Pleached evergreen trees: an overview of the most beautiful ornamental plants

Pleached evergreen trees are a decorative addition with many useful functions. Among the multitude of species suitable for espalier, there are also some evergreen specimens.

Pleached evergreen trees can add an artistic touch to the garden with repetitive patterns. In addition to the traditional espalier fruit, there are also some evergreen species that provide variety in winter without making your garden look bare. We present the most important evergreen espalier trees here.

European yew

The European yew (Taxus baccata) is a native tree and, like most conifers, retains its green needles in winter. The upright, bushy and densely branched growth makes the yew suitable both as a hedge and as an espalier tree. The robust and very low-maintenance tree can grow up to 10 m tall and grows 20 to 30 cm a year. The dark green needles make an interesting contrast in combination with the bright red berries. As far as soil and location are concerned, the yew is undemanding: it grows in almost all soils and copes well with both sunny and shady spots. This slow but dense growing espalier tree tolerates pruning very well, but is expensive to buy and poisonous.

Photinia

Glossy photinia (Photinia fraseri) is not only suitable as an espalier tree, it is also an attractive eye-catcher with its splendidly glossy, multi-coloured leaves. It grows upright, wide and bushy, and reaches 4 m in height. In May it bears white flowers and later small, apple-shaped fruits. It therefore provides a valuable source of food for birds and bees. It needs a sunny to semi-shady location and slightly acidic soil. In winter you should protect your photinia from frost, as it is only winter-hardy to a limited extent. Varieties with variegated leaves are particularly interesting, such as ‘Pink Marble’ with its pink-white-green foliage, ‘Pink Crispy’ with white-green leaves or the variety ‘Red Robin’ with red leaves.

Hornbeam

The robust and undemanding hornbeam (Carpinus betulus) is well suited as a wintergreen espalier tree because it grows upright and dense and is well tolerant of pruning. It is also very vigorous and grows 30 to 35 cm per year. Small, yellow flowers appear at flowering time in April and May. The foliage dries out but remains on the branches over the winter and is only shed with the new shoots in spring. The hornbeam prefers a nutrient-rich soil and is quite undemanding when it comes to location. It even tolerates shade very well.

Tip: What’s the difference between deciduous, evergreen and wintergreen?
The three terms indicate the rhythm in which a plant forms new foliage and sheds old foliage. Deciduous plants produce new foliage in a single burst in spring and early summer and shed it all again in autumn. Wintergreen plants retain their foliage or needle coat over the winter – it hangs firmly, though usually dry and yellowish, on the branch. When the fresh leaves sprout in the new year, the old ones are shed. Evergreens, on the other hand, sprout and lose needles or foliage continuously throughout the year – some leaves are therefore several years old before they are shed. Only evergreen plants are vibrantly green in winter.

Evergreen magnolia

The evergreen magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) originates from North America and is somewhat rare here. Its large, fragrant, tulip-like flowers are a real eye-catcher. Unpruned, it reaches a maximum height of 15 m and grows 10 to 25 cm per year. As an espalier tree it is kept smaller. This magnolia requires a sheltered, sunny and warm location, as it is only winter-hardy to a limited extent. It thrives particularly well in fresh, humus-rich and slightly acidic soil. This pruning-tolerant, upright-growing tree features particularly impressive and imposing flowers. A common and popular variety of evergreen magnolia is, for example, the variety ‘Gallisoniensis’.

Tip: To see the beautiful flowers of the evergreen magnolia, it should only be pruned after it has flowered. Pruning in spring would remove the flower buds and the flowers would not bloom.

Oleaster

The oleaster variant known as Ebbinge’s silverberry (Elaeagnus ebbingei) is an upright-growing, large shrub that grows wider and wider over time. This undemanding plant is therefore well suited for hedging or as an espalier. Ebbinge’s silverberry grows up to 3 m high and 10 to 25 cm per year. Between October and November it bears small, white, fragrant flowers. It prefers a semi-shady location and humus-rich, or even sandy or loamy soil. On lighter soils, Ebbinge’s silverberry is generally hardier. It is hardy in sheltered locations. A variety that is particularly beautiful to look at is the variegated oleaster (Elaeagnus pungens ‘Maculata’): It bears patterned, yellow-green leaves and is somewhat more sensitive than the green-leaved Ebbinge’s silverberry. It should be planted in a sunny and sheltered spot with acidic soil.

Portuguese laurel

The Portuguese laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is also known as the cherry laurel. The large shrub grows upright and well branched, it is very robust and easy to care for. This makes it particularly interesting as a trellis or hedge planting. It reaches a height of up to 4 m and grows 10 to 30 cm a year. In June, the Portuguese laurel bears white grape flowers and glossy, dark green foliage. This pruning-tolerant plant grows well in normal garden soil in a sunny to semi-shady position. A popular variety is ‘Angustifolia’, for example.

Tip: The related cherry laurel varieties Prunus laurocerasus ‘Caucasica’ and ‘Novita’ are also widely used as espalier trees.

Holly

This medium-sized shrub grows in a pyramid shape and is broad and well branched. It grows up to 5 m tall and is well suited to shady and dry locations. The very frost-hardy holly (Ilex aquifolium) flowers between May and June, bearing red, round, inedible berries as fruit. It prefers humus and fresh, but well-drained soil and a sunny to semi-shady location. A popular variety of holly for espalier trees is, for example, ‘Nellie Stevens’, which is a hybrid of our native holly and the Chinese holly (Ilex cornuta).

Holm oak

The holm oak (Quercus ilex) originates from the Mediterranean region and grows up to 7 m high, growing 10 to 15 cm per year. After an inconspicuous blossom, it bears acorns, and the thick, leathery, glossy leaves bathe the tree crown in a deep dark green. The holm oak needs a sunny and sheltered site with dry soil. It is only winter-hardy to a limited extent and should therefore be cultivated in a container that can be overwintered frost-free. It tolerates short frosts of up to -15 °C outdoors, but should not be exposed to such low temperatures in containers. Holm oaks make interesting espalier trees with their dense and broad crowns. They are a magnificent, natural privacy screen for your garden.