Blackthorn Hedge

coffey87

Hi All

In the process of building a house, which already has a blackthorn hedge at the front. Thinking to leave it and surround the house in a blackthorn hedge. Has anyone done this? If so, would you recommend it?

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

It's not as garden friendly as Hawthorn, as side shoots can end in vicious thorns and it's not as easily trimmed.

Genghis Cant

Spreads via suckers too. So can encroach onto land.
I planted a nice hedge around the house here. Predominantly whitethorn with some beech green privet , holly , guelder rose and the odd crab apple in the mix. It's after getting into a lovely hedge. And has something of interest year round.

my3cents

I actively try and reduce the amount of blackthorn in our hedges because of the way it continually suckers into the garden. Its OK where it is bordered by grass where the mower cuts off the sucker growth but its a real pain where there are beds.

clappyhappy

Builder planted blackthorn hedge along our back boundary when building house, had to remove it when kids were growing up, every ball got burst and kids cut trying to get balls out. Have a laurel & red Robin hedge now and it's fab.

smacl

As against the above, it makes for a good defensive hedge if you've got the space (thorns are like nails) and most importantly, sloe gin.

my3cents

smacl wrote: »

As against the above, it makes for a good defensive hedge if you've got the space (thorns are like nails) and most importantly, sloe gin.

If you want sloes then go an pick them from someone elses hedge

Day Lewin

A word of warning: blackthorn spikes can cause a nasty splinter and get infected. Used to sometimes happen to the eyes of horses, too.
I wouldn't have it around children: also, as mentioned above, it suckers and spreads like ...a shrubby plague.

It is a beautiful plant, especially in Spring: but you need to be willing to manage it.

smacl

my3cents wrote: »

If you want sloes then go an pick them from someone elses hedge

People keep taking them out and putting in goddamn Griselinea and Leylandii. I seem to be a minority of one here but I like blackthorn.

my3cents

smacl wrote: »

People keep taking them out and putting in goddamn Griselinea and Leylandii. I seem to be a minority of one here but I like blackthorn.

Leylandii NO but as I live aout 250m from the sea at high tide and much nearer when there is a storm it would be Grislinea and Sea Buckthorn for me as a preference.

my3cents

my3cents wrote: »

Leylandii NO but as I live aout 250m from the sea at high tide and much nearer when there is a storm it would be Grislinea and Sea Buckthorn for me as a preference.

Completely off topic here, sorry OP, but My3cents how is your sea buckthorn doing?
I put a couple in 2 years ago and they haven't grown that much at all. They have long spindle like branches with little leaves and I've yet to see any fruit.
Any tips?

my3cents

TheTorment wrote: »

Completely off topic here, sorry OP, but My3cents how is your sea buckthorn doing?
I put a couple in 2 years ago and they haven't grown that much at all. They have long spindle like branches with little leaves and I've yet to see any fruit.
Any tips?

I planted them right by the sea they did really well for a bit then a storm came up the beach halfway up the garden and washed them away I was hoping they would help stabilize the soil. I'm looking for more but no one seems to have them the last ones I brought over from the UK. Here and in the UK it is considered a potentially invasive species but as you can see it doesn't stand much chance of that with me

I've had them on site (think amenity planting) where they have done really well. About all we did was to cut back any of the long straggly growth each year and they fruited well enough. The pruning was the council type pruning where it was done by guys with no gardening skills and because well it was a shrub so you have to prune it :rolleyes:

They don't really grow that densely, not with foliage anyway so they always look a bit straggly. With yours I'd cut back any long straggly stems by about a third, but really they should require no pruning at all.

Graces7

smacl wrote: »

People keep taking them out and putting in goddamn Griselinea and Leylandii. I seem to be a minority of one here but I like blackthorn.

Agree totally. Used to live where there were blackthorn everywhere.

Zzippy

Graces7 wrote: »

Agree totally. Used to live where there were blackthorn everywhere.

Loads around us, spectacular last month when they were flowering. Same now the whitethorn is in bloom.

my3cents

Jonah Wonderful Stenography wrote: »

It's not as garden friendly as Hawthorn, as side shoots can end in vicious thorns and it's not as easily trimmed.

