Pleached Trees

Pleached trees are specimens whose canopies have been trained laterally.  When fruit trees are trained like this it is called espalier.  Usually these are standard trees (with a single trunk around 1.8-2.1 metres in height)  They can also be trees with branches from the base (feathered trees) that have been trained laterally.

Historically pleached trees  we planted in avenues to form pleached walks, with a clear stem of around 2.2 metres to allow them to be walked under.  Pleached trees used to be Lime and Hornbeam species only. These were selected because they naturally produce branches in pairs, making them a neater pleach.  The pleached walks were /are as stunning in winter as the bare branches eventually join and five or so continual  lines of branches run down the walk.

Pleached trees are now predominantly used as screening, as their narrow form consumes a tiny proportion of the garden.   Hornbeam and Lime trees are deciduous and the bare branches provide little in the way of screening.  

We therefore offer trees that either hold their leaves longer than other deciduous trees or are evergreen / holdtheir leaves all year when clipped.  

These are offered with trunk heights to suit your requirements, i.e. to commence the pleach at the height of your wall or fence.

We also offer taller than normal pleached trees.