All About Pleached Trees

Pleached trees have a unique style that adds both elegance and character a garden space. Not only do they look stylish, but they also act as a privacy screen and create garden shade.

Pleached is the name given to trees that have a very straight clear stem and a narrow framework of stunning branches trained onto canes. The technique has been around for centuries and was traditionally a feature in more formal gardens; however, they’re still equally as popular today for a variety of garden types and styles.

This formal method of training produces beautiful trees that are favoured by top garden designers for adding architectural interest and height to a garden. They divide land into garden rooms and create privacy screening. There is also the added benefit of providing shade.

We have a variety of pleached trees available, including traditional deciduous, pleached espalier, fresh and mature pleached. Pleached Espalier is often seen with fruiting varieties. One of the many great benefits of pleached trees is that they’re available all year round…

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1. Fresh Pleached

Fresh pleached trees are just one type of pleached tree. This form of tree is younger with less growth development on the cane head structure compared to mature pleached trees. One of the advantages of planting a fresh pleached tree is that they are more cost-effective and will still grow into stunning mature specimens with full, thick screens.

Pot Grown Fresh Pleached

Our range of potted fresh pleached trees is a super option for fresh pleached. Not only do we have an extensive selection of species, but being potted pleached means that unlike rootballed pleached trees which can only be lifted in the colder months and planted when dormant, potted pleached are available all year round. This is because the root system is contained within the pot and so moving and planting does not affect the roots which remain intact throughout.

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2. Mature Pleached

Whereas fresh pleached trees are younger and have less growth development, mature pleached trees are more established with full growth development on the cane head structure. Mature pleached trees are carefully nurtured and trained over a more extended period. One of the key advantages of planting mature pleached trees is you get to experience their stunning appearance immediately. Due to their dense screens, this species provides shade and privacy to your garden when in full leaf. So, if you prefer your pleached trees that have an instantaneous effect on your garden, then mature pleached trees might be perfect for you.

3. Espalier

Unlike traditional pleached trees, espalier trees branches are trained in lines along the cane structure to allow for the growth of flowers and fruiting varieties. This specific method of training provides a flat structure, preserving space while allowing sunlight to reach the fruit on the trees, providing active growth. So, it’s important to ensure when planting espalier trees that there is an adequate amount of space between each tree, to support and encourage the development of flowers and fruit.

What are the best trees to plant?

The Committee on Climate Change has stated that the UK needs 1.5 million hectares of additional woodland to hit net zero carbon emissions by 2050. This is a huge opportunity to create a better UK for people and wildlife. Taken from woodlandtrust.org.uk

With this ultimate goal in mind, an important question to ask is ‘what are the best trees to plant?’.

Mass tree planting needs plenty of competent people to look after it. It is no use planting trees as if they are tent pegs and feeling good about having done so.

Robin Lane Fox, Financial Times

Read more about the best trees to plant now in the Financial Times article.