Hedging plants to attract wildlife
Browse our range of the best hedging plants for attracting wildlife into the garden. Hedging plants are the cornerstone of your outdoor space, creating an attractive boundary that has a big impact on your privacy and enjoyment. They provide a visibility screen, reduce outside noise and soak up pollution toxins, all whilst providing a home, shelter and food for birds, bees, butterflies, hoverflies, other beneficial insects and small mammals. Hedging is much more ecologically friendly than fencing, which may be quick to put up but doesn’t offer much for animals that might want to live in your garden. In contrast, hedges can be a haven for wildlife, providing rich nectar, scrumptious berries, protection from predators and nesting opportunities.
Careful planning and preparation is needed when establishing a hedge, starting with which types of plants you choose. The best hedging for wildlife is a mix of native varieties that come into leaf, flower and fruit at different times of the year, providing a source of food and cover through the seasons. Spiny varieties such as berberis and hawthorn provide the best protection from predators, while also acting as an effective, natural intruder-proof barrier for security. For something more formal, yew can be tightly clipped and produces fleshy red berries in late summer which are well-loved by small birds. Hedges can also be used in the interior of your garden, perhaps to delineate different sections or to edge paths and walkways. In these situations, low flowering hedging such as fuchsia and lavender come to the fore.