Best hedge plants: how to choose the right one for your garden

What are the best hedge plants for UK gardens?

For a tall evergreen screen, cherry laurel produces large, glossy leaves and grows relatively quickly. English yew is a better choice for a closely clipped formal hedge, while green beech retains much of its copper-brown foliage through winter when regularly trimmed. Privet is useful where a tidy, adaptable boundary matters. Your soil, available width and preferred trimming routine will determine which of these hedge plants suits your garden.

There is no single best hedge for every situation. A plant that thrives on a sunny, well-drained slope may struggle on heavy clay in partial shade. Start by thinking about the height you need, how much time you can give to trimming each year, and whether you want leaves all winter or a seasonal change. Once you know those answers, you can narrow the choice to a handful of species that will grow well in your soil and light.

Check how much sun reaches the planting line in winter as well as summer, particularly beside buildings and mature trees. A hedge that suits the light and drainage will be easier to establish and maintain. The comparisons also give typical spacing and growth figures to help you estimate planting quantities and plan your first year of care.

What is the easiest hedge to maintain?

An easy hedge is one that grows at a steady, predictable pace and does not demand constant clipping to look tidy. For most gardeners, the easiest hedges are those that need trimming only once or twice a year and stay healthy without special feeding or watering once established.

English yew is often called the easiest formal hedge because it grows slowly, responds well to a single annual trim in late summer, and can live for decades. Privet is another low-maintenance choice: it tolerates a wide range of soils and urban pollution, and a trim in early summer and again in autumn keeps it neat. Green beech needs similar attention and holds its brown winter leaves for extra screening.

Fast-growing conifers like Leylandii can become high-maintenance if planted without enough space. They need two or three trims a year to stay at the desired height, and they cannot be cut back hard into old wood. Choosing a slower species from the start often saves work over the life of the hedge.

• Yew: one trim a year, dense and long-lived
• Privet: two trims a year, tough and adaptable
• Green beech: two trims a year, holds winter leaf colour
• Holly: one trim a year, spiny but slow-growing
• Portuguese laurel: one or two trims, neater than cherry laurel

Good low-maintenance hedges for the UK

A low-maintenance hedge does not have to be slow-growing. The key is choosing a plant whose natural size and shape fit the space, so you are not constantly fighting its growth habit. The following hedge plants generally need only one or two trims a year once established, although exposed positions, heavy shade and poorly drained soil can make ongoing care more demanding.

All the plants listed will grow in typical British conditions, but always check your soil drainage and light before ordering. Heavy clay or deep shade can turn an easy hedge into a struggle, so match the plant to the plot.

Best shrubs for hedges in the UK

Many shrubs make excellent hedges when planted closely in a row. Cherry laurel and Portuguese laurel are large evergreen shrubs with broad leaves that create a solid screen. Privet is a classic semi-evergreen shrub hedge, while holly brings spiny texture and red winter berries on female plants.

For a lower, more ornamental hedge, consider dwarf evergreen azaleas, hebes, or Euonymus Emerald 'n' Gold and Emerald Gaiety. These are shrubs first, but planted at close spacing they form colourful low hedges or edging. Mixed hebes are available as 9cm potted plants in packs of 4, 6, 12 or 18, or as four plants in 2 litre pots. Their differing foliage colours and flowering habits suit informal low edging rather than a perfectly even hedge. Hebe Red Edge, supplied in 9cm pots in packs of 2, 3, 4 or 6, has grey-green leaves with reddish margins and makes a compact edging plant in a sheltered position.

If you want a hedge that doubles as a flowering shrub border, French lavender Bandera Purple is a neat choice for sunny, well-drained spots. Planted at 30cm spacing, it makes a fragrant low hedge around 40 to 60cm tall. Pieris Forest Flame and Mountain Fire are shrubs with striking red new growth; they suit an informal hedge in acidic soil and partial shade.

Remember that shrub hedges may need different pruning times to flowering shrubs grown as specimens. A lavender hedge is trimmed after flowering, while a laurel hedge is cut in late spring or early summer. Check the care notes for each species before you plant.

• Cherry laurel: broad evergreen, quick screen
• Portuguese laurel: neater leaf, good on chalk
• Privet: tough semi-evergreen, urban-tolerant
• Holly: spiny evergreen, berries on female plants
• Dwarf evergreen azalea: low, colourful spring flowers
• Hebes: compact, varied foliage and flowers
• Euonymus Emerald 'n' Gold and Emerald Gaiety: bright variegated leaves
• French lavender Bandera Purple: fragrant, sun-loving low hedge

Top 10 hedge plants for UK gardens

These ten hedging plants cover different garden needs, from low box edging to tall Leylandii screens. Hawthorn provides thorny branches and flowers for wildlife, while Portuguese laurel has smaller leaves than cherry laurel and can be clipped into a neater outline. Compare their expected height and annual trimming requirements alongside soil drainage before choosing plants for your boundary.

The table shows supplied sizes available from our range, typical spacing for a single row, and the number of plants you would need for a 5-metre run. Double rows require a separate quantity calculation based on the spacing along each row and the distance between rows. A staggered double row can use substantially more plants than a single row. Check the listed supplied sizes and root types before ordering, especially where different sizes of the same species are available.

Month-by-month hedge care calendar

Timing your planting, feeding and trimming helps a hedge establish quickly and stay healthy. The calendar below covers the main tasks for most UK hedge plants. Adjust timings for your local climate and the specific species you grow.

Bare root plants are only available and planted during the dormant season, roughly November to March. Potted and rootball plants can go in at any time the ground is workable, but avoid frozen or waterlogged soil.

Choosing the right root type and size

Hedge plants come as bare root, potted or rootball stock. The right choice depends on the time of year, your budget and how quickly you want a screen.

Bare root plants are lifted during the dormant season, roughly November to March, and supplied without soil around their roots. They are generally an economical choice for longer hedges. Privet is available at 40-60cm and 60-90cm, hawthorn at 40/60 and 60/90, box at 20-40cm, and Green Leylandii in several bare root sizes. Green beech is listed at 90-120cm, but its root type is not specified in the supplied catalogue. Plant them promptly after delivery and keep the roots covered until they go in the ground.

Potted plants are grown in containers and can be planted year-round. They establish reliably because the root system is undisturbed at planting time. Cherry laurel, Portuguese laurel, holly, yew (smaller sizes), Castlewellan Gold and Leylandii are all offered as potted plants. Larger pots generally contain taller plants, but check the supplied height as well as the pot size.

Rootball plants are lifted with soil retained around their roots, usually held together with a protective wrapping. English yew is available in 60-80cm and 80-100cm rootball sizes, giving more initial height than the smaller 20-40cm potted option. Plant rootball stock during the cooler months, while conditions favour root establishment and the ground is neither frozen nor waterlogged.

Use RHS Rootgrow mycorrhizal fungi at planting time to help roots establish faster. It is available in 60g packs for smaller orders and 360g packs with gel for larger projects.

How many plants do I need?

Spacing depends on the species, the supplied size and how quickly you want the hedge to fill in. As a general rule, smaller plants are set closer together. The table below gives typical spacings for a single row. For a thicker hedge, plant a staggered double row with the same within-row spacing and 30 to 45cm between rows.

Measure the length of your boundary in metres and multiply by the plants-per-metre figure for your chosen species and size. Round your calculated quantity to whole plants, then consider a few spares for awkward ends or future gaps. For a staggered double row, calculate the plants needed for each row separately using its actual length and spacing. Simply adding half again may leave you short if both rows run the full length of the boundary.