If you want a hedge with all year round visual interest and incredible wildlife value, take a look at our large range of mixed native hedging packs. These UK native hedge plants have an especially low carbon footprint and are great for wildlife and all year round interest.
We’ve devised some great hedging mixes for you to choose from depending on your budget, your lifestyle and your personal taste. Don’t see what you need here? Contact our team for help and advice in creating a bespoke mixed native hedging pack for your garden or commercial project.
Choose from our most popular varieties of Native Mixed Hedging plants, available in a range of sizes and root types.
Field Wildlife Mix is a traditional British mixed hedge that's suitable for most conditions including coastal and windy sites. This mix not only adapts well to various environments but also encourages bushy growth, promoting a dense and vigorous habitat.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Position: Coastal, Sheltered, Full Sun, Full Shade, Exposed
Root Types: Bare Root, Pot Grown
Garden Wildlife Hedging Mix is the next step up from the Field Wildlife Hedging Mix, containing some wonderful colours. Simply plant 5 plants per metre in a double staggered row.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Position: Coastal, Sheltered, Full Shade, Full Sun, Exposed
Root Types: Bare Root, Pot Grown
Horse Safe Hedging is perfect for planting as a border around paddocks with livestock in. We have used animal friendly hedging to ensure the safety of livestock, including horses and donkeys, that may come into contact with the hedge.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Position: Coastal, Sheltered, Full Sun, Full Shade, Exposed
Root Types: Bare Root
CountryHedge is a species rich mixed native hedge supplied pre-clipped in metre long units. It containers Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Field Maple., Hazel, and other native species.
Growth rate: Fast 30-60cm per year
Overall height: Tall up to 7.5 metres
Position: Exposed, Coastal, Full Sun, Full Shade, Sheltered
Root Types: Instant Hedging
Thornless Hedging Mix is perfect for areas in your garden where children play or where a hedge is needed close to a path. We have included 3 different types of Dogwood hedging to enhance winter interest.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Position: Coastal, Sheltered, Full Sun, Exposed
Root Types: Bare Root
Countryside Stewardship hedging meets the specification of BN11, and is suitable for farmers who are part of Countryside Stewardship Mid Tier, Higher Tier and Capital Grants.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Root Types: Bare Root
Green and Purple Beech Hedging Mix makes a wonderful colourful same species hedge. Brighten up a corner of the garden with a colourful hedge that keeps its leaf throughout the winter months.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Tall up to 7.5 metres
Position: Sheltered, Full Sun, Full Shade, Exposed
Root Types: Bare Root
Our Countryside Stewardship TE4 Tree Mix has been designed for the new TE4: Supply and plant tree grants using UK native species.
Growth rate: Medium 20-40cm per year
Overall height: Medium up to 5 metres
Position: Exposed, Coastal
Root Types:
To learn more about Native Mixed Hedging, take a look at our helpful Hedging Guides & FAQ's
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Mixed native hedging offers more than just a visual treat; it enhances biodiversity and provides ecological benefits that single-species hedges can’t match. Native plants within these hedges are adapted to local environments, making them robust and resilient. A mixed native hedge can be left to grow naturally, creating an informal aesthetic with a rich array of colors and textures.
Incorporating a diverse mix of native species, including evergreens, promotes sustainable landscaping practices. All these plants, such as hedges, offer habitats and nourishment for a wide range of wildlife, contributing to a balanced ecosystem.
The charm of mixed native hedging lies in its ability to blend beauty with biodiversity, making it a perfect choice for environmentally conscious gardeners seeking a native hedgerow as a boundary hedge.
Choosing a mixed native hedge brings a variety of textures and seasonal interest to your garden. Each plant species contributes unique foliage and structure, creating a dynamic and visually appealing hedge throughout the year. The inclusion of certain plants can also enhance the hedge’s autumn color, adding seasonal beauty to your landscape.
Beyond aesthetics, a mixed native hedge supports a wider range of wildlife compared to single-species hedges. The variety of plants provides diverse habitats and nourishment, attracting birds, insects, and other wildlife. This ecological richness not only benefits the environment but also brings life and vibrancy to your garden.
