Hawthorn & Serviceberry/Shadbush/Saskatoon hedge

Time for a barrage of questions about hedges! I'm considering the option of a hedgerow rather than a tall fence to keep out deer. Do hawthorns and serviceberries grow well together in a hedge? How close together should they be spaced for the mature hedge to effectively keep out deer? How about blackberries and hazels, will they integrate well with the aforementioned hawthorns & serviceberries? What trees grow well in the midst of hedges? Wikipedia mentions holly, oak, ash, beech, and willow, what are your opinions? Any other species guild well in the understory to help fill in any gaps and make effective use of the edge? Was thinking about white clover for the ground cover, would it struggle with limited sunlight on the east side? If so, what's another good ground cover to grow flanking the edges?

Hazelnuts are often included in a living fence. Good food and fodder.

If you include some nitrogen fixers and dynamic accumulators, you should have a healthy, well fed fence.

pretty much any kinds of plants can be grown in a hedgerow..given that they get the proper soil, climate, etc..I like mixing all kinds of shrubs and perennials in hedgerows..another good hedge plant for warm weather is jerusalem artichoke.

Here I have a variety of shrub plants all over the property..and have been considering moving many of them into hedges..but so far the hedges and property lines here are mostly planted with all kinds of evergreens as well as some buffalo berry, hawthorne, jerusalem artichokes, and fruit trees..

I am always adding more shrubs on the property and always thinking about property lines and hedgerows..I prefer flowering or fruiting plants.

Brenda Groth wrote:pretty much any kinds of plants can be grown in a hedgerow..given that they get the proper soil, climate, etc..I like mixing all kinds of shrubs and perennials in hedgerows..another good hedge plant for warm weather is jerusalem artichoke.

Here I have a variety of shrub plants all over the property..and have been considering moving many of them into hedges..but so far the hedges and property lines here are mostly planted with all kinds of evergreens as well as some buffalo berry, hawthorne, jerusalem artichokes, and fruit trees..

I am always adding more shrubs on the property and always thinking about property lines and hedgerows..I prefer flowering or fruiting plants.

Hey Brenda, what species do you use in your hedge?

I throw in just about anything I can find..on my south property line I have white and red pine, cedar, white and black spruce, canadian hemlock, snowball bush, honeysuckle bush, grape vines, bittersweet, wisteria, woodbine, roses, and perennials at their feet..

my west property line on the south part is red and white pine, canadian hemlock, blue spruce, black currant, grapes, perennial sweet pea vine, crabapple, privet, hostas, peonies, and lots of other perennials at the feet..in the center part of the west property line is mostly black spruce, white pine, canadian hemlock and black currant with a few perennials..and bittersweet vine (which I do not recommend)..farther North is white pine, canadian hemlock, peach (from seed), large fruited hawthorn, silver buffalo berry, aspen, jerusalem artichokes, azalea, and some wildflowers...then there comes our woods and in the woods along the farther north property line are blackberry, wild raspberry, jerusalem artichokes, lilacs, white pine, maple seedlings

my east hedgerow is a baby hedgerow and is mostly jerusalem artichokes (see this link for an idea with them

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fvoices.yahoo.com%2Fperennial-food-garden-series-sunchokes-2838303.html%3Fimage%3D500831%26cat%3D32&h=JAQH-yYqLAQGvbC9YPHPyMFvw2aLHq2bMlGJrLyZ2TfJpCw

there are also some alder and white and red pine and canadian hemlock..but not really into a strong hedgerow.

south on the east property line I also have a hedge of amur maple, spirea, honeysuckle bush, autumn olive, aspen, white pine, red pine, hemlock, 7 sisters roses, daylillies, iris, and some other things mixed in..

hope you found these lists helpful (I'm sure I missed some things)

In our neck of the woods Native Hawthorne's are the only tree capable of becoming a good barrier that deer can't get through or won't eat their way through. The native saskatoons are too shade sensitive to produce much of a forage. Other tree's are just too tall for a living fence that won't become a shade problem later. I have mixed in black locust and siberian pea shrubs (bee's LOVE both of those) with good success for deer survival.

Note the Hawthorne's we have are extremely thorny. I mean serious hurt your self thorny. Deer love to eat the new growth so they have a poodle look to them trimmed up to about 4'. But deer won't go through them at all.