Beech Hedge Plants
Although beech plants are deciduous, the striking winter leaves stay on the hedge until they are ready to make way for new growth in spring, making beech hedging a wonderful alternative to evergreen hedging that provides year-round interest.
Fantastic on its own as a formal hedge, beech hedging also makes a wonderful addition to a native mixed hedge to provide a burst of winter colour, as well as shelter for local wildlife when the rest of the deciduous hedge loses its leaves. If you're looking for a hedge with the characteristics of Beech hedging but in a different colour option, Purple Beech hedging - also known as Copper Beech - makes a striking alternative.
Beech hedging is a relatively fast grower, achieving around 30-60cm per annum. Fagus sylvatica does require some maintenance - after a light trim to tidy if required in early summer, we recommend trimming your beech hedge in late summer or early autumn, to make sure you can retain some of the lovely leaf coverage in winter.
Fagus sylvatica grows well in sun or partial shade, and thrives in well-drained soils. However, beech hedging is not suitable for heavy clay or wet sites - we'd suggest Hornbeam hedging as a fantastic alternative in this case, as it offers a similar appearance but can cope better with trickier planting situations. Beech can be grown in windy sites as a windbreak hedge, but be aware that it may not keep all of its winter leaves in very exposed positions, such as coastal sites.
If you are looking for a more established hedge, or a privacy screen for your garden, Fagus sylvatica is also available as an instant hedging screen to immediately transform the look of your garden, offering the beautiful aesthetics of a hedge whilst giving the privacy and security of a fence.
If Beech hedging isn't the ideal hedge for you, you'll find a comprehensive selection of alternatives and suggestions for your garden via our Choosing the Right Species page, or you can call the sales team on 01257 263 873.
Premium Products - Call to order or enquire
Premium products (indicated by a forklift icon and 'Premium Product' in the product table), require specialist delivery due to their size and weight. For these items a bespoke delivery charge applies. Please call the team on
01257 263 873 if you wish to order or enquire about any of these products.
*All premium products are excluded from any promotional discounts.
Planting a Beech hedgePrices shown are the price per plant, other than the discounted packs of 250, 500 and 1000. Planting distance is very much a matter of choice. For bare roots, 3 plants per metre is adequate, 5 is good, 7 plants in a double staggered row makes a dense hedge quicker. Smaller plants are generally planted at higher density than tall plants. Pot grown plants have recommended densities shown (which vary by pot size) but you can increase or reduce this density dependent on your level of patience. Cell grown should be planted at 4 per metre in a single row, or ideally 6 per metre in a staggered row. Root ball Beech is normally planted at 2-3 per metre in a single row.
Beech hedging spacingPlanting distances are very much a matter of choice - for bare roots, 3 plants per metre is adequate, 5 is good, 7 in a double staggered row will give a dense hedge quicker. Generally, smaller plants should be planted at higher density. Cell grown should be planted at 4 per metre in a single row or 6 per metre in a staggered row but particularly with this species you could consider planting more densely.
Planting density for pot grown and root ball beech hedging plants is as shown but you can vary this depending on your budget and how long you’re willing to wait to see the finished product. For more information on planting distances please see our
planting density advice section.
Cell grown, pot grown and instant beech hedging plants are available to buy all year round. Bare roots and Root ball beech hedging is only available from November to late April/early May.
Beech hedging is relatively low maintenance and by planning your beech hedging care routine carefully, you will only have to prune once or twice a year.
A beech hedge can be lightly trimmed and tidied up in June, if it’s looking a little messy, however we recommend pruning an established beech hedge in late summer. August is the ideal time, as a late summer cutting means that the plants have enough time to regrow and recover before the winter and a last flush of growth increases the winter coverage that makes beech hedging so popular.
Looking after a beech hedge is important, but it is possible to renovate an overgrown beech hedge. This sort of beech hedging maintenance should be carried out in February whilst it’s still dormant. If your overgrown beech hedge requires cutting back by more than half of its size it is best to do this gradually over two growing seasons. Firstly, cut back the top and one side of the hedge, leaving the other side for the following year.
Hard pruning is nothing to worry about, the beech hedging growth rate is particularly fast, approximately 30-60cm per year so your hedge will soon recover. With regular beech hedging maintenance, we do recommend using a slow release fertiliser, such as Bonemeal."
Free delivery is available on most orders (except Premium Products) providing they meet the minimum spend criteria for the size of box or pallet. Pallet deliveries and large box deliveries for tall plants are indicated by icons on the product table listings. Delivery costs and minimum order details for each packaging type are as follows:
| Packaging Type | Standard Delivery Charge | Minimum Order Values (incl VAT) for FREE Delivery |
|---|
| Standard Boxes (Bare roots up to 1.2m tall and pots up to and incl. 7.5L) | £7.99 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Tall Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m and over) | £14.99 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Pallets (Root balls, large pots (10L+), trees etc) | £60.00 delivery charge (orders up to £350 incl VAT) | Orders of £350 and over - FREE |
| Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | £450.00 delivery charge (orders up to £1500 incl VAT) | Orders of £1500 and over - FREE |
There are some exceptions to the standard delivery pricing structure, which relate to deliveries to more remote areas, overseas, or extremely tall or large plants requiring specialist delivery - for more information see the Delivery Information Page. (Please note that due to new Brexit rules, we are currently unable to export to both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.).
Delivery Time - Please note that delivery times are currently 3-7 days excluding bank holidays. *Some troughs and trees may take up to 14 days delivery. We are working through existing orders as quickly as possible to deliver new orders within this timescale.
It's Convenient - no need to wait in all day to sign, we don't need a signature (the odd, larger order may require a signature but will be delivered at a mutually agreeable time).
It's Tried & Tested - we use only couriers who have shown consistency in their efficiency & care.
* Please note that delivery costs are based on the final order amount in your cart after any discounts have been applied.
Hedges Direct 12 Month Plant Guarantee
Our plants are guaranteed for 12 months after delivery subject to specific criteria. Visit our Hedges Direct Plant Guarantee Page for full details.
Nominated Day Delivery
Choose a delivery day that suits you with our new Nominated Day Delivery option at checkout. Whilst our standard no signature delivery means you don't need to take time away from other committments to receive your order, we understand that there are times our customers want to make sure they are present to accept delivery, either to plant straight away or to store somewhere safe and out of the way until you're ready to plant.
For an additional fee, you can make sure that your order arrives on the exact day you want it. Please note that this is additional charge to all qualifying orders, including those above the free delivery threshold for Standard Delivery.
Our Nominated Day Delivery is available year-round on the weekdays Tuesdays to Fridays, excluding the day after any bank holiday.
Some products are sent direct from our suppliers and as such are not available for Nominated Day Delivery. These include:- Cell Grown Hedging Plants- Instant Trough Grown Hedging Plants- Instant Hedging Screens- Premium Root Balls (250cm and above in height)- Turf
To book your Nominated Day Delivery for farther ahead than the 3 week window available online, please contact our Sales & Advice team to discuss your options.
