Beech Hedging (Fagus sylvatica)

Beech Hedging Plants Description

Although beech plants are deciduous, their striking winter leaves remain on the hedge until new growth emerges in spring. This feature makes beech hedging a fantastic alternative to evergreen hedging, providing year-round interest.

Beech hedging works beautifully on its own as a formal hedge, but it also makes a great addition to a native mixed hedge. It provides a splash of winter color and offers shelter for local wildlife when other deciduous plants have shed their leaves. If you are interested in the characteristics of beech hedging but want a different colour option, consider Purple Beech (also known as Copper Beech), which offers a striking alternative.

Beech hedging grows relatively quickly, achieving about 30-60 cm per year. While Fagus sylvatica does require some maintenance, it benefits from a light trim in early summer if needed. A more thorough trim in late summer or early autumn is recommended to retain some of the beautiful leaf coverage during the winter.

This versatile hedge 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. In these cases, Hornbeam hedging is a great alternative, as it offers a similar appearance but can better handle challenging planting conditions. Beech can also serve as a windbreak in windy areas, but it may not retain all of its winter leaves in very exposed locations, such as coastal sites.

For those seeking a more established hedge or a privacy screen for their garden, Fagus sylvatica is also available as an instant hedging screen. This option allows you to quickly transform your garden, offering the aesthetic appeal of a hedge with the privacy and security of a fence.

Pruning Advice

Beech hedging is relatively low-maintenance, and with a well-planned care routine, you’ll only need to prune it once or twice a year.

You can give a beech hedge a light trim in June if it starts to look untidy, but we recommend a thorough pruning in late summer. August is the best time for this, as it allows the hedge to recover and regrow before winter. This late-summer growth also enhances the winter coverage, which is one of the key features that make beech hedging so popular.

If your beech hedge has become overgrown, it can be renovated with some careful maintenance. This should be done in February, while the hedge is still dormant. If the hedge needs to be cut back by more than half its size, it is best to do this gradually over two growing seasons. Start by cutting back the top and one side of the hedge, leaving the other side to be pruned the following year.

Do not worry about hard pruning, as beech hedges have a fast growth rate of about 30-60 cm per year, so they will recover quickly. For regular maintenance, we recommend using a slow-release fertiliser, such as Bonemeal, to support healthy growth.

Further Information

The planting distance for beech hedging largely depends on personal preference. For bare-root plants, spacing 3 plants per meter is adequate, 5 plants per metre is ideal, and planting 7 plants in a double staggered row will create a denser hedge more quickly. Smaller plants are generally planted at higher densities than taller plants.

For cell-grown plants, it is recommended to plant 4 per metre in a single row or 6 per metre in a staggered row, which helps achieve a fuller hedge faster. Pot-grown plants have suggested planting densities based on pot size, but you can adjust the density depending on your patience and the desired result. Root ball beech hedging is typically planted at a density of 2-3 plants per metre in a single row.

The spacing guidelines for pot-grown and root ball beech hedging can be adjusted based on your budget and how quickly you want your hedge to develop. For detailed information on planting distances, refer to our planting density advice section.

You can purchase cell-grown, pot-grown, and instant beech hedging plants year-round. However, bare-root and root ball beech hedging are only available from November to late April or early May.

Delivery & Returns

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:

* Standard Sized Boxes (Bare root up to 1.2m tall & pots up to 7.5L) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £100 | or £7.99 charge.

* Tall Sized Boxes (Bare roots 1.2m & over) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £100 | or £14.99 charge.

* Pallets (Root balls, large pots 10L+, trees etc | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £350 | or £60 charge.

* Pleached Trees (Specialist Delivery) | Free UK Mainland Delivery for orders over £1500 | or £450 charge.