Native hedging plants are naturally adapted to local climates and soil conditions, making them ideal for mixed native hedges. Preparing the soil properly before planting is crucial to reduce weed competition and ensure successful plant establishment.
Field Maple, for example, thrives in a wide range of soil types and conditions, including partial shade and exposed locations. Creating the right conditions for your mixed native hedge involves understanding the specific needs of your chosen plants.
By ensuring that each plant species is well-suited to your garden’s environment, you’ll promote healthy growth and a vibrant, resilient hedge.
Designing a mixed native hedge involves more than just selecting plants; it’s about creating a harmonious and functional landscape feature. A diverse mix of foliage, flowers, and fruits can transform your garden. To add depth and interest, consider a staggered layout with taller plants at the back and shorter ones in front.
Space needs are crucial in hedge design. Taller plants require more space to absorb essential nutrients, while closer planting can lead to quicker establishment. Balancing these factors ensures that your hedge will grow robustly and fill out beautifully, creating a lush, green boundary.
Choosing the right native plants for your hedge is key to its success. Consider the growth rate, preferred soil type, and adaptability to local climate for each plant. Selecting species that can thrive in varied conditions, such as shaded or north-facing sites, ensures a resilient hedge.
The growth characteristics of each plant, including their habit, form, and potential spread, will influence the appearance and maintenance needs of your hedge. By carefully selecting a variety of plants, you can create a hedge that is both beautiful and easy to care for.
Determining the optimal planting density for your mixed hedge is essential for achieving the desired thickness and structure. For a thick hedge, space the plants 45cm apart in each row, with rows 30cm apart in a staggered double row layout. The Countryside Stewardship grant scheme recommends a density of 6 plants per metre for a double staggered row.
Adjusting plant density based on plant size and root type can also affect the hedge’s growth. Evergreen species are typically planted in single rows, while deciduous species fare better in staggered double rows. These considerations ensure that your hedge will establish quickly and grow robustly.
Caring for a mixed native hedge involves regular maintenance to keep it healthy and thriving. The informal nature of a native hedge requires less rigorous maintenance than formal hedges, offering a varied aesthetic with different colors and textures. Pruning is vital to maintain the health and productivity of the hedge, encouraging the growth of blossoms and fruits while shaping its overall structure.
Mulching with organic matter helps feed the hedge and retains water at the roots, which is critical for sustained health and growth. Applying organic mulch after planting can suppress weed growth, maintain soil moisture, and mitigate competition between plants, benefiting the hedge mix’s vitality.
Following a seasonal maintenance schedule ensures the health and productivity of your mixed native hedge. Trim hedges in February or March before the bird breeding season to provide fruits, flowers, and shelter for birds, mammals, and insects. Coppicing during winter promotes vigorous growth by cutting trees down to just above ground level, performed in sections to minimize wildlife disturbance.
To care for your hedge and prevent frost damage and drought, follow these steps:
Mulch with organic materials to protect the roots and retain moisture.
Ensure adequate watering, especially during dry periods.
Follow a seasonal care routine to support a succession of berries, seeds, flowers, and foliage.
This will create an attractive garden feature and support biodiversity year-round.
Managing the growth and shape of your hedge involves proper trimming techniques and traditional management strategies. Here are some tips to help you shape your hedge effectively:
Decide on the desired height and shape of your hedge.
Cut the topmost branches to encourage growth in the required direction.
Use proper trimming techniques, such as a sweeping motion from the bottom up with power trimmers, to shape the hedge outward.
By following these tips, you can maintain a well-shaped and healthy hedge.
Keeping the hedge’s base wide and tapering it upwards allows sunlight to reach all parts, maintaining a healthier hedge. Traditional methods like laying or coppicing can rejuvenate over-stressed hedges and promote dense growth beneficial to wildlife. Regular maintenance and trimming, ensuring the hedge top is narrower than the base, encourage a denser and healthier mixed native hedge.
