What Are Pleached Trees?
Full Standard Trees that are frame trained as a flat rectangular shape are known as pleached trees. This is an extension of the age old art of espallier, literally taken to new heights. The tree is grown with a clear stem as a full standard, reaching circa 2 metres of trunk. Meanwhile the head of the tree has been expertly trained and pruned with the aid of a frame to create a flat rectangle. The training frames are constructed from bamboo and the tree’s branches are selected and teased along the frame, carefully held in place with wire supports. Any wayward shoots are trimmed away and the tree soon takes on a fabulous architectural shape, which only requires a shape-up trim a couple of times a year. Choose evergreen species trained in this way, to create an above fence or above wall privacy screen, providing valuable boundary screening throughout the year. Now with nationwide delivery, you can buy pleached trees online, including our mature specimens for delivery direct to your home.
A perfect line of Pleached Lime Trees at Batemans House in Sussex
Architectural Structure in the Garden
Pleached trees have historically been used to create structure and form in the garden, a means to train the eye or mark a boundary, this form of training trees is centuries old but reached its peak of fashionability in Europe during the 16th – 17th centuries. Adored by garden designers for their symmetry and lusciousness, pleached trees are enjoying a resurgence in popularity and Paramount Plants is one of the foremost UK suppliers of these mature tree specimens that will create instant impact.
Pleached Trees At Paramount Plants
Our original and ever popular pleached tree variety is the elegant and sophisticated Hornbeam – Carpinus Betulus. Although a deciduous tree, it will retain its foliage throughout the seasons, displaying a sculptural swathe of bronze leaves throughout all but the harshest of winters, the copper coloured foliage is displaced in Spring by the emergence of the new season’s vibrant growth.
Three seasons of Pleached Hornbeam Trees – you can buy pleached trees online with UK wide delivery
Espalliered Photinia Red Robin trees have a strong clear stem of around 2 metres high, topped by a frame of a metre square. Photinia Red Robin has highly decorative leaves that appear as bright orange new growth in early Spring, evolving to a deeper green as the leaves mature. Red Robin is extremely easy to grow and the small white flowers produced in summer attract pollinators, a beautiful evergreen tree providing interest and privacy at all seasons.
Photinia Red Robin Pleached Trees – bright red/orange foliage in Spring
Cherry Laurel Pleached Trees
Cherry Laurel or Prunus Laurocerasus is a fast growing tree with vivid green, glossy foliage that darkens as it matures, dense, prolific growth that provides the perfect privacy screen all year round.
Cherry Laurel – Prunus Laurocerasus Pleached Trees
Pleached Magnolia Grandiflora
Sumptuous Magnolia Grandiflora trees (also known as Bull Bay trees) have shiny leather-like leaves of deepest green with a matte bronze underside. A magnificent tree providing year round screening and the most exotic, waxy, cup shaped flowers, with ivory petals, bright yellow stamens and a heavenly scent. Considered the most elegant of pleached trees…
Magnolia Grandiflora Pleached Trees and Flower
Magnolia Grandiflora Pleached Trees used as an evergreen screen above a Yew Hedge
Quercus Ilex Pleached Trees
Known as the Holm Oak or Holly Oak – this is the only evergreen oak tree that grows naturally in the UK, the lush foliage is easily trained into a dense glorious screen all year round. At over 9ft tall these trees have thick bushy tops, sitting atop a 2 metre trunk, fast growing and easily trimmed to keep in shape.
Pleached Quercus Ilex trees – also known as Holm Oak or Holly Oak
Pleached Cupressus Leylandii Trees
An ingenious use of these fast growing conifers and a cost effective way to create above fence privacy all year round – a trim up 2/3 times a year will keep these Leyland Cypress in shape.
Leyland Cypress Pleached Trees – fast growing evergreen, providing excellent privacy screening
Ilex X Koehneana Chestnut Leaf Holly Pleached Tree
An unusual Holly with leaves shaped like a sweet chestnut – producing an abundance of glossy bright red berries – highly decorative and hugely popular newcomer to our pleached tree collection.
Ilex X Koehneana Chestnut Leaf Holly Pleached Tree – Prolific Red Berries in Autumn
Remember when planting Pleached trees make sure that adequate staking or framework is factored in and also recommended that each frame is tied together to maintain a good line and one that is not likely to move in winter storms. Stakes can normally be removed in around 3-5 years. Our Tree Stakes and Ties pack is perfectly designed for planting pleached trees – one pack for one tree – it couldn’t be easier!
Do you have questions? Do you need help in deciding which pleached trees are best for your garden?
Contact the expert team at Paramount Plants – we’re here to help…
We welcome your email enquiries, reach out to our expert team –
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Paramount Plants – The UK’s Online Specialists For Mature Trees, Shrubs & Plants. Buy Online – we deliver nationwide throughout the UK
