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Hedgerow trees:answers to 18 commonquestions

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Q 1. Why are hedgerow trees valuable?Hedgerow trees are important forseveral reasons. In the past they werehighly valued for timber and withchanging emphasis on renewableenergy may once more come to beuseful for fuel. In livestock areas theyare significant for shelter and shade,especially so as the climate changesand our summers become hotter, ourwinters wetter and we have more

storms and gales. They are of greatimportance for wildlife and in someparts of the country they are notableas a source for fruit for food and drink.Trees in hedgerows often also screeneyesores and unsightly developments,and can protect privacy. Many of ourmost valued landscapes aredependent on hedgerow trees –without them, huge tracts ofcountryside would be bleak indeed.

Prepared by The Tree Council on behalf of the Steering Groupfor the UK Biodiversity Action Plan for Hedgerows.

This document will help land managers to make decisionsabout how to encourage and look after hedgerow trees. Inparticular it offers advice on how to plant and look afteryoung trees so there are younger generations to take overfrom the old veterans that currently grace our countryside.

Hedgerow trees:

answers to 18 common questions

A mixed age Hertfordshire hedge with many ages of hedgerow tree. © Tree Council Image Bank

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communities. Butterflies likehairstreaks may be seen foraging forhoney dew from aphids and layingtheir eggs high up in oaks and elms.

Q 3. How many hedgerow trees arethere?The intensification of agriculturetowards the latter half of the 20thcentury resulted in the loss ofthousands of miles of hedgerows,along with millions of hedgerowtrees. The Dutch Elm disease outbreak of the late 1960s onwardsremoved some 20 million elms fromour countryside, mostly fromhedgerows.

Q 2. Why are hedgerow treesimportant for wildlife?Hedgerow trees provide a wholerange of habitats in one small area.Together with the hedgerow, theyprovide shelter, food, nesting sites,song posts and hiding places, as wellas stepping stones betweenwoodland habitats. Many farmlandbirds use hedgerows trees: buzzardsbuild their nests in the canopy, whilewoodpeckers and tree sparrowsbreed in holes. Bats, including rarities like the barbastelle andBechstein’s, roost in crevices and tree holes. The trunks of veteran trees can support rich lichen

Brown Hairstreak butterfly . © Butterfly Conservation

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In 1998 there were an estimated 1.8million hedgerow trees in GreatBritain, 98% of which were found inEngland and Wales. However, thisfigure applies only to isolated trees,ones with canopies that do nottouch. There are many more trees inhedgerows which are not isolated,but we do not know how many.

Q 4. What are the commonesthedgerow trees?In the past, elm was a commonhedgerow tree, encouraged because ofits valuable timber. Sadly nowadays,because of Dutch Elm disease, matureelms are very rare. Oak and ash arenow our commonest trees, but many

other species can be seen, fromwillows to birches to holly. There’smuch variation between differentparts of the UK, and this contributes tolocal distinctiveness. In some placesbeech has become a widespreadhedgerow tree: Exmoor is famous forits 19th century beech hedgerows.Along with the timber species, fruitand nut trees such as crab apple, wildcherry, hazel, elder, damson and pearhave been encouraged. Flowers andfruits are still used for creating orflavouring alcohol. Blackberry wine,elderberry wine, sloe gin and vodka,cider, perry and verjuice (a kind ofcider made from crab apples) are allmade from hedgerow products.

Oak, the most common hedge tree species. © Tree Council Image Bank

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coppice re-growth) already in thehedgerow; plant trees in existing gaps;create new gaps in which to plant bycutting notches in the hedgerow;plant trees beside the hedgerow ratherthan within it; or earmark saplings in anew hedgerow to become full-growntrees. Do think carefully aboutoverhead services such as power lineswhich may cause future problems,and the risk of obstructing roads,tracks and rights of way.

Q 5. What is the future for hedgerowtrees?We do not know as much abouthedgerow tree survival andrecruitment as we would like, but wedo know that there are far too fewyoung trees to replace existingmature hedgerow trees when thesereach the end of their lives. A surveyin 1998 showed that less than 1% ofhedgerow trees were in the youngestage class (1 to 4 years old). If we donot do take action now to plant newhedgerow trees or to conserve theyoung trees already growing inhedgerows, our countryside will lookvery different in the future.

