Different Types of Hedges

Evergreen

• As the name implies, the foliage of evergreen plants remains green year round. Hedges made of evergreen plants serve as effective decoration and cover year-round. Both broad and narrow-leaved evergreen plants work. Narrow-leaved evergreen hedges require less pruning than the broad-leaved. Finely twigged hedge types with narrow leaves include hemlocks and yews. Small-leaved juniper and yew plants create dense leaf cover, for those seeking privacy. Evergreen trees -- such as pines, spruces and firs -- grown in rows also serve as taller-than-average hedges. White Firs and Douglas Firs offer especially large hedges, growing up to 65 or 80 feet tall, respectively. Common Boxwood offers a medium-height evergreen hedge option at a maximum height of 20 feet while Evergreen Bittersweets and Korean Boxwood serve as low hedges, growing to about 4 feet tall.

Deciduous

• Deciduous plants shed their leaves during adverse weather to protect themselves from cold and drought. Deciduous types of hedges offer ample screening during their growing season. If these hedges are consistently pruned over the years, they display dense twig formations during the winter season, which still provide a moderate amount of privacy. As far as maintenance goes, most deciduous hedges require reshaping about twice per season. Small deciduous shrubs like the Spreading Cotoneaster sport seasonal berries, while midsized bayberries and Cape Myrtles reach heights up to 10 feet, providing effective boundaries. Winged Euonymus plants -- also known as Burning Bushes -- display fiery red leaves in autumn. Privets, which reach mature heights of 8 feet, seasonally produce black berries that attract birds.

Flowering

• Unlike other hedges, flowering hedges are usually allowed to grow naturally, so their flowers give them a less formal appearance than other types of hedges. Short flowering hedges include the Oriental Quince, Shrubby St. John's-Wort, rose bushes and cranberry bushes, none of which grow above 6 feet tall. Some flowering trees serve as hedges, too, including dogwoods and cherry trees. The midsize Black Haw Viburnum shrub provides wind cover with its dense leaves and sprouts white flowers, while coarse lilac plants offer a hearty constitution for varied environments.