Tree and hedge planting in an exposed coastal location

onrail

Hi all,

I have planning permission to build a house overlooking the sea on the east coast which is pretty exposed to a southerly wind. Given that it'll be around 3 years before we're living in the house, I'd like to get as much shelter planted now in the hope that it will be established by the time we're in.

Any recommendations for what to plant, and how to go about planting and caring for it? The architect has put together a plan calling for Franchet's Cotoneaster, Griselinia littoralis Variegata and Chokeberry Galicjanka, but I'm not sure how much thought was put into this.

macraignil

Those plants sound like reasonable options to me. The Cotoneaster and the Chokeberry have flowers and fruit that would benefit wildlife but I think the benefits to wildlife from Griselinia are fairly limited. Olearia traversii and Elaeagnus ebbingei are also options that might be worth considering.

Happy gardening!

looksee

I know of an Elaeagnus hedge in a very exposed coastal situation. It was given shelter by a wind break initially but soon thickened out and is a magnificent hedge, very even and full, it looks excellent. I also agree about the limitations of griselinia, it really does not have a lot going for it.

standardg60

Not much thought is right, Aronia (chokeberry) is a plant for moist boggy cold inland areas, Griselinia as above while suitable does very little for wildlife and the variegated form is slow to grow.

Cotoneaster is fine though, Olearia should definitely be included (traversii and/or macrodonta), Escallonia is another option along with Elaeagnus.

onrail

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121283897#Comment_121283897

That's really excellent, thanks a million. Would you plant a mix of those those recommendations, or just pick one to go with? Is now the best time to plant?

looksee

Whether you do a mix or an all the same hedge depends on the location, and do you want it more informal (mixed) or formal (all the same). If you are going to keep it clipped do it all the same, I love mixed hedges but not when they have all been forced into the same shape.

Slightly Kwackers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121282094#Comment_121282094

The Oleria have been a staple here for many decades. I cannot fault them on a coastal location. Even on a bit of a small cliff where they are exposed directly they thrive. The only thing I would note is that with a strong prevailing wind they develop an extreme windswept shape.

Mine are lower down with a small dune separating them from the sea. If you have a lot of gales, I would trim the things quite a bit in the early stages as one or two of mine were uprooted. The foliage seems to be a lot quicker to grow than the root system, also the soil is very sandy and despite this holds water in winter.

Most of mine were easy to propagate from cuttings, although early on I bought some in.

The mature ones make reasonable firewood after a couple of years drying also. They are devious and become trees if you don't keep a careful eye :-)

I never tried anything else, we have two palms, but not much grows here. The palms are as old as I so I would not think of trying more. Olearia are fast, an excellent windbreak and can perform any function from a small hedge to a shady wooded area.

Don't plant them under power or phone cables if you want to let them "do their own thing". They have to be kept in check.

RockOrBog

Fushsia are good in a location like that, easy to root and grow, bees love them too