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pleached hornbeam tree for privacy

Why Use Pleached Hornbeam for Privacy & Screening?

Pleached hornbeam is a versatile and aesthetically pleasing solution for creating privacy in gardens and outdoor spaces. Combining functionality and beauty, it’s a popular choice for those seeking effective screening above fence lines. In this blog, we’ll explore why pleached hornbeam stands out, how it’s used, and what to expect from this unique planting solution.

What Is Pleached Hornbeam?

Pleaching is a horticultural technique where trees are trained to grow on a frame, creating a structured, flat hedging screen above a clear stem. This method can be applied to various tree varieties, but hornbeam is definitely the most popular choice due to its affordability and suitability for this purpose.

A pleached hornbeam typically features a straight single trunked tree, free of branches up to about six feet, with a  head of foliage trained onto a square or rectangular frame made out of bamboo canes (usually around 4ft x 4ft but can be tailored to your requirements). Over time, the foliage fills out the frame, forming a lush, cohesive screen. While evergreen varieties like laurel or photinia can also be pleached, these options are significantly more expensive. Hornbeam offers a cost-effective alternative that meets the needs of most homeowners.  The size of the frame and height of the clear stem can be tailored to your requirements as we have thousands of hornbeam trees in our fields to select from to make the perfect sized solution for your garden.

The Benefits of Pleached Hornbeam

There are many benefits of pleached hornbeam, including:

Seasonal Adaptability

Although hornbeam is not evergreen, its leaves turn a beautiful copper brown colour in the winter which linger on the branches until the following spring, providing partial screening even after the vibrant summer green has faded. This semi-evergreen nature ensures good privacy in the summer, when gardens are most used, and maintains a degree of coverage in the off-season when outdoor activities are minimal.

Space-Saving Design

Unlike traditional hedges, pleached hornbeam have a minimal footprint at ground level. Its single trunk allows for planting underneath, creating a two-tiered garden design. You can pair it with shrubs like lavender or hydrangeas for added aesthetic appeal.

Enhanced Privacy

Positioned above fence lines and fence panels, pleached hornbeam offers privacy from neighbours’ upstairs windows without taking up valuable ground space. Most householders are not able to put up garden fences above 1.8m in height, so planting pleached hornbeam trees help to raise the level of screening above the fence panels without needing to apply for planning permission.  This makes it particularly suitable for urban and suburban gardens.

Ease of Maintenance

Pleached hornbeam require relatively simple care. Once established, maintenance involves trimming the front, back, and top of the foliage to maintain the desired shape. The frame provides a guide for shaping, making upkeep straightforward.  Hornbeam are a notoriously tough and resilient variety of tree that grows well in almost all ground conditions, so it is an exceptionally good choice for most gardens

Where to Use Pleached Hornbeam

Pleached hornbeam is ideal for a variety of spaces, particularly:

Above Fence Lines and Fence Panels

To provide additional height and privacy in gardens, particularly where neighbouring properties overlook your outdoor space.  Planted in a line together, they can form an excellent raised screen.

Urban Gardens

Where ground space is limited, and a vertical solution is needed.  They allow good ground space for underplanting with shrubs or allow for the ground underneath to be grassed to give maximum lawn space.

Decorative Screens

To create a structured, elegant look while allowing for creative planting beneath.  The two tiered level of the garden is highly aesthetically pleasing.

Establishing and Caring for Pleached Hornbeam

When you purchase pleached hornbeam trees, they are typically young and not fully mature on their frames. It’s important to allow time for them to establish and fill out. You can anticipate a good level of screening by the second year, with full coverage developing within three to four years. Fortunately, trimming is minimal and involves simply shaping the foliage to keep it neat. The growth naturally forms a dense and cohesive screen when planted in a row.

Why Choose Hornbeam Over Other Pleached Varieties?

With a variety of pleached trees on the market, what makes Hornbeam the best choice for screening and privacy?

Hornbeam Trees are Highly Cost Effective

Pleached hornbeam is significantly more affordable than evergreen varieties like laurel or photinia.  They can be purchased as bare root or rootballed trees in the winter which offers much better value for money compared with container grown trees which are available all year round.

Natural Growth Pattern

Unlike many evergreens, hornbeam naturally grows as a single straight stemmed tree, making it less labour-intensive to train.  This is in contrast to varieties like Photinia and Laurel which naturally want to grow as a bush and therefore require significant training in their younger years to grow as a single straight stemmed specimen.

Seasonal Privacy

We frequently get asked by homeowners for a pleached tree solution that offers all year round privacy.  Usually, by the end of the conversation, the homeowner has realised that  they don’t need year-round evergreen screening, as they spend less time in their gardens during winter months, so the brown dead leaves hanging on the pleached hornbeam will be sufficient to give any winter screening desired when there is minimal time spent in the garden.  Hornbeam turn through different shades of yellow and orange in the autumn before their leaves turn brown, which gives a beautiful seasonal change to the foliage colour which is highly desirable.

The Ultimate Choice for Garden Screening

Pleached hornbeam is a practical and attractive solution for garden screening, combining affordability with elegance. Whether you’re looking to add privacy, enhance your garden’s aesthetic, or make efficient use of space, this versatile option ticks all the boxes. With proper care, it will become a long-lasting and beautiful feature in your outdoor space.

Discover Hornbeam from Mathias Nurseries

Ready to transform your garden with pleached hornbeam? Give us a ring and get started and explore our range of high-quality pleached trees. We grow many thousands of hornbeam on our nursery and as we pleach all of our trees to order, we can accommodate any specific stem, heights and frame sizes required.  Our expert team is here to guide you every step of the way, from selection to planting advice. Let us help you create the perfect outdoor sanctuary, and get in touch today.

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