A tree or hedge whip is the same thing: a young, usually unbranched tree under 1 metre tall, delivered bareroot in between November and March.

Whether it becomes a tree or a hedge depends on what you do after planting.

• If you don't prune it, it will grow into a tree
• If you do prune it, it will grow into a hedge

Nurseries like us grow fields full of whips from seed, and deliver them to everyone from foresters to farmers to your mate Dave down the road.

• Foresters and farmers working on large projects will buy the smallest whips, under 60cm tall. They cheaper, of course, and if you have to carry bundles of them up a muddy hill then it makes life so much easier.
• Gardeners are more likely to use large whips, and often young trees / large hedge plants over 1 metre tall that are too big to call a whip. When you are looking at these plants every day in your home, it makes sense to start with bigger ones.

When buying a fruit tree, the term Maiden is about the same as whip: it's young and unbranched.