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Hornbeam pleached trees
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Best Pleached Trees (Our Top 5 trees we recommend) /in /by

Pleached Trees

If your garden needs effective screening or simply to improve privacy without reducing the living space then a pleached tree may well be the answer.

Please see our top five suggestions below, which make attractive Pleached Trees.

  • Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry Laurel)
  • Photinia fraseri Red Robin
  • Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)
  • Fagus sylvatica (Beech)
  • Tilia platyphyllos (Broad-leaved Lime)

Trees have been trained into formal architectural shapes for many centuries, and the use of pleached trees to in the garden is one of the defining aspects of 17th and 18th-century design; particularly in France and Italy where they were traditionally used to demarcate grand allées or to create privacy.

Sometimes known as “hedges on stilts” pleached trees are shaped by using a square frame; tying-in and interlacing flexible young shoots along a supporting framework, creating a narrow, slim canopy. Espalier trees is the term used for pleached fruit trees, designed so that sun can shine on the fruit, making it easier to harvest.

We can supply these trees across many species, both as evergreen and deciduous. They are available with clear stems between 1.5m to 2m high and on square frames of 1.5m x 1.5m or 1.8m x 1.8m.

 

  1. Prunus laurocerasus (Cherry Laurel)

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.

 

  1. Photinia fraseri Red Robin

Photinia fraseri Red Robin is a versatile evergreen, and it’s stand out feature is the 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. The RHS has given this tree an Award of Merit.

 

  1. Carpinus betulus (Hornbeam)

Carpinus betulus is a British native deciduous tree which is popular for as a pleached tree, due to it’s ability to regenerate after pruning and its seasonal variation. The leaves are a fresh green colour in spring and turn golden yellow in the autumn.  Hornbeam is hardy and can be planted in sun or shade and in all soil types.

 

  1. Fagus sylvatica (Beech)

Fagus sylvatica is a popular native deciduous tree which is ideal for pleaching due to retaining its leaves throughout the winter months. The leaves emerge fresh green, turning a splendid yellow-orange in the autumn. Beech prefers nutritious, well drained soils, and can be planted in sun or shade.

 

  1. Tilia platyphyllos (Broad-leaved Lime)

Tilia platyphyllos is a fast growing lime tree which has luscious heart-shaped foliage which gives the tree a healthy appearance all year round; the leaves turn a lime yellow autumn. This tough tree responds well to regular pruning. It will tolerate most soil types, including clay soils

 

Contact to us about your requirements for screening or privacy in your garden; we can supply and plant many types of attractive trees in both evergreen and deciduous species.

Cherry laurel is a great screening tree
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Creating Privacy with Screening Trees /in , , /by

Screening Trees

Prunus laurocerasus Novita`

Privacy in your garden can be created using trees to hide or screen out an undesirable view; they can also be used to draw the eye to a specific feature.

Trees grown for this purpose often have a clear stem i.e. no leaves on the lower trunk; they reach up to fence panel height of around 1.8-2m with a full bushy canopy above, forming a good screen above the fence line. This type of screening is particularly useful if you are overlooked by neighbouring properties or would like to retain lower level exposure to an attractive wall or area.  Screening trees can be designed to create a focus point, perhaps to make the most of a feature.

 

Type of Privacy

It is a good idea to consider what you are aiming to screen out. For example are you directly overlooked by a neighbouring property, or would you like to filter out a large building or structure? Also consider the angle you are viewing from, as this may help choosing the right tree for your needs.

Practicality Brown’s semi-mature trees can be planted to achieve effective screening from the offset with evergreens being preferred for this purpose as they screen throughout the year.  However, a planting scheme that includes deciduous trees can provide rich contrast and seasonal interest.

 

Cherry Laurel

Prunus laurocerasus Novita close up

Prunus laurocerasus Novita, a dense evergreen tree, is popularly used for screening due to its upright and bushy habit and its

resilience to cold weather. In April small, fragrant, white flowers grow in vertical racemes about 12cm long which are followed by small glossy, black fruit.

We have semi-mature containerised Prunus laurocerasus Novita with a 1.8m clear-stem, available now.

The Cherry Laurel grows well in most soil and conditions, preferring moist slightly acidic soil.  Pruning in late spring to helps to retain its shape and encourages new growth.  If planting in a row, the optimum distance for the clear stem is with 1.2-1.5m spacing.

Trees from Practicality Brown

We can supply a range of top quality trees for decorative or screening, which are particularly useful to create privacy in your garden.   These include feathered trees that have full growth from the ground upwards and offer the same screening ability.  A mix planting of evergreen and deciduous trees, if space allows, can be an attractive solution.

We also have a range of pleached trees which can be used in the same way; pleached trees can be effective for a formal screen and where space is limited.