We have all heard about hedges and seen them everywhere, or so we think! If you were to ask someone what a hedge actually is, most likely that the answer will reside somewhere around: “A bush”. But, this is not true.
The actual definition of a hedge, also known as a hedgerow, is a fence like formation created out of closely planted shrubs and different types of trees.
In fact, the word hedge appears to come from the old English language and it also appears in the German language (Hecke) and the Dutch language (haag) which can be freely translated as enclosed.
A Short History
You would think that hedges are mostly modern things that are used purely for decoration. But this is not actually so! In fact, the first hedges date back to the Neolithic Age, about 4000 to 6000 years ago and were used to delimit farms. Also, the fact that hedges have been used through history by humanity for different purposes can be seen in different historical records. Their use has gradually grown, especially in the 18th and 19th century to enclose the uplands.
What Actually Is A Hedge
A hedge is a combination of different types of species of plants which are mixed without a certain rule to create a fence like structure.
Despite being created by the use of different species, different nations prefer different plants in creating these live structures. The British prefer to use mainly blackthorn, hawthorn and hazel, species which are present in more than 60% of the country’s hedges. Besides these, commonly found are: beech, ash, holly, willow and oak.
In case of hedgerow trees, these are in fact species that are allowed to achieve their full height and width as they are not restrained by being cut. The most common trees are elm, but because of the 1960s Dutch elm disease the number has decreased significantly. Other trees that are frequently used are fruit trees and different types of nut trees.
Privet Hedge 