Hawthorn hedge plants (Crataegus monogyna)

Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) is the UK's most popular hedging plant and the main component in the mixed native hedgerows that separate farmers' fields and act as boundaries on every lane up and down the countryside. It is also suitable as a single-species hedge, where its thorns create a terrific barrier. Hawthorn is commonly used in woodland creation and as a hedgerow or garden tree. Its wildlife friendliness is virtually unmatched. If you prefer a mixed native hedge rather than just Hawthorn, please visit our Mixed Native Hedging Pack section.

Many alternative common names for Hawthorn include Thorn, Whitethorn, Quickthorn, Quick or Quicks, May Blossom, Mayflower, May Tree, Thornapple, Hawberry, Motherdie and Haw. The Latin name is Crataegus monogyna.

The first hedges planted centuries ago were likely "May Blossom" (because it paints the countryside in white blossom in May). The name "Quickthorn" derives from it being very thorny and quickly growing. Many people call Hawthorn whips simply "Quicks". The leaves are small and deeply lobed, and the stems are very spiny. In late spring, Hawthorn provides a frothy white layer over fields, lanes and motorway verges.

Hawthorn is one of the most wildlife-friendly species you can plant. It is a food plant for many moth caterpillars and pollinators, and provides excellent nesting shelter. If not pruned too often, it produces vast quantities of nectar-rich, fragrant, flat-topped clusters of flowers and then a massive bounty of autumn haws, which contain the seeds from which our nursery grows the next crop. These haws are very popular with wild birds, including increasingly rare Fieldfares, but are not suitable for human consumption when raw. When cooked, they can be made into jams, jellies, fruit leathers, chutneys, wine and other edible products. They are high in pectin, which helps them set.

Hawthorn is a very cooperative species for hedge laying, quickly forming new vigorous upright shoots from the cuts of the craftsman hedge layer. This suitability for hedge laying is probably one of the most significant reasons why Hawthorn is the most popular country hedging plant, going back centuries to the introduction of Enclosures and the planting of hedges in large quantities. Country folk knew that Hawthorn would keep the hedge solid enough to contain livestock and act as a permanent boundary.

Hawthorn is easy to plant and grow in most soils and conditions (except the deepest shade or very wet soils). It is fast-growing, growing about 40–60cm per year, and easy to maintain. It can be planted in single or double rows (4–6 per metre for single rows and 5–7 per metre for double staggered rows). You can trim the plants after planting to encourage bushy growth; it can be cut back really hard. Ideally, trim it in late winter or early spring after the birds have feasted on the haws so that you do not cut off the "winter larder" that local and migrating birds and small mammals rely on.

Our nursery grows Hawthorn bare-root hedging plants from seed over one or two years. Bare-root plants are available in the dormant season from November to April, and we have cell-grown and pot-grown plants all year round – all grown in Britain.

Because Hawthorn is grown in vast quantities (literally millions of plants each year) and is easy to grow, it is one of the cheapest plants you can buy. Our plants are thoroughly acclimatised to British weather because they are grown from seed in Herefordshire. The nursery is registered with Plant Healthy, a strict plant biosecurity code of conduct, so you can be confident you are buying British-grown, healthy, hardy plants.

Whether you want to buy Hawthorn whips or more mature plants, Hedge Nursery has supplied vast quantities of Hawthorn hedging plants over many years, and our reviews are excellent. You can buy confidently, knowing that you will receive top-quality British-grown plants that will give you an excellent, wildlife-friendly, dense, low-maintenance hedge that will last centuries. Read more about bare root hedging plants and how they are grown, and more about cell-grown plants here.

Notes:

1. All prices include VAT.
2. Orders of plants requiring delivery on pallets (bare root plants taller than 120cm, plants in pots larger than 7.5 Litres, root ball plants, and instant hedging) delivered to destinations in the UK Mainland are delivered free when the order is over £350, regardless of the number of pallets needed.
3. Scottish Highlands do not have a free pallet delivery option.

