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Western Red Cedar Hedge

Thuja plicata

Western Red Cedar, Thuja plicata, is a fast, dense evergreen conifer with glossy dark-green foliage that gives off a fruity scent when brushed.

It typically grows 30–60cm a year, making a tall privacy screen of 2–4m or more in a few seasons, and unlike Leylandii it regrows from older wood if it ever needs cutting back. Choose root-balled plants from 100cm to 200cm for an instant screen, delivered from autumn to spring.

Compare our Thuja hedging.

Fast evergreen screen
Regrows when cut back hard
Grows in sun or shade
Root balled 100–200cm

Root Types

Length

Pack

Clear

Growth Rate Fast 30-60cm per year

Overall Height Tall up to 7.5 metres

Plant Position Exposed, Full Shade, Full Sun, Sheltered

Root Types Pot Grown, Root Balled

Choose your plants

Western Red Cedar Hedge Root Types

Choose from our range of Western Red Cedar Hedge sizes and root types below.

Root Balled Larger plants · Seasonal planting From £21.95 per plant
Pot Grown Flexible · Available year-round From £32.95 per plant

Selected root type

Root ball Western Red Cedar hedging

From £21.95 per plant 4 heights in stock

Great value for money and a very environmentally friendly way to establish a hedge, our root balled hedging is all field grown on our own nursery. Root ball hedging plants are normally available between October and April depending on the weather.

Planting window

Availability

In Season
Pre Order
Out Of Season

Step 2

Choose your height

Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.

Available height

100-125cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£21.95
£21.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 28
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £614.60.Current price is: £553.14.
£19.76 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

125-150cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£32.95
£32.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 20
Save 9%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £659.00.Current price is: £593.10.
£29.66 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

150-175cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£39.95
£39.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 12
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £479.40.Current price is: £431.46.
£35.96 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended

Available height

175-200cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£48.95
£48.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 12
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £587.40.Current price is: £528.66.
£44.06 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended

Choosing your Western Red Cedar plants

Taller plants give you a screen straight away; smaller ones cost less per metre and settle in faster.

Root type	Size	Plants per metre	When
Root balled	100–150cm	3	Autumn to spring
Root balled	150–200cm	2	Autumn to spring
Pot grown	125–150cm	3	All year

Pallet packs of 12 to 28 root-balled plants save around 10% per plant. These are single-row figures for a dense hedge.

Why plant a Western Red Cedar hedge?

A fast screen that is easy to live with

Western Red Cedar grows almost as quickly as Leylandii but is far more forgiving. Its soft, flattened sprays of foliage stay rich green all year, it makes a dense hedge from the ground up, and if it ever gets away from you it can be cut back into older wood and will green up again, which Leylandii will not.

Tough in sun, shade and wind

It is fully hardy, copes well with shade and exposed sites, and grows on most soils including clay and chalk, as long as the ground is not waterlogged. That makes it a good choice for windbreaks and shady boundaries where other conifers thin out.

Western Red Cedar compared with other conifer hedges

	Western Red Cedar	Green Leylandii	White Cedar 'Smaragd'
Growth a year	30–60cm	60cm+	10–20cm
Regrows from old wood	Yes	No	Poorly
Best hedge height	2–4m+	2–6m+	1.5–3m
Trimming	Twice a year	2–3 times a year	Once a year

For a narrow, slower hedge choose White Cedar 'Smaragd'; for the very fastest screen compare Green Leylandii.

Choosing the right hedge

Is Western Red Cedar right for you?

A great choice if you want:

A fast evergreen privacy screen
A Leylandii-style hedge that is easier to manage
A hedge that can be cut back hard if needed
Shady, windy or clay sites
Screens of 2–4m and taller

Consider another hedge if:

You want a very low or very narrow hedge
Your ground stays waterlogged
You only want to trim once a year

Compare our Thuja hedging

Buying help

Buying FAQs

What size Western Red Cedar should I buy?

For an instant screen choose 150–200cm plants. For a longer hedge, 100–150cm plants cost less per metre and establish faster, and will reach the same height within a few seasons.

How many Western Red Cedar plants do I need per metre?

Plant 100–150cm Western Red Cedar at 3 per metre and 150–200cm plants at 2 per metre in a single row. The exact figure is shown against each size, and the calculator works out the total from your hedge length.

When is root-balled Western Red Cedar delivered?

Root-balled plants are lifted while dormant and delivered from autumn to spring, depending on the weather. Plant them as soon as possible after delivery, keep the root ball intact and water them in well.

Is Western Red Cedar better than Leylandii?

It depends on your garden. Leylandii is faster and cheaper but needs trimming two or three times a year and will not regrow from brown wood. Western Red Cedar is a little slower, is happier in shade and can be cut back hard, so it is easier to live with long term.

Can Western Red Cedar be cut back hard?

Yes. Unlike Leylandii, Western Red Cedar will regrow from older wood, so an overgrown hedge can be reduced. Cut back in stages over two seasons rather than all at once for the best recovery.

Do you sell Western Red Cedar in bulk?

Yes. Root-balled sizes come in pallet packs of 12 to 28 plants, saving around 10% per plant. For larger orders or trade projects, contact us for a quote.

Helpful guides

More help with Western Red Cedar

Thuja hedge care & growing guide Compare all our Thuja hedging Hedging root types explained

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Western Red Cedar Hedge