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Coniferous hedges are popular because they provide reliable privacy and a safe nesting place for native songbirds. They protect the terrace from the wind, are evergreen, easy to care for and their needles give off a pleasant scent when cut.
Thuja is a very popular hedge plant
The characteristics of a coniferous hedge
Conifer hedges are relatively fast-growing and quickly form a privacy screen for terraces or other seating areas. A coniferous hedge is also good as a property boundary or bed border. All types of conifers are evergreen and are a focal point in the garden even in winter.
A coniferous hedge does little work, as pruning is required at most once or twice a year. A nice side effect when cutting is the pleasant scent of the essential oils that escape from the cuts. The hedge must be watered on warm summer days, as conifers do not tolerate dry soil.
species of conifers
There are around 588 types of conifers known worldwide. The most popular include:
- the yew
- the thuja or tree of life
- the primeval redwood
- the spruce
- the Japanese larch
The yew
Yews occur as strong trees, as columnar yews or as bushes. All are slow growing and evergreen. In autumn they bear red berries that attract birds. All parts of the yew tree are poisonous to humans.
The thuja
It is very hardy, wind resistant and grows quickly into an opaque hedge. Typical are the scaly leaves lying close to the branches, which often turn olive-green in winter. When crushed or cut, they release a pleasant scent. It loves a sunny spot and moist soil.
The primeval redwood
This is a conifer that turns its leaves golden yellow in the fall and then sheds them. It is ideal for very moist soil types.
A unique cut ensures an attractive appearance.
The spruce
Spruces are not often seen as a hedge. However, they are excellently suited due to their compatibility with cuts. Without pruning, spruces can grow up to 30 m high.
Spruces like to be in the sun or semi-shade, offer good privacy protection and can also tolerate harsher winters.
The Japanese Larch
It belongs to the deciduous species and can reach a height of up to 30 m without pruning. Regular pruning is required. With its blue-green needles, it is an extraordinary eye-catcher. In autumn, the larch hedge gets a beautiful golden yellow colour.