Pleached Trees
The “what, why and how” to use them
What is a pleached tree?
‘Pleaching’ is a method of training trees by tying-in and interlacing flexible young shoots along a supporting framework. A pleached tree has a single clear stem and a crown of branches that have been carefully trained and pruned over several years, so that their branches are interwoven to form a continuous, slim, living canopy. Historically, pleached trees have been used in formal garden designs and estate landscapes to add both beauty and function.
Ideas for Using Pleached Trees
Using multiple pleached trees of the same kind can create structural forms that divide and define spaces at height. They can make a formal avenue on a large plot, screen an area that is overlooked, create an enclosed ‘room’ or a shady tunnel.
Espalier trees are similar, whereby fruit trees are pleached on horizontal frames, so that sun can shine on the fruit. Trees trained in this way will require regular maintenance to prune and tie-in new growth back onto the frames.
Pleached and espalier trees are good ways of bringing trees into smaller gardens and are an effective form of screening and improving privacy, without reducing the living space in the garden.
Sizes of Pleached Trees
Clear stem and frame sizes vary; pleached trees tend have a clear stem of 1.8-2m (typically fence panel height) and a frame size of 1.2m wide by 1.5m high, although these can vary by species.
How much space do pleached trees need?
If you’re planting more than one, space your trees so that the frames touch for an instant screen or you can space them apart and allow the screen to develop over time. As you’ll be keeping their crowns restricted, they won’t grow large root systems, but they should be planted at least 40cm away from a fence or freestanding wall, and at least a metre from a building.
Caring for pleached trees
Through the growing season, train young supple shoots by tying them horizontally and weaving them onto the framework. As with all trees, keep watered in dry spells for at least the first year and mulch annually in spring with a good quality compost.
How to prune pleached trees
Keep the trunk or stem clear by pruning or rubbing off new shoots as they appear. During the summer, prune lateral branches that are strongly outward growing and remove any dead, damaged or diseased wood. To maintain the height and the formal appearance of the screen and encourage dense growth, use hedging shears to clip it once or twice a year.
Pleached Trees In stock
We always have a range of quality trees for decorative or screening purposes in stock in our Buckinghamshire nursery. These include a comprehensive range of pleached trees, and we are delighted to offer a Winter Special discount of 20% off the price of these elegant screening trees. Species include:
- Elaeagnus ebbingei or Elaeagnus × submacrophylla (Oleaster)
- Ilex aquifolium ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ (Holly Nellie R. Stevens’)
- Ligustrum japonicum (Japanese Privet)
- Magnolia grandiflora ‘Gallisoniensis’
- Photinia x fraseri ‘Red Robin’
- Prunus laurocerasus ‘Novita’ (Cherry Laural Novita)
- Viburnum tinus lucidum (French Laurustinus)
You can view of comprehensive tree availability lists here
Visit The Nursery
We would be delighted to show you around our Tree and Hedge nursery in Iver, Buckinghamshire.
Located near to the M4, M25 and M40 junctions, about 6 miles from Heathrow Airport, we are just 15 miles from Central London and 1 mile from Iver Station, which has regular trains from London Paddington.
Please phone us first on 01753 652022 to book a nursery visit and we will ensure we have an expert on hand to show you around.
We look forward to meeting you and helping you with your enquiry.
Ideal for screening due to its symmetrical habit, density and lack of pruning requirements. The glossy green leaves are smooth rather than spikey. The autumn berries provide colour and food for birds. Grows well in well-drained soil, is drought tolerant, needs sun-partial sun.
A compact, small sized evergreen tree with camellia-like olive-green leaves that looks attractive in pleached form. It bears large clusters of white flowers in late summer. A tough performing species that will thrive on most soils, but avoid waterlogged areas
With large dark green leaves, this evergreen produces beautiful, large, white flowers in the summer, which can be up to 25 cm in diameter. As well as decorating this stunning tree, they also create a sweet-citrus smelling aroma, and makes a stunning pleached tree. Magnolia grows well in most soils, but it must be sheltered and not north-facing
This pretty little evergreen is perfect for screening in the garden. Glossy tooth edged leaves resemble Holly and form an upright but spreading plant. Fragrant white flowers appear in autumn amongst the leaves and branches.
This is a versatile evergreen, that has vibrant red new shoots in spring, which contrast with the white blossom – unusual in an evergreen. The bright new leaves change to a deep, glossy green as they mature.
A robust evergreen tree, with deep green glossy needles and a picturesque, rounded, informal growth habit. The perfect selection for wind break planting and protection from salt ladened winds. A good screening tree, it can reach over 20m in height at maturity, so consideration should be given to its planting location.
This is a popular tree, with an upright and bushy habit which is perfect year-round screening in its pleached form. Its large leaves are elliptical, shiny and bright green and have small, sweet-smelling, white flowers, which grow in vertical racemes, followed by small, cherry-like fruit.
The Viburnum Lucidum originates from south of Europe. It grows into a large shrub with dark green, shiny leaves. These can be up to 10 cm in length and 4 cm wide and are ovate with a pointed end. It grows into a dense, busy and rounded habit and produces cymes of small white, fragrant flowers in late winter, which stay in bloom until mid-spring. This tree also produces small, bluish-black berries in autumn.
Ideal for screening due to its symmetrical habit, density and lack of pruning requirements. The glossy green leaves are smooth rather than spikey. The autumn berries provide colour and food for birds. Grows well in well-drained soil, is drought tolerant, needs partial sun.
This is a popular tree, with an upright and bushy habit which is perfect year-round screening in its pleached form. Its large leaves are elliptical, shiny and bright green and have small, sweet-smelling, white flowers, which grow in vertical racemes, followed by small, cherry-like fruit.
A compact, small sized evergreen tree with camellia-like olive-green leaves that looks attractive in pleached form. It bears large clusters of white flowers in late summer. A tough performing species that will thrive on most soils, but avoid waterlogged areas