Pots, bare roots, root balls, instant, cell grown, P9s - if it's all double Dutch, this explanation should help you decide which root type is best for you.

The majority of hedging plants are sold as bare roots, pot grown, or root balls, so we'll start with those.

Bare Root Hedging

For many years, we only sold bare roots, so there's a lot of advice on our website about bare root plants. Here's a very quick summary, along with links to other pages you might find helpful.

Bare root plants are grown in open fields and lifted during the winter months when dormant. This is the cheapest and most environmentally friendly growing method, so they are usually the best option if you are planting from November to April and the species and height combination you want is available as bare roots (about 80% of the species on this website are available as bare roots).

We sell hundreds of thousands of bare root plants each year to thousands of customers and, for a cost-effective solution, they're hard to beat.

We have a full explanation of the benefits and drawbacks, and an explanation of how they are grown on About Bare Root Hedging Plants, along with advice on Storing Bare Roots and Heeling in Bare Root Plants.

Pot Grown Plants

Everyone knows what a pot grown plant looks like, but there is often confusion about pot sizes and what you get for your money. Generally, with some exceptions, the bigger the pot size, the more mature, bushier and taller the plant will be - and the more costly.

Pot sizes are always described by the number of litres they hold. Our standard pot sizes are 2L, 5L and 10L (where L stands for litres). Pot dimensions from different manufacturers can vary, even though they all hold the same amount of growing medium, so sizes are specified by volume rather than the pot's dimensions.

There are several benefits to pot grown plants:

• The range of species is very wide, with some only available in pots.
• There is no root disturbance because they are grown in pots rather than lifted from fields, so the success rate is extremely high.
• They can be planted year-round, though we always advise caution when planting in extremely warm weather - water generously until they are established!

Root Ball Hedging

For large plants, particularly big, bushy evergreens, the most popular root type is root balls. They are cheaper than pot-grown plants of the same height and often bushier, but they are only available during the dormant season, usually from October to April.

They're environmentally friendly because they are grown in open fields, but instead of lifting the plant bare rooted, soil is retained around the roots and wrapped in hessian. They are not quite as eco-friendly as bare roots because root balls are heavy to transport.

Read more About Root Balls here.

Instant Hedging Troughs or Ready-Grown Hedging

Instant hedging involves planting several plants (normally 5) into a 1 metre long trough and allowing them to knit together into a hedge, so that when planted by you, you get an instant effect.

Compared with other root forms, they are relatively expensive because if a single plant fails at the nursery, the whole trough is ruined. There is also a huge cost in nursery time because the plants are trimmed into a hedge shape by the nursery team and, in some more mature instant hedging, this is done many times so that the hedge becomes extremely dense.

Instant hedging is very popular and available year-round, and we are continually expanding the range of species grown this way. There's more information on instant hedging here, and we also have a blog explaining the benefits, drawbacks and how it is grown.

Cell Grown Plants

Small cell grown plants are grown by specialist nurseries in containers about the size of a small yoghurt pot, though a bit deeper because hedging plants and trees naturally have deep roots.

They are a cost-effective solution when gardeners are willing to wait for plants to grow, and they're ideal for infilling where there isn't enough space to plant larger root types. They are also often used by foresters because they are lightweight to carry to remote areas, easy to plant and have a high success rate, reducing the need for replanting.

They are increasingly used by home gardeners as hedging plants because, although they don't have the size and bushiness of pot-grown plants, they are less expensive and available year-round, making them a good alternative to small bare roots outside the bare root season.

There is very little root disturbance or loss of the fine feeding roots that plants rely upon when moved, so the success rate is extremely high. All our cell grown plants are grown in Britain.

We show prices in various bands depending on quantity, but if you are planting a woodland and need larger quantities, please contact us for a bespoke quote.

We're always happy to advise by phone or email, so please don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about the best root type for you.