Hedge on M7 / M9

phildenny

Hi all. A long shot here but does anyone know what hedge is planted in the centre bit of M7 from around Newbridge junction to merge with M9. Some also on M9. New growth on it atm has a Reddish tinge.

freshpopcorn

I often thought they were Beech hedges on Motorways but I'm not 100% sure!

looksee

This gives information about road planting - https://www.tii.ie/technical-services/environment/planning/A_Guide_to_Landscape_Treatments_for_National_Road_Schemes_in_Ireland.pdf

I had a look at that hedging on Google maps but it is not possible to get close enough, however I might guess at Vibernum Opulus (Guelder rose) - it is an attractive shrub with a reddish tinge that is used frequently on motorway hedges and dividing barriers.

phildenny

Thanks for replies. It's not beech on the centre, maybe some on sides of motorway. I'm not tgat familiar with guelder rose but looking at pics I'm not sure. Nice hedge though.
Someone else suggested hawthorn, could be that maybe. It's the top new growth that has redish/ brownish tinge.

I think it is Hawthorn, just from looking at the Google view.

GinSoaked

Whats the soil like in the area? Vibernum Opulus (Guelder rose) would 100% need a alkaline soil and it grows well over chalk.

macraignil

GinSoaked wrote: »

Whats the soil like in the area? Vibernum Opulus (Guelder rose) would 100% need a alkaline soil and it grows well over chalk.

I have Viburnum opulus growing in mildly acidic soil and it is doing fine here. It does not 100% need alkaline soil. Here is a link to the RHS page on the plant that says it will grow in acid, neutral and alkaline pH soil.

GinSoaked

macraignil wrote: »

I have Viburnum opulus growing in mildly acidic soil and it is doing fine here. It does not 100% need alkaline soil. Here is a link to the RHS page on the plant that says it will grow in acid, neutral and alkaline pH soil.

I have a plant here growing in the hedge row on acid soil but the difference is if the soil was alkaline the whole hedge would be full of it not just one plant.

phildenny

phildenny wrote: »

Hi all. A long shot here but does anyone know what hedge is planted in the centre bit of M7 from around Newbridge junction to merge with M9. Some also on M9. New growth on it atm has a Reddish tinge.

I believe it is a variety of dogwood, possibly Cornus alba 'sibirica'.

macraignil

GinSoaked wrote: »

I have a plant here growing in the hedge row on acid soil but the difference is if the soil was alkaline the whole hedge would be full of it not just one plant.

The opening poster is asking about a hedge that was planted as a motorway dividing hedge. That would imply to me that the plants in the hedge were likely to have been planted rather than having spread from one plant. How do you know the hedge in question was not planted as the opening poster suggested and how are you 100% sure it could only grow like that if it was alkaline soil? Could the people planting the hedge have just planted guelder rose from the start and there was no necessity for it to have spread from a single plant?

GinSoaked

macraignil wrote: »

The opening poster is asking about a hedge that was planted as a motorway dividing hedge. That would imply to me that the plants in the hedge were likely to have been planted rather than having spread from one plant. How do you know the hedge in question was not planted as the opening poster suggested and how are you 100% sure it could only grow like that if it was alkaline soil? Could the people planting the hedge have just planted guelder rose from the start and there was no necessity for it to have spread from a single plant?

I've done that type of planting and the planners like to think they are doing the right thing in the plants that they choose. So all I'm suggesting is that if any thought had gone into the planting and the area in known for an alkaline soil then Guelder Rose in an option but if the area is know for an acid soil its less likely.

macraignil

GinSoaked wrote: »

Whats the soil like in the area? Vibernum Opulus (Guelder rose) would 100% need a alkaline soil and it grows well over chalk.

GinSoaked wrote: »

I've done that type of planting and the planners like to think they are doing the right thing in the plants that they choose. So all I'm suggesting is that if any thought had gone into the planting and the area in known for an alkaline soil then Guelder Rose in an option but if the area is know for an acid soil its less likely.

So you are now saying it is less likely to be guelder rose based on the soil acidity when you started out saying it would 100% need alkaline soil. Here is the link to the original information page from the RHS I posted which says it can grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soil and a link to another plant information page that agrees it can grow in acid or alkaline soil. Maybe the plant has a preference for alkaline more than acid but these respected sources both say it can grow in both and why would the planners you are familiar with not use these sources. I'd be surprised if they even did a pH test on the soil unless it was a bog they were going to be planting in and then they might have imported a neutral top soil for the planting so the local soil wouldn't even be relevant.

standardg60

macraignil wrote: »

So you are now saying it is less likely to be guelder rose based on the soil acidity when you started out saying it would 100% need alkaline soil. Here is the link to the original information page from the RHS I posted which says it can grow in acid, neutral and alkaline soil and a link to another plant information page that agrees it can grow in acid or alkaline soil. Maybe the plant has a preference for alkaline more than acid but these respected sources both say it can grow in both and why would the planners you are familiar with not use these sources. I'd be surprised if they even did a pH test on the soil unless it was a bog they were going to be planting in and then they might have imported a neutral top soil for the planting so the local soil wouldn't even be relevant.

Chill out, i doubt Gin Soaked set out to antagonise anyone.

OP look up Acer campestre..might be the villain you're looking for.

GinSoaked

standardg60 wrote: »

Chill out, i doubt Gin Soaked set out to antagonise anyone.

OP look up Acer campestre..might be the villain you're looking for.

Thanks but some posters here have remind me just how much time boards.ie wastes so good enough reason to say goodbye.

standardg60

GinSoaked wrote: »

Thanks but some posters here have remind me just how much time boards.ie wastes so good enough reason to say goodbye.

Don't be silly.
I'm sure plenty of others have appreciated your input as much as me.
Some of us have learnt our trade before gospel Google came along, just let it go over your head.

macraignil

standardg60 wrote: »

Chill out, i doubt Gin Soaked set out to antagonise anyone.

.

I was not suggesting he was trying to antagonise anyone and just trying to get the information about the hedge in question straight. I'm not even saying there is not a point to be made about the greater chance of it being guelder rose if the soil was alkaline but I was unconvinced it could be the soil acidity that would 100% decide the hedge identity.

standardg60 wrote: »

Don't be silly.
I'm sure plenty of others have appreciated your input as much as me.
Some of us have learnt our trade before gospel Google came along, just let it go over your head.

Agree completely. No intention on my part to waste ginsoaked time and just wanted to make sure I fully understood what was being said since I had the experience of that plant growing fine without alkaline soil.

Ginsoaked if you have decided you have better things to do and don't want to post any more on boards then I hope you have fun doing so.
Happy gardening.

standardg60

macraignil wrote: »

I was not suggesting he was trying to antagonise anyone and just trying to get the information about the hedge in question straight. I'm not even saying there is not a point to be made about the greater chance of it being guelder rose if the soil was alkaline but I was unconvinced it could be the soil acidity that would 100% decide the hedge identity.


Agree completely. No intention on my part to waste ginsoaked time and just wanted to make sure I fully understood what was being said since I had the experience of that plant growing fine without alkaline soil.

Ginsoaked if you have decided you have better things to do and don't want to post any more on boards then I hope you have fun doing so.
Happy gardening.

All good then.
Btw you are right in that they're not ph dependent!
Now if any of us knew what is actually planted on the motorway..