Re: Hedges

Dear M. Landers -

A wonderful hedge plant that it perhaps no longer appropriate here in
California, because it has shown itself all to eager to escape into our
wildlands via bird-dispersed seeds, is Rhamnus alaternus, which is native to
the Mediterranean.  It has long been known as a good clipping subject, keeping
is leaves right down to the ground in such cases.  It can also be kept quite
'thin' in depth which is also desirable in a hedge.

When we were visiting Susana Walton (the creator of La Mortella) a number of
years ago, she was in search of a hedge plant for a garden feature
(http://www.lamortella.it/Tour2-Nymphaeum_it.html).  I said she surely must be
familiar with R. alaternus, the Italian Buckthorn.  She was intrigued in the
virtues I extolled and decided to look into it.  The next day, when my wife
and I walk from La Mortella down to the beach a Forio, we passed some very
healthy, happy wild specimens on the road, their clean dark green leaves
looking wonderful after a hot summer (it was October).  We brought a few
sprigs home on our return to the house and showed them to Susana at dinner. 
She though we were magicians!

Another good clipped hedge plant is Pistacia Lentiscus, the Mastic Tree.  This
well adapted Mediterranean native has handsome evergreen foliage that looks
clean and healthy all year, and takes clipping very well also.  It can be kept
low of high, or left to assume large mounding shrubs or small trees.  In fact
this species is great trimmed into undulating mounds of foliage (ala Spanish
designer Fernando Caruncho - www.fernandocaruncho.com).

Both of the above are well adapted to harsh and mild coastal Mediterranean
environs.

Seán A. O'Hara


> Could anyone recommend some good coastal Mediterranean hedge plants?
>
> Thanks.
>
> ~M. Landers
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