Pleached Trees

Mature pleached trees have been trained on bamboo frames for several years (typically 2-5 years, sometimes much longer). The screening is established and dense, offering immediate privacy. Freshly pleached trees are made to order — they come on a clear stem but normally take 2-3 seasons to fill out their frames. Fresh pleaching allows you to specify exact frame sizes, stem heights and girths, offering great flexibility and the most economical approach for those with constrained budgets.

Espalier trees have branches trained into distinct, equally spaced horizontal tiers — typically 5 to 7 floors at 30-40cm intervals. This is done primarily for architectural effect and year-round interest, so the bare lateral branches and summer leaf habit can be appreciated. Pleached trees, by contrast, have branches trained to fill an entire flat plane, creating a dense screen. Popular espalier species include Tilia (Lime), Malus (Apple/Crab Apple), Pyrus (Pear), and Platanus (Plane).

The most popular deciduous species is Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus), due to its many outstanding qualities. Common Beech (Fagus sylvatica) is also excellent, as is Lime (Tilia cordata ‘Rancho’) for year-round interest. For evergreen screening, Yew (Taxus baccata) is considered the most elegant option, while Portuguese Laurel and Photinia Red Robin are popular for faster-growing alternatives. We supply over 20 species as pleached trees — contact us to discuss which is best for your situation.

Yes. Unlike walls and fence panels that may need planning permission to extend beyond standard heights, there is currently no legislation governing the planting of trees. Mature pleached trees are often planted in front of existing walls and fences to create added privacy screening without needing to approach the relevant authorities. Planners often actively promote tree planting as an alternative, and in our experience, neighbours enjoy the addition too.

Pleached trees look their best planted on flat or gently sloping ground, with stems and frames lined up to create one continuous line. Planting holes should be at least double the width of the rootball. We recommend planting during winter months (November to March) for deciduous species. The rootball should be firmly compacted in the hole, and frames tied together to distribute wind energy. We have a comprehensive planting guide available, or you can take advantage of our professional planting service with a near-perfect success rate over 20 years.

Simply trim using shears or a hedge cutter once or twice a year, much like any hedge. Regular pruning encourages screens to fill out and create a tight, dense network of branches. Espalier trees are maintained by hand with secateurs, removing the previous season's growth to leave only main lateral branches. Avoid trimming during hot, dry periods unless the ground has adequate moisture. The bamboo frame can typically be removed after 2-3 years once the planting is well established.

The best time is during the winter months — November to March for deciduous trees. Advantages include: roots have time to develop before spring, soil consolidates faster due to higher moisture, less stress on trees as they carry no foliage, and minimal watering is needed. Evergreen species are best planted September to October or March to April. We strongly advise against summer planting — unexpected temperature spikes can cause significant stress and failure.

Popular clear stem heights include 120cm, 150cm, 160cm, 180cm, 200cm and 210cm — determined by the average height of walls and fences. Trees with stems outside these sizes are available, from low screens starting at 30cm to tall screens at 230cm or more. Frame widths typically range from 120cm (young trees) to 220cm (mature specimens). With freshly pleached trees, exact specifications can be made to order.

In most cases, no. If planted correctly with the rootball firmly compacted and frames tied together, stakes and anchors are unnecessary. In over 20 years of planting, we have never needed to use stakes on pleached trees and have never had to return to straighten or replace one. The secret is correct planting technique combined with tying frames together to distribute wind energy. Very exposed, windy sites may be the exception.

A freshly pleached tree can be created relatively quickly, but takes 2-3 seasons to develop dense screening. A mature pleached tree is typically trained for 3-5 years. Some exceptional specimens have been trained for 10-12 years or more. After one season of training, a tree will have a relatively full screen but little density. After five seasons, the screen will be dense and measure roughly 30-40cm in depth.