Hedge
Hedge, a fence or boundary of shrubs or low trees. Hedges are grown chiefly for farm fencing in Europe and for ornamental purposes in North America. Hedges often serve as windbreaks and provide cover for numerous birds and small animals.
Hedge fences are common in western Europe, partly because wood is scarce. The hedgerows of Great Britain, mostly hawthorn, have strong spines that usually prevent cattle from escaping. Similar hedges are common in France and northern Italy.
In the midwestern United States, the most common farm hedge is the thorny multiflora rose, an Asiatic climbing shrub five to eight feet (1.5 to 2.4 m) high.
Ornamental hedges are common on lawns and in gardens in many parts of the United States. Tall hedges, four to five feet (1.2 to 1.5 m) high, are used chiefly as dividers along boundary lines. Most widely used for this purpose is the California privet. The barberry and such evergreens as the arborvitae and yew are also widely used in tall ornamental hedges. Dwarf yews and cotoneaster are among the common medium-height hedge shrubs. Most tall and medium-sized hedges require regular trimming.
Miniature hedges are grown chiefly as borders, or edgings. The boxwood, dwarf viburnum, and crimson pygmy barberry are commonly used for these hedges. All are hardy and require little or no trimming.