Shrubs and trees offer a broad range of textures, loose or dense growth, evergreen or deciduous and may even feature showy blooms or berries. Block wind, buffer noise, or create private outdoor living spaces with a row of easy to grow, Popular Okanagan Hedge Plants. All will grow into beautiful hedges without requiring a lot of care. . . .
Closely spaced trees or shrubs, trained or planted together, form a barrier often used between neighbouring properties. Hedge plants are also widely used for planters, patios, foundation plantings and as alternatives to fencing. Deciduous hedge plants that lose their leaves in the fall provide less privacy than evergreen hedges do but many homeowners choose them for their ornamental value. There are many Popular Okanagan Hedge Plants available such as Flowering Quince, Cypress, Euonymus, Juniper; Oleander, Cedar, Viburnum, Spirea, Shrub Rose or Hydrangea. The ones to choose should be adaptable to the Okanagan climate zones.
Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
The common hornbeam, a member of the birch family is an excellent choice if you are looking for a tall ornamental hedge. This tree has average growth and when in full foliage, creates an excellent easy-to-care-for privacy screen with a wide canopy and up to 16 feet in height. A Hornbeam hedge along road sides provides excellent protection from wind, noise, and dust.
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris)
Lilac shrubs are extremely easy to care for and can be pruned so that their dense leaves create a hedge with pink, purple, or white fragrant blooms in late spring and early summer. The size of Lilac ranges from 4 to 20 feet in height and width. This plant needs plenty of sunlight and fertile, well drained soil. It is hardy and can grow almost anywhere.
Forsythia, (genus Forsythia)
Forsythia, a member of the olive family that is commonly known for its long branches that fill with brilliant yellow blooms early in the spring. This fast growing shrub provides a cheerful backdrop, border, or centerpiece for any yard. Some varieties only stand a couple of feet tall and wide, while many of the larger varieties can reach around 10 feet in height and spread.
Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius)
Also called English dogwood, this deciduous ornamental hedging shrub is ideal as a border hedge or a summer privacy screen in backyards. Stiff, woody branches have upright growth and produce dark-green, oval leaves and beautiful white fragrant flowers in summer. Mock Orange requires full sun, well drained soil and can grow 10 to 12 feet tall and wide.
Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus)
One of the most stunning plants to use as a flowering hedge in a backyard, Rose of Sharon is a hibiscus plant that can grow 8 to 12 feet tall. When in full bloom in late summer, the bushy hedge produces large, showy, red, white, pink, light blue, or lilac coloured, trumpet-shaped flowers. The plant prefers moist, well-draining soil, although it will tolerate most soil conditions except those that are soggy or extremely dry.
Arborvitae (Thuja)
One of the most versatile and attractive landscape shrubs or trees. Arborvitae are useful as hedge material for creating borders within a landscape or as interesting focal points in a garden. Most specimens grow at a fast rate reaching 7 to 20 feet in height. They require well drained soil and full sun to partial shade, depending on the variety.
Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata)
Panicle hydrangea is most commonly a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub but can also be trained to grow as a small single-trunk tree. It is one of the most winter-hardy of the hydrangeas and thrives in urban conditions and is more drought tolerant than other hydrangeas. Creamy white, green or pink blossoms appear from July-September and the large ovate leaves turn an attractive yellow colour in the fall. It works well as a hedge or grouped in a woodland garden setting. Plant size: 8 to 15 feet in height and 6 to 12 feet wide.
Peking Cotoneaster (Cotoneaster acutifolius)
A plant with rounded, upright growth habit with dense, spreading branches and shiny, deep green elliptic leaves. In late spring, stems sport pretty pink blooms that develop into deep purple to black berries. In fall, the leaves take on gorgeous colours of burgundy, crimson, fuchsia, orange, and yellow. Cotoneaster requires full sun to light shade and will grow well in any loose, well-drained, slightly alkaline soil. It can grow up to 6 to10 feet tall and wide.
Graham Blandy Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
A unique and very special variety of the American boxwood that grows naturally into a narrow, densely branched, upright column of evergreen leaves, just 1 or 2 feet wide, and up to 15 feet tall. Ideal for use as a hedge, screening or vertical accent where space is minimal. Graham Blandy Boxwood makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It is well reputed for its tolerance to drought and animals like rabbit and deer.
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