Q 6. How can I establish newhedgerow trees?There are several ways of establishingnew hedgerow trees. You can selectexisting saplings (or promising

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Northumbrian landscape dominated by maturehedge trees. © Tree Council Image Bank

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supports are now only considerednecessary for trees which are morethan 1m tall and only for their firstyear. Once planted, use a markerstake and tree tag if necessary, tohelp prevent the trees being cutalong with the rest of the hedgerow.

Q 7. How close should my newhedgerow trees be?Young trees should be far enough apartto allow them to develop full crownswithout competing or producing toomuch shade. Many farmers will wantthem to be further apart as mechanicalcutters find it hard to work betweentrees that are close together. Do tryand keep trees at irregular spacings tocreate a more natural landscape. Takecues from the local surroundings as towhat is most appropriate.

Q 8. What size of trees should beplanted? Whips (trees 1-1.5 metres tall) arecheap, easy to move and usuallyestablish better than larger trees.However, in a new hedgerow,remember that initially there may belittle visible difference between thetrees and the rest of the plants. Thetrees should be marked on hedgerowplans or tagged and protected fromcutting. When planting into a gap in apre-existing hedgerow, larger trees arerecommended, either feathered trees(about 2 metres tall) or ‘standard’ trees(around 3 metres tall), depending onthe height of the hedgerow.

When looking for existing saplings,select ones that are growing straight upall the way from the base. This shouldproduce a good strong trunk ifprotected from cutting. Trees grownfrom stems that have been flailed, laidor coppiced may be so badly damagedthat they are weak and unstable whenmature. It’s often easiest to select andprotect suitable saplings at the sametime as laying or coppicing a hedgerow.

Many hedgerows will not containsuitable saplings, particularly densesingle-species hawthorn andblackthorn ones. Here it may bebetter to plant trees in gaps. Useexisting gaps if possible becausethere will be less competition fromexisting plants. Otherwise, plant intoa notch cut into the hedgerow.

Planting trees beside hedgerows maytake up more space, but has the benefitof increasing the hedgerow width andits wildlife value. It may also be easierto cut the hedgerow in the future.There will be less root competition fornutrients and water, so the trees willprobably grow faster. However, try andavoid planting trees on valuablehabitats such as herb-rich grassland.

Planting trees when creating a newhedgerow is a very effective way ofproducing new hedgerow trees.Ideally, use species which are alreadygrowing in the locality, and invest insturdy plants. Stakes or other

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and need to be removed from thetrees when they have served theirpurpose – usually after 3 to 5 years.On balance it’s generally better to usethem, but be sure to visit the sheltersfrom time to time to pull out anygrass and weeds growing inside.

Q 11. Will I need to undertake anyweed control?Pull up or hoe any grass and weedswithin 0.5 metres of the planted tree.Cover the cleared area with a mulchmat, bark or brushwood chippings, oran old piece of carpet. This helps toretain moisture near the roots and toreduce competition from weeds.Alternatively apply a herbicide toremove any grass and weeds.

Q 9. When should I plant hedgetrees? Plant bare-rooted trees at any timebetween October and March, butavoid days when the ground isfrozen. Although container-growntrees can be planted at any time ofyear, if planting is done in late springor summer they should be wateredduring dry spells throughout the firstgrowing season.

Q 10. Should I use a tree shelter?Tree shelters encourage faster growth,make saplings more visible and soeasier to look after, provideprotection from grazing animals, andmake weed control easier. On theother hand, they can be unsightly

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Q 12. How do I protect a younghedgerow tree?Brightly coloured tags are a simpleway to help hedgerow cutters avoidyoung hedgerow trees. But tags willonly work if machine operators arewarned to look out for and avoidmarked trees. Young trees need to be looked after for several years until they are big enough to be clearly visible. Protecting young trees is a long-term commitment.

The Tree Council’s Tree WardenScheme, in partnership with National Grid, has provided Britain’s8,000 volunteer Tree Wardens withHedgerow Tree Tagging Kits.

For further information contact yourlocal Tree Warden or The Tree Councilwww.treecouncil.org.uk.

