Build a Native Hedgerow That Feeds Pollinators All Year

Hedges provide shelter and add a distinct tone of green to a landscape, providing wildlife shelter. Lupine plants bloom with rows of blue-purple pea-like flowers in spring that deer can’t touch; mahonias produce orange and red colors in fall as year-round foliage; while silver lupine has unique leaf shapes.

What to Plant

No matter if you are replacing paving, installing a privacy hedge, filling in an empty spot or expanding a wildflower field; multifunctional native hedgerows offer numerous benefits for people, birds and wildlife alike. When designing one for yourself it is essential that your goals for its installation are determined first: will it serve as privacy, windbreak, soil conservation or wildlife habitat. Once designed for this goal you should design it accordingly.

Ideal hedgerows should follow land contours and include plants that bloom throughout the year to attract various wildlife species. When selecting plants for your hedgerows, keep climate and soil conditions in your region in mind; you can find local nurseries specializing in natives or shop online. When purchasing perennial plants, look for small perennial varieties as they tend to experience less transplant shock and grow more quickly than their counterparts.

Consider the color, texture and timing of leaves and bark as well as bloom color and timing as well as the plant’s form or growth habit when selecting hedgerow shrubs for pollinators food sources such as nectar, berries or fruit for pollination as well as shelter or shade options and potential bird nesting and roosting sites.

Evergreen species like hemlock and yew add structural interest to a hedgerow and can be trimmed for a formal look. Choke cherry stands out with its bright red winter color and attracts birds while providing cover for insects. Planting mixed hedgerows with both deciduous and evergreen species helps provide year-round food sources for birds and pollinators alike.

Preparation

Hedgerows are more diverse than standard hedges and should be planted in multiple rows for optimal wildlife value. Select plants suited to your site’s soil, sunlight and water conditions when selecting hedgerow plants; combine woody plants, grasses and herbaceous groundcovers in various heights so as to provide habitat for pollinators and other animals at all times.

Wind blocks should be taller, while hedgerows designed to provide shade should be more shrubby. When selecting species for a sunny mixed hedgerow, choose those which grow no taller than 3-4 feet such as arrowwood (Viburnum dentatum) or dwarf witch-alder (Fothergilla gardenia). To add shaded areas consider maple-leaved viburnums like Viburnum acerfoliums wild raisinsins or lowbush blueberry.

Many areas feature invasive shrubs such as buckthorn and honeysuckle that must be cleared away before you can establish a hedgerow. Use a weed wrench or seek help from young people in clearing these out; goats may also be kept in enclosed yards to effectively clear away woody vegetation without chemicals.

Once you’re ready to plant, the best time is usually either fall or spring when the soil is warm and damp. Native plugs (baby first-year plants) or bare root trees and shrubs establish easily when planted during either of these months; for more information about regional sources for such plants visit Wild Seed Project’s website.

Planting

Selecting appropriate native plants is of utmost importance in creating the ideal habitat. Your choices of species will depend on light levels, soil type and your goals – for instance a privacy hedge might benefit from trees or tall shrubs such as hawthorn or blackthorn; wildlife habitats could include non-woody forbs such as grasses. Our native plant guide can assist in finding your perfect mix.

Autumn is an ideal time for planting hedgerows as it allows new plants to establish themselves before winter weather hits. Tonight, Wild Ones will host a free webinar about creating and maintaining hedgerows – register here now!

After planting, make sure that the hedgerow receives regular irrigation. Supplemental water may be especially crucial during its first two years as new hedgerows need it for growth and establishment. You can do this using swales, waterways, furrows, flood, drip irrigation or hand watering techniques.

Once your hedgerow has become established, it can be maintained periodically by trimming. However, for optimal results it is best to wait several years before trimming to allow the plants to establish themselves and produce flowers and berries as well as give pollinators access to shelter provided by dense shrub growth.

At times, hedgerow trimming may not be enough to maximize its benefits; thus, eliminating invasive woody plants is also key to improving their effectiveness. This can be accomplished manually with a weed wrench or by hiring an unfarmed crew of goats or pigs to do the work without using chemicals.

Maintenance

Hedgerow plants use natural methods to maintain soil fertility, instead of applying fertilizers and pesticides annually. Hedgerows recycle nutrients from annual leaves and woody debris as well as bird droppings; then these nutrients are broken down by fungi and microorganisms into essential elements which are slowly released to plant roots over time.

Hedges with various heights provide food, shelter and nesting sites for an abundance of wildlife. Birds nestle their young in hollow stems of shrubs such as Ulmus (Elm) and Ash, while amphibians, reptiles and amphibians find shelter in dense grasses or dense grasslands. Wild bees, butterflies and moth caterpillars often thrive among perennials and shrubs native to their area.

Hedgerows can be an absolute joy, both visually and texturally, even during winter. A dense planting of different shrubs creates an even more stunning effect and an inclusive ecosystem; aim for some overlap among your plantings as this will attract all forms of pollinators species.

If the area where you wish to plant a hedgerow is filled with invasive species, first remove them. Handpick individual invasives with a weed wrench, or use goats or other animals such as goats for this task. When this step has been accomplished, begin to build your hedgerow.