Whitethorn Hedging as a Boundary Plant

Whitethorn Hedging as a boundary plant
Hedging plants can vary greatly in colour, growth rate and flowering but they all have one thing in common – they can all be grown to form a thick and dense wall of vegetation. This makes them ideal for boundary and privacy plants. Each hedge fulfils this roll to varying levels but none ae better than the whitethorn hedge at providing a dense and impenetrable block of vegetation

Whitethorn hedging which can be bought as bare root hedging or more expensively as potted or containerised white thorn plants is a fantastic hedging option for a number of reasons;

Bare root Whitethorn hedging: Firstly, as white thorn can be bought bare root, it is a lot cheaper and better value as a hedging plant. You can buy bare root whitethorn hedging from October through to March each year
Fast growing: White thorn hedging plants can grow about 45 cm in a year making them an ideal hedging plant that forms quickly over just a few years. To ensure our white thorn hedging grows fast make sure you prepare the ground well and keep the hedge fed and watered in the first 2 years

Thorny: It’s not called Whitethorn for nothing, and this plant can really hurt so acts as a brilliant boundary and defensive plant.

Native: White thorn is not only native to Ireland but it is also Irelands most prolific and commonly found plant. It makes up 55% of all hedging plants found in hedges around the country. The whitethorn is also home to over 100 insect species, its spring flowers provide nectar for bees and its autumn berries offer a food source for birds and other mammals

Hardy: Given that the whitethorn is a native of Ireland it is going to be very suited to growing in our soil and in our climate. Whitethorn is happy in our wet summers and in our cold and frosty winters

Maintenance: Whitethorn is fast growing and should be cut back hard every few years to encourage it to thicken up and become denser. After 3 years the hedgerow should be cut down to approx. 2ft off ground level, this will encourage further shoots to develop and more inner growth

Attractive: It’s not called the May flower for nothing, In fact the whitethorn has got many common names. Blooms appear in early May and continue for the month with a show of big creamy white blooms filling hedgerows across the countryside