Hedge - Mixing Hornbeam and Dogwood

 


Hello,
On my property I have plenty of hornbeam and dogwood transplants as well
as some
oak, dog rose and some other native plants.

I would like to plant a 50 meters long hedge and I would like it to be
about
1.5-2 meters high in 2-4 years.

I would like it to be informal, natural looking hedge that I would trim
once or
mostly twice per year.

Would it work if I mix hornbeam with dogwood and other plants, or should
I use
hornbeam only since I have it most?
Should I plant in one or two rows, and how many plants per meter?

Thanks a lot,
Mountain




--
mountain_spring

 



As I understand it, hornbeam is relatively slow growing, giving a
particularly heavy wood for fuel purposes.  Dogwood is fast growing and
suckers horrendously.  Of course, a lot depends on your soil, but I would
accompany your hornbeam with hazel, hawthorn and blackthorn - almost
anything but dogwood I would say...  (But I'm not a butterfly, so perhaps
one or two.)

S

 


harry;900740 Wrote:

Are you sure about that? According to Stace (accepted as the authority
on the
British flora) both Dogwood, Cornus sanguinea, and the creeping
dwarf cornel,
Cornus suecica, are native.

The red-stemmed White Dogweed, Cornus alba, isn't native, but from the
the fact
that the OP has a lot of  dogwood suggests he isn't talking
about this one.




--
kay

 


Looking up I the distribution maps I was surprised to find that Cornus
sericea (commoner than its close relative Cornus alba) is considerably
less widespread that Cornus sanguinea, as, around here, I had the
impression that the two species were about equally common. But, as both
are used in amenity plantings it is difficult to distinguish "wild"
specimens from "cultivated" ones. Alternatively, my identification of
the species when not fruiting may not be reliable.
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

 



Yes, yes and yes.

Hornbeam can be VERY slow compared to the others.  I'd establish hazel
and hawthorn, and plant the Hornbeam & Holly as 'standards', rather
than including them in the laying.  Then add dog rose 10 years later
to work it's way in and out.  Blackthorn will spread and sucker all
over the place, but I do like it a lot, the blossom is fantastic, as
is the hawthorn.  Your choice.