Guernsey Wildlife-friendly hedging & borders v0.86

Transcription

1 Guernsey Wildlife-friendly hedging & borders v0.86 CONTENTS Hedging of one species Mixed wildlife-friendly hedging Boundary shrubberies and wild-looking country hedging Windbreaks and shelterbelts Livestock-proof hedging Images and descriptions KEY NOTES The KEY is at the end. Many of these hedging types are untested in Guernsey, though tested elsewhere in Britain. The advice of a professional is advised. The best wildlife-friendly plants are always native; the more, native the better. This is a fundamental of ecology. All the species in this guide are better for wildlife than very non-native plants such as Griselinia and Japanese Privet. To avoid wasting ink on printing images only print the pages you need.

2 Native status Conservation grade Evergreen Native status Conservation grade Evergreen Hedging of one species (many of these can have other plants mixed with them, such as Rose. See Mixed Wildlife-friendly hedging, below) Darker green is more wildlife value Common Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna Blackthorn Prunus spinosa Burnet Rose Rosa spinosissima Wild Privet Ligustrum vulgare Hazel Corylus avellana Common Gorse Ulex europaeus Alder Alnus glutinosa Yew (also Irish Yew) Taxus baccata Holly Ilex aquifolium Sweet-briar Rosa rubiginosa Field Rose Rosa arvensis Most soils., i Common Spindle Euonymus europaeus X.. Not wet soils., i Site Beech Fagus sylvatica X.. ** Only a low hedge of m. For most well-drained soils., i Hornbeam Carpinus betulus X.. ** - Most well-drained soils, preferring Field Maple ** neutral or base., i Acer campestre X.. - Moist but not wet soils. Prefers base. Alder Buckthorn Dislikes maritime exposure. X.. Frangula alnus..x Dry to moist soils. Requires light. i Guelder Rose ** Viburnum opulus X....X Moist to very wet soils. Exposure Midland Hawthorn XB tolerant. Shade intolerant. Crataegus laevigata..x yes All moist soils. Shade tolerant., D Wayfaring tree (mostly) Viburnum lantana XB..X? yes Moist soils. Shade tolerant. Common Buckthorn Overplanted, invasive., D, i Rhamnus cathartica XB X..? Most well-drained soils, preferring Box neutral or base., i Buxus sempervirens XB yes X..? Most well-drained soils, preferring Norway Spruce neutral or base. i Pice abies XCD yes Site Most well-drained soils, preferring neutral or base. i Very shade tolerant. Not compacted soil. Very shade tolerant. Tolerates compacted soil. Prefers base. Prefers shelter. Prefers ph >6. Not dry or wet soil. i (mostly) Moist or wet soil, espcially acidic. i Moist or damp, neutral or base soil. Full sun or light shade. i Most soils., i Moist well-drained soils. Prefers base, tolerates acid soil. I Most soils. i, D All moist soils. Shade tolerant., i Deep, moist soils. Does not like salt wind. ** Beech & Hornbeam hedging though not evergreen have a tendency to retain their leaves throughout Winter in sheltered places. Wild Privet only sheds its leaves briefly. Gorse's spines give it the appearance of being evergreen. Conservation Grade - i.e. suitable for borders with fields, green lanes, and semi-wild areas. Common Gorse might be introduced. Western Gorse might be Guernsey's true native Gorse. However Common Gorse is larger and better for hedging.

