Hedges – Landscape Plants for a Minnesota zone hedge

March 7, 2012

Techny Globe Arborvitae Hedge

There are a number of plant materials that can be use for hedges here in Minnesota. Before deciding which plant is right for your project you first need to understand the conditions that exist where you would like to plant your hedge. What are the light and soil conditions? Does this area drain well, or are the plant going to have moist soil? How tall do you want your hedge be and what feeling are you looking for, formal or informal?

It is also recommended that you purchase and plant all of the plants for one screen at one time, this helps to create a uniform hedge. It also means that it is costly if you make the wrong decision. A hedge consists of one type of plant, while a planting screen can be made up of a variety of plants. For example you could have a twenty foot long Arborvitae hedge then a group of Colorado Blue Spruce followed by another twenty foot long Arborvitae hedge. This can create a nice look where the uniform row of Arborvitae is broken up by a group of three or more Spruce. Using blue Spruce in this example creates a change of color, texture and size. I would in this case plant the three Blue Spruce in triangle, which would break up the straight line effect of the hedge plants. By introducing other plant materials into the screen it also helps to reduce the size of the monoculture created by a single species hedge and thus somewhat protect your hedge from disease.

Some plants you may consider using for a hedge in Minnesota and other areas with a similar climate are:

If you would like our help with your hedge planting project contact us, Niwa Design Studio, at 952-470-1882.

Posted in Hedges, Plant Materials, Shrubs