Hedging plant
Common hornbeam
Carpinus betulus
Makes a dense deciduous hedge that takes clipping well, but left to grow freely it also works as a shade tree in a sunny or partly shaded garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
A living fence
Hedging plants for evergreen and deciduous hedges
We have picked six hedging plants for the climate of Budapest’s eastern districts and the surrounding towns, including deciduous, evergreen and thorny species. If you’re looking for an alternative to thuja along your boundary, there’s a good chance you’ll find one here that suits your garden.
What each hedging plant is good for
Hornbeam makes a dense, easily clipped deciduous hedge, while the native field maple can be grown as a taller clipped hedge and, according to Hungarian measurements, copes well with drought. Native wild privet closes up quickly and tolerates chalky or sandy soil, summer drought and city air, and thorny firethorn makes an almost impenetrable boundary with white flowers in spring and orange-red berries in autumn.
There are two evergreen hedging plants on the list: yew grows in sun, part shade and full shade, and the spring shoots of Photinia ‘Red Robin’ unfurl in bronze and bright red.
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Field maple
Acer campestre
An undemanding native maple that you can grow as a tall clipped hedge or as a smaller shade tree, and Hungarian measurements in hill country show that it copes well with drought too.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Sources
- RHS növényadatlap: Acer campestre
- Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder: Acer campestre
- Móricz és mtsai (2025): öt hazai lombos fafaj aszálytűrése (Frontiers in Forests and Global Change, mintaterület a Gödöllői-dombságon is)
- Szabó és mtsai (2023, MATE): fás szárúak spontán terjedése a Budai Arborétumban, őshonos és idegenhonos fajok besorolásával (Plants 12: 1989)
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Wild privet
Ligustrum vulgare
A native hedging plant that knits together quickly and copes well with chalky and sandy soils, summer drought and urban conditions.
The berries are harmful to both people and dogs if eaten, and it readily self-seeds in the wilder corners of the garden.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plant
Common yew
Taxus baccata
An evergreen that clips well for hedging and topiary and grows in sun, partial shade and full shade alike, so you can rely on it even on the north side of the house.
Toxic to people and pets if eaten, so think twice before planting it near children and dogs, and wear gloves when pruning.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Scarlet firethorn
Pyracantha coccinea
Makes an almost impenetrable thorny hedge or boundary, with white flowers in spring and orange-red berries in autumn.
The branches are thorny, the berries are not edible, and it can be attacked by the bacterial disease fireblight.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Clay
- Chalky, stony
Hedging plantDrought tolerant
Photinia 'Red Robin'
Photinia × fraseri 'Red Robin'
An evergreen hedging plant whose spring shoots unfurl in bronze and bright red, and once established it copes with summer drought as well.
Its hardiness is borderline and it may die back in a harsh winter, so give it a sheltered spot, for example against a south- or west-facing wall of the house.
- Sandy
- Loam
- Chalky, stony
What to consider before planting a hedge
- Yew is poisonous to people and pets if eaten, so think carefully before planting it near children or dogs, and wear gloves when you prune it.
- Photinia’s hardiness is borderline and it can die back in a hard winter, so plant it somewhere sheltered, for example by a south- or west-facing wall.
- Privet berries are harmful to people and dogs, and the plant self-seeds easily in the wilder corners of a garden, so keep an eye out for seedlings.
- Firethorn has thorny branches, so wear thick gloves when pruning, and bear in mind that it can be hit by fireblight, a bacterial disease.
- For a low hedge, shrubby cinquefoil works well, and for a screening hedge the wayfaring tree, and both tolerate drought.
Frequently asked questions
What can I plant instead of thuja?
If you want an evergreen, go for yew or Photinia ‘Red Robin’, and if you don’t mind leaves dropping in autumn, hornbeam, field maple or wild privet. We make no claims about thuja itself, because it isn’t part of our source-checked selection.
Which hedging plant tolerates shade?
Of the six species, only yew copes with full shade, so it’s the one to plant on the north side of a house or under large trees. The other five tolerate part shade, but their profiles don’t list full shade.
Why isn’t cherry laurel on the list?
Because the RHS says it can spread unpleasantly if neglected, and even the RHS rates its hardiness only H5. So we left it out, just as we did mahonia and cotoneaster, which appear on Hungarian expert lists of invasive plants.
How quickly does a hedge fill in?
It varies a lot by species: wild privet closes up quickly, while yew grows slowly, so it takes more patience. Our sources don’t give exact growth rates, so we talk this through at the site visit, based on the species you choose and your garden.
We’ll plant your hedge and trim it too
If you’re planting a new hedge, we’ll help you choose a species that suits your garden, plant it, and take care of trimming and shaping later on. Book a free site visit, and you can write to us in English.
Quicker by phone? Call us on +36 20 944 3464.
