullen Nurseries’ Native Hedging Plants, we recommend approximately 4 plants per metre in a single row or 6 plants per metre in a staggered double row.
At 4 plants per metre, you will need approximately 100 plants for a 25 metre single-row hedge. A staggered double row at 6 plants per metre would require approximately 150 plants.
Yes. Mixed native hedging provides flowers for pollinators, fruits and nuts for birds and other wildlife, and dense growth for shelter and nesting.
Most traditional native hedging species are deciduous, although evergreen native species such as Holly can also be incorporated into a mixed hedge.
Yes. Native hedging is particularly well suited to farms and rural boundaries. Whitethorn has been used for traditional field hedges throughout Ireland for generations.
A Whitethorn hedge consists primarily or entirely of Whitethorn. A mixed native hedge combines several native species, giving greater variety in flowers, fruits, foliage and wildlife habitat.
Yes. Where there is sufficient space, suitable native trees can be planted at intervals within or alongside a native hedge to add height, structure and additional habitat.
Whether you’re planting a garden boundary, farm hedge or a larger biodiversity project, working out the correct number of plants before you start will make ordering and planting much easier.
Our Native Hedging Pack combines Whitethorn, Hazel and Guelder Rose to create a varied native hedge suitable for a wide range of Irish planting projects.
View our Native Hedging Plants or contact Cullen Nurseries if you need help calculating quantities or choosing the best hedging for your site.
Bare-root season is coming!
Thanks for visiting Cullen Nurseries. Our bare-root and rootballed harvest begins in November, when the trees and hedging are fully dormant and ready to lift.
You can order now to secure your plants.
Lifting fresh from our fields to order means your plants reach you in the best possible condition, ready to plant.
Potted plants are available all year round and can be dispatched now.
Questions? Call us or WhatsApp us, and we’re always happy to help.