When tagging a tree hand-trim thehedgerow for about 1 metre on eachside to make the sapling more visible.Then either place the tag on the tree ifyou can reach it, or alternatively put iton a cane opposite the sapling. Forbest results consider putting a strong,clearly visible, stake into the hedgerowon either side or adjacent to thechosen tree. Finally, do keep a note ofwhich trees you tag, and revisit themannually to replace any missing tagsand to record survival rates.

Q 13. Would cutting hedgerowsdifferently produce more hedgerowtrees?The shape in which a hedgerow is cutmay have a significant effect on trees.An ‘A’ shape hedgerow may be betterthan the more normal square onebecause trees can grow up through themiddle of the hedgerow for longer,with less risk of being cut down.However, if the top of the hedgerow iscut, the young trees will still bedamaged whatever the shape. So tryand spot promising young saplings andtag them, to ensure that they are notdamaged when the hedgerow is cut.

Q 14. Is pollarding a good idea?Pollarding, cutting the crown off atree at a height of 1.8-4.5 metres atregular intervals throughout its life, H

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has been a popular way of managinghedgerow trees throughout history.After pollarding, the trunk producesshoots at a height that keeps themaway from grazing animals includingdeer. Old pollards often haveimmense character, and in someparts of the countryside are age-oldmarkers of parish boundaries. Theeffect of pollarding on a tree iscurious, as it often allows the tree toreach a much greater age. Pollardingkeeps the tree vital by interruptingthe normal aging process and, sincethe crown is smaller, reduces thelikelihood of storm damage. So, it isoften a good idea! However, takeadvice before attempting to pollardan older tree and check if it is subjectto a Tree Preservation Order.

Q 15. Why are there stag-headedtrees in hedgerows?When a tree becomes old it may beunable to provide water to the highestbranches and as these die back thetree becomes stag-headed. This is anatural part of the tree’s life cycle: itdoes not mean that the whole tree isabout to die. Stag-headed trees cancarry on living for many decades oreven centuries, and are often verybeautiful. In younger trees, stag-heading results from drought, disease,insect damage, root disturbance,sunburn (in beech) or pollution, and isa natural response to stress. Try andfind out what the cause is, to see ifthere is anything you can do toalleviate the problem. Pruning mayhelp to keep the tree alive.

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Q 17. Is the shading caused byhedgerow trees a problem? Large hedgerow trees can shade outcrops and grass, causing someeconomic loss. This effect will be lessin hedgerows running north-south,and in those where the field marginsare left uncultivated. The shade canalso create gaps in the hedgerowbeneath – a problem which can bereduced by removing the lower limbsand planting shade-tolerant shrubslike holly. On the positive side, shadeis beneficial for grazing animals, farmbuildings and for us, particularly onhot summer days – and we may expectmore of these as the climate changes.

Q 18. Is there funding for hedgerowtrees?Some local authorities providefunding for the establishment ofhedgerow trees, and grants areavailable to some farmers throughgreen farming schemes (likeEnvironmental Stewardship inEngland) both for looking afterexisting trees and for planting newhedgerows and hedgerow trees.

The Tree Council is the lead treecampaigning charity, an umbrellabody for over 150 UK organisationsworking to promote the importanceof trees within the changingenvironment. Through its 8,000volunteer Tree Wardens, it ispromoting the importance of hedgetrees.

Q 16. What’s the best way ofmanaging an elm hedgerow?Elm trees in hedgerows will growuntil they reach a size that makesthem a suitable food source for thebark beetle that carries the Dutch elmdisease. This usually takes 20 to 30years. Although the main stems willdie, the root system will usuallysurvive allowing the trees to re-growagain from suckers in time. To keepan elm hedgerow looking healthyconsider coppicing the larger stemsevery 20-30 years, before the beetlesre-infect the trees. Unfortunately atpresent we know of no way topermanently eradicate the diseasefrom a hedgerow.

Ancient Ash pollards in an old hedge line . © Tree Council Image Bank

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Natural England works forpeople, places and nature toconserve and enhancebiodiversity, landscapes andwildlife in rural, urban, coastal and marine areas.

© Natural England 2008

ISBN 978-1-84754-051-5

Catalogue code NE69

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Front cover photograph: A Devon hedge bank with mature trees. © The Tree Council/Jon Stokes