Taxus baccata Hedge Plants Description
Taxus baccata (English Yew) is a dense evergreen hedge that is dark green in colour with bright green spring growth and autumnal red fruits. The fruits are sought after by local birds, but are harmful to humans, pets and livestock - we strongly advise not to eat them. Yew is often believed to be a very slow-growing hedge plant, but in reality, it generally grows by 30/40cm per annum - not as slow as people might think. Once Yew reaches its desired height, it's easy to maintain. If you're looking for a classic looking conifer hedging plant, we recommend English Yew.
Yew hedging requires a substantial amount of water in the first couple of seasons, but it should not sit in waterlogged soil. For those who have clay, wet soil, we advise improving the drainage when planting this hedge plant. Aside for the volume of water needed for healthy growth and development, Yew is easy to grow, resilient, it can adapt to all soil types, particularly alkaline and it's the ideal hedging plant for the shade. Taxus baccata can also be used in a native garden feature, bringing attractive texture and winter cover to your landscape area. If you're considering pairing this conifer shrub with native hedge plants, Hedges Direct has a variety for you to choose from on our website, or you can contact our expert team for more information.
Yew hedging is also a fantastic option for topiary, with some of the most established gardens showcasing this stunning feature formed by Yew. We stock a range of topiary plants, including Taxus baccata topiary balls in a variety of sizes. From castles to stately homes and mature household gardens, Yew is the perfect hedge plant to be clipped into magnificent topiary shapes. This is down to its fine, densely needled habit and provides your outdoor space with an elegant feel.
For a lower-budget, dense, evergreen hedge plant, we recommend Lonicera nitida as an alternative option to Yew. Lonicera nitida has similar features and colour but requires more trimming. Buxus sempervirens (box hedge), is another excellent alternative to Yew. It grows much taller but with all the slow-growing benefits of Taxus baccata. Western Red Cedar is another tall conifer hedge plant that is also easy to maintain
Ordering mature extra tall hedging plants (2.5m +)
Customers rarely order these plants online (although it does happen, and you can do if you prefer). Customers tend to discuss their requirements with us, so we can explain the size of the plant they are interested in. We will provide a photograph of the actual stock you would receive and discuss the delivery options - as well as providing a bespoke quote with a variable discount on larger orders. We can also advise how to plant and care for your mature hedging plants to ensure you are delighted with the outcome. Plants that have been ordered are 'dug up' so they are fresh from the soil for the minimum number of days before being replanted. Please allow a minimum of 7 days between placing an order and receiving the delivery. The nurseries we work with lift plants every day in peak autumn and spring seasons and it is a tried and tested process to get them from Holland to the UK, so even if you have not used this sort of mature root ball hedging plant before, please be reassured that thousands of plants are managed in this way each year. Because root ball lifting involves some inevitable damage to the fine root structure, we strongly recommend that all
root ball hedging are re-planted with the RHS endorsed friendly fungi,
RootGrow. Extra Tall Root Balls - Minimum Order Quantity and Delivery
Please note that there is a minimum order requirement of five plants for the extra tall root balls, due to the specialised delivery required. Because of their extreme size and weight, these hedging plants need to be transported via articulated lorry and require a forklift to remove from the truck and into place for planting. A forklift icon on the listings indicates these products.
Law regarding tall hedges
When planting extra tall hedging, there is the chance that, depending on the location, it may not be popular with a neighbour. There is written legislation regarding hedge heights to be problematic between neighbours. The Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 attempts to outline procedure when hedges are adjudged by a neighbour to impact their own house or garden severely; blocking light or restricting views for example. A high hedge is classified as being more than two metres tall and evergreen or semi-evergreen, meaning deciduous hedges such as Beech that are available over 2m are not affected by the legislation. If a dispute should occur, the procedure involves raising a case with the local council, should you not be able to negotiate with your neighbour directly. At this point, the council will investigate and decide based on how much the hedge is deemed to affect the neighbour, whereby they may ask for the hedge to be kept at 2m or below; however, there is the chance for appeal.
Alternatives to tall hedging
If you are looking to achieve tall hedging on a budget, a cheaper alternative to buying large 2m+ plants is to purchase fast-growing hedging. Certain species will grow at a quicker rate than others, so if you are looking to create a tall hedge for privacy or aesthetics, then it could be worth looking at these fast-growing hedges. Species such as Cherry Laurel can grow at a rate of up to 60cm a year so buying a plant that is 150cm means you could have a hedge over 2 metres within a year. One concern with fast-growing hedge plants is that they may require more care and attention, but typically those hedges require pruning once or twice per year.
How to plant a Yew (Taxus baccata) hedgePrices shown are the price per plant. Planting 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 ideally 6 per metre in a staggered row. Planting densities for pot grown (which vary by pot size) and root ball (which vary by height) are shown below but again you can vary these depending on your budget and level of patience.
In addition to Yew, include a variety of colour within your garden with our colourful foliage plants. Yew is also a popular box alternative as it can be trimmed to shape and has small sized foliage. Taxus baccata cell grown, pot grown and instant hedging plants are available all year round. Cell grown and pot grown plants are available all year round. Bare roots are only available from november to late April/early May. Root Ball plants are only available from early-October to late May. Taxus is one of the most accommodating hedging plants and this means in an ordinary year we are able to lift it from the field for you to transplant it in 'rootball' form for 10 months of the year. This assumes of course that the usual aftercare is provided ie lots of water until the plants are established.
For more information on planting distances please see our
planting density advice section.
General hedge trimming should be done twice a year, once in early June and again in late September. It is important to prune at the right time, so as not to remove new growing shoots.
Free delivery is available on all orders 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 |
|---|
| Small Box (Bare Roots up to 1.2m) | £18 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Box (Pots up to and incl. 7.5L) | £18 delivery charge (orders up to £100 incl VAT) | Orders of £100 and over - FREE |
| Large/Tall Box (Tall bare roots 1.2m +) | £24 delivery charge (orders up to £120 incl VAT) | Orders of £120 and over - FREE |
| Pallet (Root balls, large pots, trees etc) | £60 delivery charge (orders up to £240 incl VAT) | Orders of £240 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 plants requiring specialist delivery - for more information see the
Delivery Information Page It's Quick! - Please note that orders will currently be dispatched within 7-10 working days. (See our product pages for specific delivery info)
Next Day Delivery is Available - We can offer next day delivery on eligible species and sizes for an additional £12 incl VAT. Call
01257 263 873 to find out if your order is eligible.
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.
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