Pleached trees: types, planting & caring for your own
Pleached trees are becoming increasingly fashionable. And unsurprisingly so, because even in limited spaces, they can be used in a variety of ways, including as privacy screens, to divide spaces or even just to add an artistic touch to your garden.
Pleached trees, also known as plashed trees, classically function as privacy screens and space dividers. They’re also a good way of adding artistic and architectural features to your garden, terrace or balcony. What’s more, they don’t need much space. Read on to find out everything you need to know about pleached trees.
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What are pleached trees?
Pleached trees are so popular at the moment that it is hard to imagine a professionally curated garden without them. But what are pleached trees exactly? A pleached tree is a normal tree that has had its crown of branches trained horizontally on one plane on a supporting frame like a trellis. As such, the shape of the tree crown is determined by the supporting frame used. A row of pleached trees is a bit like a hedge on stilts, the trunks being the stilts and the branches intertwining to create a natural privacy screen.
Pleached trees are a great way to bring shade and trees in smaller gardens without taking up too much space. Pleaching and espaliering trees are two different techniques. While both train trees, the aim is quite different. The aim of pleached trees is to intertwine the branches to generally grow on one plane and create a dense screen, whereas espalier trees are trained with space between each level of branches to allow for sunlight to reach the fruit, and the branches are never intertwined. Pleached trees are dense while espalier trees are sparse.
Common ways of using pleached trees:
- Natural privacy screens
- Divide spaces or create ‘rooms’
- Green walls to create a boundary between properties
- Arbours
- To create decorative elements and structural charm through recurring patterns
- To hide unsightly elements
- To provide shade as ‘parasol trees’ to create a green roofed area
Tip: using pleached trees for screening is a very popular way to provide privacy in the garden. Find out how to do this and which trees are suitable for pleaching in our expert article.
What shapes can pleached trees be?
There are various shapes that pleached trees can be trained to make. Here are the most common:
- Dome shape: this shape is a type of topiary. A framework forms the basis, and you only have to make sure that the branches stay within the shape. The dome shape is reminiscent of an open umbrella and is very suitable as a screen from above and from the side.
- Boxhead shape: pleached trees can be trained into cubes and rows of cubes like a hedge to offer even greater privacy than the dome shape. It is also a decorative addition to your garden.
- Roof shape: has a more natural effect and is suitable for integrating natural arch shapes like arbours and walkways into your garden. They can also be trained into a flat roof called a ‘parasol tree’ to create a shady roof.
- Palmette Verrier: is a traditional espalier tree shape that is visually stunning. Here, the branches to the left and right of the trunk form straight lines in several tiers.
What are the best trees for pleaching?
When deciding what tree to use as a pleached tree, your personal preferences naturally play a major role. Trees that are to be used as topiary trees or pleached trees must grow quickly and have a dense crown. They must also tolerate pruning very well. So, when planting your pleached trees, make sure that they have these characteristics. Here are some popular trees for pleaching:
- Beech (Fagus spec.)
- Hornbeam (Carpinus betulus)
- Lime or linden (Tilia spec.)
- Plane (Platanus spec.)
- Maple (Acer spec.)
- Horse chestnut (Aesculus spec.)
- Yew (Taxus baccata)
- Cypress (Cupressus spec.)
- Cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)
- Sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
- Persian ironwood (Parrotia persica)
Tip: fruit trees can also be trained; this is referred to as espalier fruit trees. When growing espalier fruit trees, the aim is to make the most of a warm, sheltered site through a flat shape, rather than providing privacy or shade. This makes it possible to grow heat-loving fruit tree varieties in less than ideal locations. And the neatly trained espalier fruit trees look beautiful. Find out everything about training espalier fruit trees and get tips on shapes and pruning in our dedicated article.
Planting pleached trees in the garden
If you want to plant pleached trees in your garden, choose a tree that is suitable for the intended location so that the site conditions and the demands of the tree match. Decide how you want to use the pleached tree and whether it will be free-standing or planted against a wall. Also consider the depth of the soil — is there enough space for the roots of the desired tree? It may be necessary to improve the planting site’s subsoil to meet the requirements of the pleached tree. This will make it easier for it to grow into the desired shape.
Another factor to consider is the height of the pleached trees. Here there are various possibilities with different functions:
- Short trunk pleached trees: tree crown begins from 50cm height; suitable to replace or enhance a fence or wall.
- Half standard pleached trees: tree crown begins from a height of 100 to 150cm; use as a supplement for a privacy screen that is too short, for example a low fence or a small hedge.
- Standard pleached trees: tree crown begins at a height of more than 150cm; use as a privacy screen for the balcony or windows on the upper storey; provide shade.
Pleached trees are available in pre-grown and newly shaped forms. Pre-grown or mature pleached trees are already trained in their final shape — you only need to plant and prune them to keep them in shape. Newly shaped pleached trees are already prepared for their final shape as young plants. However, they still need time in the garden to grow into their final shape. They still need a trellis, as the shape still needs to be trained further. Once the desired final size has been reached, the bamboo trellis is removed, and the shape is kept by pruning.
Planting pleached trees instructions:
Important: pleached trees come in different sizes and root ball weights depending on their age, size and quality. If you purchase a large tree with a heavy root ball, you will need at least a sack truck to transport it to its future home in the garden, possibly even professional assistance with machinery.
- Optimum time for planting: in spring, plant pleached hornbeam, yew, plane, horse chestnut and cypress; in autumn, beech, linden, maple and willow.
- Dig a planting hole: dig a sufficiently large planting hole that is at least twice the size of the root ball. Plant the tree deep enough so that the root ball is level with the ground.
- Stake the pleached tree: pleached trees need to be tied to sturdy stakes for several years so that the trunk does not start to sway when the wind gets caught in the crown. Tie the tree to 2 stable wooden posts; for large pleached trees, tie the tree to 3 posts or use a subsurface anchor system — this way the fine roots are protected, and the tree grows much better.
- Backfill the soil, packing it in firmly. Water the newly planted pleached tree well. To make watering easier, create a soil ring around the base of the tree.
Tip: the hessian sacks and wire baskets around the root balls must be opened before planting but not removed.
Pleached tree maintenance
A pleached tree is generally easy to care for. You will need to water it regularly for the first few years until it is well established in its new location, because the small root ball has to feed the entire large tree.
The most important part of pleached tree maintenance is pruning, as this keeps the tree in its desired shape and promotes bushy and dense growth. Pleached tree pruning is best done twice a year: once in spring before the first shoots and once again in summer before the second shoots. In principle, pleached tree pruning works like pruning a hedge — except that you need a ladder or telescopic hedge shears.
Do you want to grow a pleached tree in your garden? Evergreen pleached trees also bear foliage in winter, providing a beautiful garden atmosphere in winter.
