Alder Buckthorn Hedge Plants

Frangula alnus (formerly Rhamnus frangula): Bareroot Alder Buckthorn Hedging Plants

Alder Buckthorn is a large native shrub or small tree that is ideal for country hedging. It produces red berries in the spring that mature and darken to almost black in autumn, which contrast well with its lovely yellow autumn foliage.

Good for hedges up to about 5 metres high. Browse all of our other varieties of Buckthorn hedge plants, our selection of native hedging, or our full range of hedging plants.

Delivery season: Alder Buckthorn hedge plants are only delivered bareroot, during late autumn and winter, approximately November-March inclusive.

Features:

• Native deciduous shrub/tree.
• Very hardy.
• Moist, acidic soils.
• Good for wildlife hedging.
• Max. Height: 5m.

Growing Alder Buckthorn

It is extremely hardy and will grow on wet, boggy sites. It will grow well in any fertile, acidic soil conditions. It tolerates partial shade or dappled shade underneath large trees. In the wild, it grows in open woods, scrubland, hedgerows and wet areas like bogs and riverbanks. Avoid growing on chalk or in very shady sites.

When grown as a specimen tree, alder buckthorn needs no routine pruning, although it will tolerate hard pruning if necessary to maintain its shape. Prune in late winter or early spring, outside the nesting season for birds.

Spacing an Alder Buckthorn hedge:

Plant at 3 plants per metre, 33 apart. You can also plant at 5 plants per metre in a staggered double row, with 33 between each plant along the row and 40 between the rows.

Good in Your Garden

Alder buckthorn is great as a small specimen tree in a wildlife border. The berries are loved by birds, especially thrushes and the flowers are excellent for bees. It can be combined with other berried shrubs like hawthorn, and underplanted with small herbaceous perennials such as cyclamen, and sweet violet.

As part of a native hedge, it can be planted alongside other native trees, shrubs and rambling plants such as blackthorn, field maple, holly, dog-rose, wayfaring tree and ivy. Using a wide variety of species creates varied habitat for wildlife and a long flowering season with pollen and nectar produced for many months of the year.