Europeans have always been crazy about hedges. In England they are practically a religion. We Americans, with our love of wide open spaces and vast suburban lawns, have generally been less hedge-crazy. It isn’t that we don’t like shrubs. In the twentieth century we have used everything from salix to sand cherry to conceal the hard-edged nakedness of our homes’ foundations. We plant lilacs in corners and have even taken to the idea of using flowering shrubs in mixed plantings with trees, perennials and annuals. Hedges, however, are still the underdogs in the home landscaping market.
Not long ago I saw a feature in the English Telegraph newspaper on edible hedging, a practice that combines hedging passion with the vogue for growing edibles in every possible way. Since we Yanks have jumped onto the home food production bandwagon once again, we might just cotton to the edible hedge idea. If we forget to eat the fruits of our hedges, the local wildlife will certainly oblige, making edible hedging an ecological win-win.
Of course, you have to choose your edible hedge plants carefully. Lovers of closely clipped shrubs will have to get used to the idea that you can’t clip an edible hedge until after it has produced fruit. And if you want to harvest that fruit, be prepared to use netting for a week or two to defend the ripening berries against birds.
If you have the space and the inclination, the following make excellent deciduous hedges that will provide flowers, fruit and even, in some cases, colorful autumn leaves. Growing an edible hedge is a particularly tasty way to multi-task in the garden.
Blueberries: Highbush blueberries or Vaccinium corymbosum make excellent medium to tall hedges, growing six to twelve feet high, with a nearly equal spread. They can be clipped to a specific size as long as you prune in late summer, after the berry season ends. The flowers, which are pinkish-white and bell-shaped, adorn the plants in spring. These are followed by the berries, which are extremely fashionable right now because they are full of desirable nutrients. They are also easy to harvest, unlike raspberries, which often grow on gangly, thorny shrubs. Blueberry leaves are small, ovoid and dark green in summer. When fall rolls around, they turn bright red. The bushes thrive where the soil is slightly acidic–the same pH that supports rhododendrons and azaleas—and receives regular moisture in the form of either rainfall or supplemental irrigation.
American Cranberrybush: The cranberries that recently adorned Thanksgiving plates are produced by low-growing, vine-like plants that thrive in soggy locales. Highbush or American cranberrybush—Viburnum opulus var.americanum—is about the size of a highbush blueberry and bears attractive, edible red fruit that can be used in jams and jellies. The leaves look very much like maple foliage and the spring flower clusters will remind you a bit of lacecap hydrangeas. Highbush cranberry leaves, like those of blueberries, turn red in the fall, but the larger leaves provide a more dramatic effect. The big leaves also make for attractive fullness when the plants are used for hedging.
Rosa Rugosa: Gardeners who live near the seashore will recognize Rosa rugosa as the familiar “beach roses” that grow on dunes near the shore. The giant fruits or hips look almost like cherry tomatoes and contain a hefty amount of Vitamin C. With minimal processing, you can turn them into a syrup that tastes good mixed with lemonade, tea or even plain seltzer. Some people also make rose hip jam. The hips are preceded by single or semi-double roses that are either white or shades of pink, with a spicy, clove-like fragrance. Rugosa hedges are perfect for privacy or security, as the canes bristle with prickles. The wise gardener wears sturdy gloves while handling them. Perhaps the best thing about the rugosa rose is that it is very tough and easy to care for. Unlike some of its more refined rose cousins, the rugosa generally does not need spraying or fussing.
Clove Currant: Native clove currant, or Ribes odoratum, is worth growing just for the yellow spring flowers, which are intensely fragrant. The ‘Crandall’ variety bears delicious, large black currants and grows three to seven feet tall and three to five feet wide. It is a perfect informal hedging plant, with blue-green, lobed foliage that turns red in the fall. Make sure to purchase both male and female plants for fruit production. This should not be a problem for hedging situations where multiple plants are necessary. When in doubt about the sex of the plants you are purchasing, ask the retailer. Clove currants are generally trouble free, requiring only a sunny spot and rich, well-drained soil. Currants of all kinds are alternate hosts for the white pine blister rust, a disease that can decimate stands of white pine trees. However, ‘Crandall’ is supposed to be resistant to this scourge. If white pines grow in profusion where you are, contact the local county extension agent to ask about the desirability of planting clove currant.
Hedges can do many things, including bordering a front or rear yard, or delineating specific garden areas. If you haven’t thought about a fruiting hedge, maybe it’s time to consider it. It might just be the next big horticultural idea.