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Evergreen Trees For Hedges

Ningthoujam Sandhyarani
Evergreen trees are an ideal option for creating a functional and decorative hedge. Some hedging trees that you can consider planting are thuja, holly, eucalyptus, and cryptomeria. Here is a brief description of these trees.
Hedges are created for privacy as well as beautification of the landscape. They are also used for demarcating property boundaries. Even though all these requisites can be achieved by building a fence or a wall, plantation of shrubs and trees always adds a special visual appeal.
By growing hedging plants, you can create a green background to your home or property. While speaking about creating a perfect hedge, you can think of planting deciduous or evergreen trees. There are several evergreen trees that are useful for effective screening and maintaining privacy throughout the year.

Evergreen Trees For Hedges
Regarding plants that should be grown for creating a hedge, you can find no better option than evergreen trees. Unlike deciduous trees that shed their leaves in cold winter months, evergreen trees remain green all the year round, thus providing a complete solid screen.
Some varieties are tolerant to severe frost and/or snowfall. The needle-shaped foliage of these trees also contributes a high aesthetic value to the landscape.
Proper selection of evergreen hedges should be done based on soil type and growing conditions of the area. After all, healthy plants provide the required privacy and screening effect to the landscape. You can consider height of the trees, color, foliage type, and canopy shape too. Here are some of the evergreen trees that are best suited for creating hedges.

Leyland Cypress Tree

If the soil in your area is saline or brackish, you can consider growing leyland cypress trees for hedges. For better growth, you should plant them in well-drained soil that receives full sunlight.
These trees have flat, scale-like, green-colored leaves. Pruning can be done any time, but preferably during winter.

Thuja Tree

One of the ideal hedging trees for all soil types is thuja trees. These are also recorded as the fastest growing evergreen variety (they grow about 3-5 feet annually). Their popularity is also attributed to their resistance to pests and diseases.
Plant these trees by leaving a space of about 5-6 feet between each one.

Holly Tree

Holly trees are popular, especially due to their glossy foliage and bright-red colored berries. They should be grown in acidic soils and in regions that receive partial to full sunlight.
You can plant these with a space of about 3-4 feet between plantlets. For development of berries, you are required to grow both male and female trees within a specific area.

Cryptomeria Tree

Cryptomeria trees can be grown in any soil type as long as the area receives sunlight. They are resistant to drought conditions. As these trees are of a spreading type, they should be planted with a space of at least 5 feet between each. Unlike other evergreen trees, the foliage of these is soft and non-pointed. Their average height is about 30-40 feet.
Once the trees are established, trimming and pruning of the branches should be practiced to retain a specific canopy shape. Most of these trees are also tolerant to frequent pruning, which is one of the desired characteristics for excellent hedging.