3 Wildlife-friendly mixed hedging Several different plants can be mixed to create a rural-style hedge suitable for home or possibly amenity use (only suitable for wild areas if the mix is all native). Shrub mixes are sometimes sold for exactly this purpose (Conservation hedge packs). * = Guernsey native (i.e. give preference) An example of such a pack is 50% Hawthorn* i, and the rest made up of 5 other species from the following list: Blackthorn* i, Crab Apple (Malus sylvestris )(*?) i, Dog-rose* i, Common Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea ) i, Field Maple i, Guelder Rose (Viburnum opulus) i, Hazel (Corylus avellana) *, Spindle (Euonymus europaeus ) i, Sweet-briar (Rosa rubiginosa ) i, Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana ) i. As well as these Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) i, Bramble* and Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)* i, Alder (Alnus glutinosa) *, Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) i, Wild Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) * i, and Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) D i can be added. All the Roses (all i) can be included, especially Dog Rose (Rosa canina) *. Notes The best hedges are broad at the base and tall. Natural hedging does entail more work to keep healthy and tidy, and there is an increased chance of infection with pests and diseases, such as Honey Fungus. But that is the nature of plants that live closely with the local ecosystem. Boundary shrubberies and wild-looking country hedging Any of the shrubs in the hedges and windbreak sections can form a rough border shrubbery. Some additional ideas.. Bramble (Rubus spp.) * i can form a more extreme border which deters intruders and is also very good for wildlife. It needs light. Dog Rose (Rosa canina) * i is good on its own as a low rough border hedge to 1.5m, or mixed in with and scrambling over other shrubs. Elder (Sambucus nigra) * i makes a rough boundary shrubbery. Can be pruned to keep more hedge-like. It tolerates wet or dry soils, and some shade. It usually reaches about 6m. Grey Willow (Salix cinerea) * D, Eared Willow (Salix aurita) * D and Goat Willow (Salix caprea) * D can form a wild-looking border 'hedge'. All are excellent for wildlife. Grey Willow especially for moist or wet places, Eared Willow for moist/ normal soils, Goat Willow copes well with drier soil but is intolerant of shade and very wet soil. Goat Willow to 14m, Grey Willow to 7m, Eared Willow to 3m. Goat and Eared Willow died out in Guernsey after For sunny spots with less competition Gorse (Ulex europaeus) (*?) i and Western Gorse (U. galii) * i go well with Broom (Cytisus scoparius) i, Bell Heather (Erica cinerea) * i and Common Heather (Calluna vulgaris)* i. All are good for wildlife. Other shrubs, such as Hawthorn, go well with Gorse as long as the Gorse is not too shaded. Western Gorse is the more native and endangered. Sea Buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) D makes a very maritime-tolerant windbreak. Passable for Guernsey wildlife. Male's pollen is quite allergenic. Shrubby Cinquefoil i (Potentilla fruticosa subsp. fruticosa). About 1m high. For a shrubbery (not for wild areas or field borders). It is a European native, rare native of NE England & parts of Ireland. Numerous cultivars are often mixed with non-native subspecies (also called Shrubby Cinquefoil) such as Potentilla fruticosa subsp. floribunda from, e.g. China, N. America that will be worse for native wildlife. Best to get one with yellow flowers and normal, green leaves. 'Janet', 'Hazel', 'Teesdale Silver' and 'Teesmaid' in particular might be British.

4 Windbreaks and shelterbelts Windbreaks are hedges or groups of shrubs. Shelterbelts are larger scale, composed of large bushes and full-sized trees. Plants should have foliage thick enough to dissipate the wind, and must be wind-resistant and site tolerant. Note that even maritime-tolerant plants can fail in extreme exposure and that adequate soil is necessary. The following make good windbreaks and shelterbelts (athough any tree or shrub species will work and contribute to the effect).: Windbreaks * = Guernsey native (i.e. give preference), / = see maritime exposure tolerance in the Key All the hedges and shrubs in the Hedging section above, plus.. Grey Willow (Salix cinerea oleifolia) * D, Eared Willow (Salix aurita) * D, Possibly Gorse (Ulex europaeus & U. Galii) * i Elder (Sambucus nigra)* i, Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana) i, For maritime exposure the following are often especially recommended: Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna) * i, Sea-buckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides) D. Shelterbelts Alder (Alnus glutinosa) *, Goat Willow (Salix caprea )* D, Grey Willow (Salix cinerea oleifolia) * D, Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) *, Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur) *, Yew* (& Irish Yew) D, Sessile Oak (Quercus petraea) (*?), Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia) i, Small-leaved Lime (Tilia cordata) i, Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus ), Common Whitebeam (Sorbus aria) i, White Willow (Salix alba) D (Small-leaved Lime is sometimes noted as being an especially good tree for shelterbelts, though not native or maritime tolerant.) Livestock-proof hedging Advice is to use at least 70% Hawthorn i and/ or Blackthorn i. For smaller animals Gorse i is also a possibility. Beech and Hornbeam hedging is also stock-proof, though poorer for wildlife, and neither native nor traditional to Guernsey. Hawthorn and Blackthorn hedging can be supplemented with the more impenetrable Guernsey native plants such Dog Rose, etc. Also with tree saplings such as Alder and Field Maple (which cope with severe pruning), Crab Apple and others. Some thorn-bearing plants might very occasionally hurt livestock. Some horse owners claim that Blackthorn can hurt horses, although these are mostly horse & hound riders. Horses kept in with fields with Blackthorn are usually fine. Gorse is unpopular amongst some sheep farmers. Hawthorn seems to be well trusted. Newly-planted hedging will have to be protected from grazing animals. Note. No hedging can be livestock-proof 100% of the time (as is the case even with most man-made solutions).

5 Common Hawthorn Hedge 1 to 4m high or more. White flowers similar to Midland Hawthorn (see further below) but more copious. Images and descriptions Burnet Rose/ Scotch Rose A small Rose with small leaves and yellow-white flowers. A low hedge, 50 to 90cm. Wild Privet Ligustrum vulgare To 3.5m high author Michael Clarke Blackthorn Has hard, sharp, thorns. Hedge usually 1.5m high, but up to 4m. Hazel A rather informal country hedge, though can be clipped more than the image shows m Gorse Hedge to 90cm to 1.5m. Needs light. Robin Stott