I can attest to this. I caught a finger joint with a tiny blackthorn thorn over a week ago and its still sore. I was wearing massively thick gloves at the time but it still got me.

smacl

my3cents wrote: »

Leylandii NO but as I live aout 250m from the sea at high tide and much nearer when there is a storm it would be Grislinea and Sea Buckthorn for me as a preference.

Griselinea is ok as an easy to maintain functional hedge where you're looking for privacy, but personally I find it very unattractive and from what I understand isn't suitable for the likes of nesting birds and wildlife. I've also seen a large Griselinea hedge wiped out in a neighbour's place Mayo. That said, close to the sea your options can be limited. The sea buckthorn sounds interesting.

my3cents

smacl wrote: »

Griselinea is ok as an easy to maintain functional hedge where you're looking for privacy, but personally I find it very unattractive and from what I understand isn't suitable for the likes of nesting birds and wildlife. I've also seen a large Griselinea hedge wiped out in a neighbour's place Mayo. That said, close to the sea your options can be limited. The sea buckthorn sounds interesting.

About the ugliest plant around the colour is just foul! Only good thing about it is that is survives the salt.

gozunda

my3cents wrote: »

About the ugliest plant around the colour is just foul! Only good thing about it is that is survives the salt.

Griselinia
Reminds of plastic vegetation. Horrible stuff tbh. Lots of it got killed in the cold winters of 2010-2011

To control blackthorn suckering - its possible to trench young plants with a weed barrier - helps keep the plants from spreading. Only usefull along small lengths of hedge tbh - due to cost etc.

my3cents

gozunda wrote: »

Reminds of plastic vegetation. Horrible stuff tbh.

Yeah my wife banned me from planting it for many years but I've found a smaller leaved variety which isn't quite as bad - still not good.

Lumen

Haterz!!!!

I have griselinia in two places and I think it's a nice contrast to dark green and variegated leaves.

my3cents

Lumen wrote: »

Haterz!!!!

I have griselinia in two places and I think it's a nice contrast to dark green and variegated leaves.

...

Sorry but IMO plastic leaves look better.

For a similar evergreen hedge Lonicera nitida has a better look but is another that can be invasive as its cuttings often root if left on the ground.

Lumen

my3cents wrote: »

Sorry but IMO plastic leaves look better.

For a similar evergreen hedge Lonicera nitida has a better look but is another that can be invasive as its cuttings often root if left on the ground.

Subjective opinions aside (but you're wrong, obviously ) it is quite difficult to summon the courage to rip out perfectly servicable mature plants to gain an improvement 10 years down the track.

I'm dealing with this headache with a couple of large hebes that I don't think I can hard prune effectively, but I'm loathed to rip them out and start again.

my3cents

Lumen wrote: »

Subjective opinions aside (but you're wrong, obviously ) it is quite difficult to summon the courage to rip out perfectly servicable mature plants to gain an improvement 10 years down the track.

I'm dealing with this headache with a couple of large hebes that I don't think I can hard prune effectively, but I'm loathed to rip them out and start again.

If only hebes could be cut back as hard as Griselinia.

In milder areas like SW Cornwall I've cut back 40ft high Griselina and had it grow away again.

smacl

Lumen wrote: »

I'm dealing with this headache with a couple of large hebes that I don't think I can hard prune effectively, but I'm loathed to rip them out and start again.

Had something similar with a lavender border hedge a few years back which had gotten too big. I bit the bullet, cut it back, it never really recovered so I ended up digging it and replacing with a mix of rosemary and sage. I now have a rosemary and sage hedge that has gotten too big....

Lumen

smacl wrote: »

Had something similar with a lavender border hedge a few years back which had gotten too big. I bit the bullet, cut it back, it never really recovered so I ended up digging it and replacing with a mix of rosemary and sage. I now have a rosemary and sage hedge that has gotten too big....

Ah, but when you burn it down it'll smell lovely!

looksee

Hebe have to be planted on the understanding that they are very likely short term plants and you will have to dig them up when they get unsightly - or die.