Ulmus Glabra Hedging

Wych Elm, Ulmus glabra, is a hardy native Elm that can be used as a hedge plant on fertile, damp soils, although it isn't suitable for waterlogged sites. When it is clipped as a hedge, it will not attract Elm Bark Beetles.
Wych Elm will reach 30 metres if it grows freely as a tree.
Browse all of our other varieties of Elm trees for sale. Alternatively, see our selection of native hedging plants or view our full range of hedging.

Barerootplants are only delivered during winter (Nov-March).
All our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Spacing a Wych Elm hedge:
Plant at 3 plants per metre, 33cms apart.

A very hardy, large native tree. Grown as a tree, it tends to have a short trunk that breaks up into large branches a couple of metres above the ground. These will be fairly upright with spreading side branches, so mature trees are often as wide as they are tall. Wych Elm can also be clipped as a hedge, which looks great in summer with its lush, big serrated leaves.

Did You Know?

Ulmus glabra is native from Scotland to Russia and is found in the Alps, especially around Switzerland. The Gaelic name for it Leam and the Romans called Loch Lomond "Leamanonius Lacus", which means Lake of the Elms. The timber is so resistant to rotting that water pipes were once made from it. The leaves are good fodder for animals.

Growing Wych Elm plants:
This tough tree is really useful for dry soil, be it sandy or rocky, and it will be happy in the coldest frost pocket. It is suitable for coastal and exposed areas and it will do pretty well on chalk. It is fairly shade tolerant, but we recommend it for sunny spots - hornbeam makes a similar hedge if your site is very shady.

Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you plant a hedge several months in advance, especially if the soil is poor. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and a glyphosate based weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades. If your soil is rich, you don't have to dig it over, but killing all the weeds is still necessary.

Watch our video on how to plant a country hedge for full details. The instruction to cut the plants in half after planting only applies to thorny native hedging and plants in the conservation hedge mix: this isn't necessary for Wych Elm.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Hedge Planting Accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Roundup weed killer.
You can buy a hedge planting pack with sheets of mulch fabric and pegs to hold it down.
If you are planting in an area with rabbit and/or deer, you will need to use a plastic spiral guard for each plant, supported by a bamboo cane.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

Delivery: Our standard delivery charges are:

Small box (Orders containing only seedlings or rooted cuttings) £7.20 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Standard box (Bareroots up to 1.2m) £11.40 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £60 inc VAT)
Large box (Pots up to and incl. 7.5L) £15.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £100 inc VAT)
Trees & Hedging (Bareroots & trees 1.2m+) £18.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £120 inc VAT)
Pallets (Root balls, large pots, trees etc) £60.00 including VAT per order (FREE For ORDERS Over £240 inc VAT)

*Surcharges to the Highlands and Islands still apply.

Because couriers sometimes experience delays, we schedule delivery by week, not by day. Therefore, please plan your planting day for the weekend at the end of the delivery week or for the week following delivery, at the earliest.
We will email you the day before your plants are due to arrive.

Payment: We do not charge your card until we begin to prepare your order for packing.

Guarantee: If any plants die within a year, we will replace them. We only ask that you follow our planting & growing instructions and sent us clear photographs of the dead plants in situ, so we can help to make sure that the replacement plants succeed. You only pay for the delivery of the replacements.

Please note that our guarantee is void if there is a hosepipe ban in your area: your newly planted hedging must be watered in dry weather while it is establishing. The best way to water is very thoroughly every few days: at least once a week in summer if there is no heavy rain.

Our nursery has been supplying container grown and bareroot hedging plants to gardeners, farmers and town planners since 1949. Our website started in 2003, so we do understand the concerns that you may have about buying hedging plants online. If any of your plants are damaged when they arrive or if you are otherwise not satisfied with your order after you inspect it, please repackage it and contact us. We will give you a refund or send replacements and send a courier to come and collect the unwanted plants.

Misc	Wildlife Value
Shade	Partial Shade
Area	Coastal Areas, Exposed Windy Areas, Frost Pockets, Scotland & The North
Soil	Acidic, Alkaline/Chalky, Poor/Dry
Type	Hedging, Native

	Buy 11 or more bareroot plants and save

SIZES	1-10	11-50	51-250	251-1000	1001+
60/80 cm Bareroot	Out of Stock £3.60	Out of Stock£3.00	Out of Stock£2.58	Out of Stock£2.34	Out of Stock£2.21
	Prices include VAT

Wych Elm Sapling Trees

Ulmus glabra

Tree Guard, Heavy Duty

From £4.02

Stakes, Tree Planting

From £5.76

Rootgrow

From £6.00

Tree Planting Pack

From £10.19

Ulmus Glabra Hedging

Did You Know?

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Weekend Wordsearch - Tomatoes & Strawberries

LATEST VIDEO

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Wych Elm Sapling Trees

Ulmus glabra

Tree Guard, Heavy Duty

From £4.02

Stakes, Tree Planting

From £5.76

Rootgrow

From £6.00

Tree Planting Pack

From £10.19

Ulmus Glabra Hedging

Did You Know?

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?

Weekend Wordsearch - Tomatoes & Strawberries

LATEST VIDEO

Sign up!

Bareroot planting is best done between October and April
Bareroot and potted - what's the difference?