Pleached Trees

Pleached Trees have been used as an element in formal gardens for centuries. That said, this traditional landscaping technique remains highly relevant in today's modern contemporary gardens. The raised square crowns above straight bare trunks have a timeless appeal. The precise, architectural look of pleached trees can bring a distinctive look to your garden, small or large! In fact, people with smaller gardens very often opt for pleached trees as they tend to be more manageable size-wise as well as having more restricted root growth in line with the reduced crown size. So yes, Pleached Trees work well in smaller gardens. 

Many different species can be adapted to pleaching but essentially, there are two broad categories – pleached evergreen trees and pleached deciduous trees. The classic deciduous choice is hornbeam. Examples of Pleached Evergreen trees include Cherry Laurel and Magnolia Grandiflora. Browse our selection below! 

Pleached trees are especially trained on clear stems (like stilts) well above head height. The crown is generally cut and trained into a square shape. As the pleached tree matures, the crown develops into a striking cube shape. The exposed trunk allows views and /or movement through the clear stems beneath the crown.
The difficult work of training and pruning the crowns of trees into a square shape, known as pleaching, will already have been accomplished when you buy your pleached trees from us. The branches will generally have been trained using bamboo training frames.  Regular pruning is undertaken to create the straight lines necessary for this style. Once you have planted your pleached trees in your own garden, all you will need to do is trim them once or twice a year to maintain the form. 

A pleached hedge, sometimes referred to a stilted hedging or above fence screening, can be used on its own or in conjunction with a low traditional hedge or wall. It creates a sense of boundary without completely blocking off the enclosed space from its surroundings. Where there is an attractive stone or brick wall, a row of pleached trees will soften the upper edges and increase the height of privacy screening without hiding the wall. In a country setting, pleached trees lining either side of a formal pathway can create a stunning picture and provide structure for the rest of the planting. 
Read our blog on Pleached Tree Care - looking after your pleached trees.