6 Common Holly Only the females have berries. Hedge 1-4.5m. Common Alder Field Rose A rough hedge up to 3.5m high. A country hedge - not neatly trimmed. Typically 2m high. author Tony Atkin Yew Can be slow growing at first. From30cm high to quite large. Sweet-briar Rose A rough hedge, 1.5 to 2.4m. author Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz Common Spindle Euonymus europaeus Not to be confused with Japanese Spindle. usually 1.2-2m high. author H Zell

7 Hornbeam Very similar to Beech hedging, but Winter leaves more golden at first. Hedge 1m+. Guelder Rose (wild) Beech A formal looking hedge. Leaves go tan brown in the Winter and usually remain. Hedge 1m+. A rather loose informal hedge. Red berries. To 4m. author I. Sacek senior Alder Buckthorn Field Maple A fairly informal country hedge. Hedge m high. author David Perez Non-spiny. Leaves 3-7cm long. Small inconspicuous flowers. Hedge up to about 4 to 5m. Roger Darlington below: a Guelder Rose cultivar with double flowers a.k.a. Snowball bush.

8 Midland Hawthorn Larger than Common Hawthorn (top). As a hedge 1 to 4m or more. Wayfaring tree An informal country hedge. to 3m high. (also see below) Common Buckthorn to 4.5m high (also see below) Jim Klett author B59210 below: Wayfaring tree close-up below: Common Buckthorn close-up Midland Hawthorn cultivar 'Paul's Scarlet' - a cross between Midland and Common Hawthorn also suitable for hedging. author Jonathan Billinger author Ian Cunliffe

9 Box A very formal looking hedge. Clippable. From 30cm to 3.7m. Norway Spruce An alternative to Leyland cypress? Possibly can get large. Only passable value for wildlife. Eared Willow Can possibly form a clippable hedge. Up to 3m high. Goat Willow Salix caprea For a rough/ wild-looking boundary or border shrub. The male has catkins. Valuable for wildlife. Can grow 12+m high. Dog Rose Clambering over other shrubs, or a rough border on its own, but not a clipped hedge. To 1.5 or 2m. author Anneli Salo Grey willow Salix cinerea ssp olefolia is broadly similar but with rounder leaves. Normally less than 7m high author Kate Jewell

10 Broom (Cytisus scoparius) Goes well with Gorse and Heather in sunny places. To 3m. Sea Buckthorn A coastal windbreak or attractive shrub, to 4m. Of only passable value for Guernsey wildlife. Elder Makes a good wildlife friendly border shrubbery. <7m. author Robin Drayton Shrubby Cinquefoil author Javier Martin Some extra colour for gardens & amenities. Read notes under 'Boundary shrubberies..' To 1m high. Common Heather, Bell Heather Very wildlife friendly. Goes well with Gorse and Broom, or as a border. To about 80cm high. author John Haslam author Jerzy Opiola author Ivar Leidus Additional image usage rights were given by: Buckingham Nurseries & Garden Centre ( Roger Darlington (wildflowerfinder.org.uk) Barrys Garden centre Friends of Eloise Butler ( Gardeners Dream Ltd Primrose Ltd. British Hardwood Tree Nursery Ltd

11 KEY: Maritime exposure tolerance: here 'maritime exposure' refers to coastal, salt-laden, winds. Tolerances are only approximate. Plants marked (very good tolerance) are hardy to full western exposure (though grow better with shelter). Plants marked (good tolerance), in westerly-exposed coastal situations need a little shelter from the wind such as a single tree in front. On the east coast they will sometimes be fine very close to the sea. Plants marked (fair tolerance) are for a little further back from exposed coastal conditions, or need the shelter of other plants. Plants marked - (not tolerant) will generally only cope near the coast when well sheltered, e.g. in sheltered valleys amongst other trees. - Moderately or weakly indigenous XCD..X X.. X.. Certainly strongly indigenous to Guernsey Probably indigenous Possibly indigenous (perhaps a lost native species or introduced non-native) Probably non-indigenous, closest in Zone A XB XE c a Non-indigenous, closest in Zone B Non-indigenous, closest in Zone C or D Non-indigenous, closest in Zone E or beyond Indicates a cultivar or clone An archaeophyte (a non-native plant naturalised for >500 years) D - dioecious (separate male/ female sexes) i - (mostly) insect pollinated Plants not marked D are non-dioecious. Those not marked i are either wind-pollinated or are mixed wind-insect pollinated (occasionally unknown). / - maritime tolerance (see above) Special thanks for their advice goes to.. Ashbridge Nurseries Buckingham Nurseries DISCLAIMER The author accepts no liability for choices made on the basis of anything that appears in this guide or any information that it contains. The information in this guide is not necessarily complete, and is intended as impetus for further research by the user. It is not authoritative, nor can it possibly inform of all possible variables. Trees and shrubs are living entities and cannot always be predicted. PERMISSIONS No part of this document may be sold or shared for money or uploaded to the internet (except for sending to known named persons by ), or shared or displayed on websites without the permission of the author or custodian. The images in this pdf may not be copied or used.