Which plants to use according to your needs
There are many types of hedge plants and each of them has unique characteristics that adapt to different needs and requirements.
Which plant should you choose to make a hedge?
There are many aspects to consider: first of all you need to be clear about the function that hedge plants will perform, so if, for example, the theme of appearance will prevail, that of the division of spaces, or that of shelter from eyes prying.
The function of the hedge that you want to create, therefore, is important for the choice of the type of plant: if you want to choose to shelter from strong winds and from the view, to maintain privacy within the garden, the best choice will certainly fall. in plants that reach several meters in height; otherwise, if the goal is to outline a particular space, such as the driveway or a path, you can opt for a plant that has a more limited or easily manageable development.
For each type of function there is a suitable plant: let’s see in detail the differences between these different hedge plants and what tasks each of them performs. Let’s find out how to best use plants such as Photinia Red Robin, Boxwood Faulkner, Cypress Leylandii, Lauro or Cherry Laurel, Pyracantha and Jasmine in garden hedges.
Photinia Red Robin
Photinia Red Robin is a plant widely used for the construction of hedges, perhaps the most chosen, due to its excellent versatility .
The Photinia Red Robin hedge plant is an evergreen shrub, native to Asia and belonging to the Rosaceae family . Characterized by white flowers, red berries and leaves with shades ranging from green to red , it can be found in many hybrid forms. The plant is characterized by oval and lanceolate leaves, not too dense between them.
Photinia Red Robin is ideal for an urban context, because it tolerates the pollution present in cities very well: this is the reason why it is often chosen to be used as a hedge on the sides of roads, to separate the garden from the adjacent public space. .
Photinia Red Robin is an ideal plant for setting up mixed hedges, as it can coexist very well alongside other hedge plant species. It is suitable for creating hedges up to 3 meters high, this makes it excellent for separating the garden from prying eyes and creating a protective barrier, but it can also be kept low, if worked properly, with constant pruning.
During the spring period , when the plant is budding, it changes by coloring red , and then becoming dark green. This chromatic change is sudden and usually occurs during the month of March. After April, however, Photinia Red Robin produces white flowers, which gather under the twigs: the contrast between green, red and white flowers creates a unique and wonderful game. Some may not like the smell of the flower: keeping the hedge trimmed is an easy way to keep it from flowering.
Laurel or Cherry Laurel
The Laurel (or Prunus Laurocerasus Caucasica) has rather large, pointed, shiny and dark green leaves. This plant is famous for creating hedges, as it is characterized by a very rapid growth, but not only, its notoriety and beauty are given by the elegance and brightness of its foliage, which make it ideal for decorating your garden . The development in width is not excessive: for this reason, Cherry Laurel is also perfectly suited for smaller gardens, but it must be pruned more frequently.
Boxwood Faulkner
The Bosso Faulkner (or Buxus Microphylla Faulkner), is a variety of very fine plant boxwood. The Faulkner, compared to the other species of the Boxwood family, resists very well to cold temperatures and is less subject to attacks by parasites.
Its structure and characteristics make it an ideal plant for hedges, as it also tolerates pruning very well: this is the reason why its main use is for the creation of topiary art forms , even if it is often commonly appreciated for forming very compact borders and hedges.
Its growth is quite fast , with the possibility of being exposed both in areas highly irradiated by the sun, and totally in the shade. Boxwood Faulkner mainly prefers fertile soils and during the winter period, if the cold is very intense, it takes on a slightly reddish color, which disappears with the beginning of spring.
Boxwood Faulkner can reach 3 meters in height, but it takes many years to reach this size, therefore it is not recommended for high hedges , but for hedges that must reach heights not exceeding 1.5 meters.
Pyracantha
Pyracantha , also called Firethorn, is a very strong plant, ideal for hedges, as it grows quickly and shows excellent tolerance to the environmental conditions of soil and climate.
Its peculiarity is dictated by the large and rigid thorns , which allow you to create an impenetrable hedge. At the same time, the Pyracantha is also very beautiful to look at and enriches the garden thanks to its colored berries , followed, in spring, by beautiful white flowers.
Cypress Leylandii
Cypress Leylandii is a conifer , always green, suitable for medium and large hedges. It has excellent resistance to the most impacting atmospheric agents: it is ideal, in fact, in cold conditions, but also in coastal areas or in densely populated areas, such as city centers, as it resists pollution very well. Its tolerance to pruning makes it a perfect plant for well-trimmed hedges and topiary.
The Cypress Leylandii can also grow up to 15-20 meters in height, developing up to over 5 meters in width; measures that it reaches only over the decades, as an adult. For this reason, especially if our goal is to have a high hedge, they must be planted between them at a distance of at least 60-70 centimeters , so as to give them the space to grow and be worked on to create the barrier.
Jasmine
Jasmine , also called ‘ false Jasmine’ ( Trachelospermum or Rhyncospermum Jasminoides ), is a very famous evergreen climber throughout Italy.
This plant is used to create barriers and hedges, grows quickly and forms a very dense barrier. It is suitable for temperate climates, but not in mountainous areas. Jasmine climbs by twisting itself on any support, giving the garden a unique beauty, thanks to the white flowers: widespread, multiple and long-lasting, which give an exceptional and intoxicating scent.