Creating a diverse mixed hedge involves selecting plants that offer both visual appeal and ecological benefits. Top picks include hawthorn, field maple, and guelder rose, which provide seasonal interest and support a wide range of wildlife. These plants, along with other native species, form the backbone of a thriving, diverse hedge.
Hawthorn is a staple in mixed hedges, contributing significantly to wildlife conservation. Its dense and thorny growth provides security and supports various wildlife species.
Hawthorn is also a prolific producer of flowers and berries, offering both visual appeal and nutrient-rich resources for different species.
Field Maple is a fantastic addition to a mixed hedge due to its stunning autumn color and adaptability. Known for its large lobed leaves that turn buttery yellow in the autumn, it adds a splash of brightness to any hedge. The winged seeds, which develop after the small green spring flowers, offer an attractive visual and provide additional seasonal interest.
Guelder rose is notable for its showy, white lace-cap flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer. Its bright red berries, appearing after the flowers, add a pop of color to the hedge in late summer.
The guelder rose serves as a valuable plant for wildlife, offering both habitat and food. Its flowers provide nectar and pollen for insects, and its berries attract birds, providing shelter and sustenance into winter.
Evergreen shrubs are often recommended for hedges due to their year-round foliage, which provides continuous structure and presence. Creating a mixed hedge using evergreens alone or combining them with deciduous plants leads to a year-round beautiful display with permanent structure. Some popular evergreen shrubs for hedges include:
Consider these options when planning your hedge to ensure a beautiful and long-lasting result.
Evergreen native shrubs and trees like holly (Ilex aquifolium) and yew (Taxus baccata) offer year-round color and interest, enhancing the aesthetics of the mixed native hedge.
Mixed native hedging can face challenges like plant competition, pests, and diseases. Regular trimming at the same height can stress a hedge, leading to deterioration, but allowing incremental growth can keep it healthy over time.
Hedge plants with frequently transplanted root systems by the nursery are less likely to have coarse or tap roots, which results in better establishment and reduces competition for resources. Weed competition around new native hedge plants can be effectively controlled through the use of black polythene ground covering as an alternative to mulching, especially when planting bare root native hedge plants.
Bramble can serve as a protective nursery for young tree saplings by shielding them from being eaten by herbivores, including small mammals, during their vulnerable early years.
Managing pests and diseases in a mixed native hedge involves implementing good sanitation practices and using proper pruning techniques. Removing fallen leaves and debris reduces the spread of bacterial diseases among hedges. Regular pruning, using sharp tools like a circular saw, can promote healthier regrowth and minimize disease introduction.
When gaps appear due to die-off in evergreen hedges, it’s an opportunity to introduce more resilient or diverse plant species. This not only helps manage existing infestations but also strengthens the hedge against future pest and disease challenges. Incorporating a variety of plants ensures that if one species is affected, others can continue to thrive, maintaining the overall health and appearance of the hedge.
Creating a mixed native hedge brings numerous benefits, from enhancing biodiversity to providing year-round visual appeal.
By carefully selecting and planting a variety of native species, and maintaining them with proper care, you can enjoy a thriving, beautiful hedge that supports local wildlife.
Overcoming challenges like plant competition and pests will ensure your hedge remains robust and healthy. Embrace the beauty and ecological value of mixed native hedging, and transform your garden into a vibrant, living tapestry.
Choosing a mixed native hedge over a single-species hedge provides greater biodiversity, offering habitats and nourishment for a wider range of wildlife, as well as varied textures and seasonal interest for visual appeal.
To determine the right plants for your mixed native hedge, consider the growth rate, preferred soil type, and adaptability to your local climate of each plant, and choose species that can thrive in varied conditions.
If you want a thick mixed native hedge, aim for a planting density of 6 plants per meter in a staggered double row layout. This will help achieve a dense and full hedge.
To manage pests and diseases in your mixed native hedge, focus on good sanitation practices, proper pruning techniques, and introducing resilient plant species for better resilience against pests and diseases. This will help maintain the health and vitality of your hedge garden.
Consider choosing hawthorn, field maple, and guelder rose for a diverse mixed hedge as they offer seasonal interest and support various wildlife, creating an ideal environment for a thriving hedge.
