Coastal Windbreaks & Hedges

There can be no doubt that having protections from salty gales will greatly increase the
possibilities for a garden
The wider, taller & deeper any protective screen from the wind is, the more protection it will give.

For those gardeners & prospective gardeners with enough patience & space a tall wide and
layered Windbreak of trees & shrubs is best.
The more impatient gardener, with less room to spare or who is more concerned with keeping the
view unobstructed should plant Hedge as broad & to be as tall as is practical.

Definition of a windbreak
For our purposes a windbreak is a layered barrier of mixed
shrubs and trees placed to protect a garden from strong
salt-laden winds
The role of a windbreak
Windbreaks exist to bear the brunt of the wind and salt,
anything else they do is a bonus (or a bane), they save
your plants, stop the gales howling through your windows
and you from being blown over when you go out the door.
Siting & selecting the makeup of your windbreak
Site your windbreak in the wrong place and the wind can
still get in. Select your windbreak species carefully
consider the site limitations, i.e., what will grow there.
Remember that you want the windbreak to thrive and look
good so it has to be well suited to the site. How high do
you want it to be, don't plant a line of pine trees in front of
your window and expect to keep the view. The amount of
room you have for a windbreak is also important, in short
the more room you have the more effective windbreak you
can make. A solid wall of vegetation is not desirous, the
wind hits it and Is forced over the top, so raising the
pressure, behind the air pressure is lower so the air is
sucked down where it swirls into damaging eddies (see
Fig. 1). Slowing the wind with a layered defence is the
best approach, but this is more costly in both space and
plants. A front of shrubs followed by open crowned trees
with a light under-storey of shrubs several meters deep will
give the best defence. In such cases the wind is slowed all
the way through so little eddying occurs (see Fig. 2).

Whatever kind of windbreak you erect it can only protect a certain area. As can be seen in both Figures 1 and 2 that
the wind sweeps back down & in fairly quickly after passing the windbreak. It is possible to calculate approximately
the ultimate 'Protected zone' behind a windbreak by multiplying the estimated final height of the windbreak by 5 to as
much as 10 and there will still be a perceptible reduction up to 25 times the height away. These figures work for level
sites only, slopes can greatly foreshorten these figures and create turbulence of their own.
One can plant the tallest windbreak ever erected but if it is only a couple of trees wide there will be little benefit other
than immediately behind as the pressure difference causes the wind to defract (curl-in) around the edges (Fig. 3)
A very deep windbreak confers little extra benefit, as it is the first few meters that create the 'protected zone'. Such a
deep system is more of a woodland with calm air below the canopy but it will be windy again just a short distance
past the leeward side of the stand. However a deep windbreak is less vulnerable to having gaps opened up by severe
gales.

Finally windbreaks should be erected

perpendicular to the prevailing wind for the
greatest effect.
The above model is the ideal and is not
practical for many requiring as it requires
considerable room and time to reach full
effectiveness. Most people will at best be
only able to plant a stout hedge, though not
offering protection as comprehensive as the
above they still make a great difference. Fig. 1. With a solid windbreak much damaging turbulence is caused behind
by large pressure drop.

Once a wind break is established the difference inside is quite startling, the micro-climate created is mild and more humid and
with a bit of shade luxuriant growth can be obtained and spectacular plants such as Isoplexis sceptrum (centre) can be grown.
Many plants that don't seem obvious make excellent hedges or windbreak components, Phormium tenax (right) is particularly
impressive as a hedge and is useful in a really wet soil where it makes a thick barrier to the wind.
 Your windbreak is also part of the garden, and should have some aesthetic merit in it's own right. Here Brachyglottis
'Drysdale' and Olearia cheesmanii show that they can do more than just stop wind.

Hedges
For large gardens smaller hedges can be used provide protection from winds in other directions while a large
windbreak protects from the most damaging quarter. In smaller gardens a hedge is likely to be the main protection
from the wind. When selecting the variety or varieties for your hedge you must first decide how you want to keep it,
do you want a fairly loose and informal hedge, then shrubs such as Berberis are good but if you want a squared off
or pruned hedge then Escallonia, Grisellinia or Fuchsia may be more suited. Evergreen is good as it gives full
protection year-round, attractive flowering varieties such as Escallonia 'Iveyii' or Olearia macrodonta are invaluable
as they also contribute to the aesthetic value of the garden. Use of native species such as hawthorn or gorse adds
to the wildlife value, but be aware that not all wildlife is to be encouraged into the garden, just ask anyone who has
apple or plum trees for their opinion of bullfinches! Choosing a vigorous variety and vigorous specimens is also
important as you want them to grow up as quickly as possible in the full exposure and to sprout back quickly from
pruning.
A third approach is a to form a series of mini windbreaks over a whole area, creating an overlapping and
discontinuous canopy of trees and shrubs so filtering the wind as it passes through their crowns. However if such as
scheme is poorly executed and the plants placed too far apart then the wind will funnel between them and destructive
vortices will form.
Another option still is to not try and stop the wind but instead garden with it, there are still a great many excellent
plants which will thrive without the slightest protection. Check out the page on Coastal Gardening for more on this.
For a hedge the same principals as for a windbreak apply, the taller a hedge the more effective it can be.

The following is a list of trees and shrubs suitable for use in windbreaks on the West Coast of the British Isles and
their approximate typical final size; height by girth for trees, height by spread for shrubs. Please bear in mind that
you are unlikely to see these trees reach this height but others will, so don't plant lines of them just a couple of feet
apart. In exposed sites trees will be slower to grow and their final sizes will rarely be as large as those in more
favourable situations. The below tree sizes are for those in such ideal situations so that you may judge the absolute
maximum size they are likely to attain.
There is a great variation in vigour amongst these plants; selecting species of similar growth rates should prevent
some being swamped.
Trees:
Conifers:
Monterey Cypress - Cupressus macrocarpa 25 x 5m
Common Larch - Larix decidua 30 x 5m
Sitka Spruce - Picea sitchensis 30 x 7m
Beech Pine - Pinus contorta var. contorta 10 x 5m
Mountain Pine - Pinus mugo 2-8 x 10-3m
Bishop Pine - Pinus muricata 25 x 7m
Austrian Pine - Pinus nigra ssp. nigra 30 x 6m
Crimean Pine - Pinus nigra ssp. pallasiana 30 x 6m
Corsican Pine - Pinus nigra ssp. laricio 30 x 5m
Maritime Pine - Pinus pinaster 15 x 4m
Monterey Pine - Pinus radiata 30 x 7m
Scots Pine - Pinus sylvestris 20 x 7m
Douglas Fir - Pseudotsuga menziesii 30 x 8m
Angiospermous trees:
Sycamore - Acer pseudoplatanus 20 x 8m
Italian Alder - Alnus cordata 10 x 4m
Common Alder - A. glutinosa 15 x 4m
Grey Alder - A. incana 15 x 4m
Sitka Alder - A. viridis var. sinuata 4 x 5m
Pacific Madroña - Arbutus menziesii 15 x 4m
Strawberry Tree - Arbutus unedo 1.5-8 x 1-4m
River Birch - Betula nigra 10 x 4m
Silver Birch - B. pendula 15 x 4m
Downy Birch - B. pubescens 15 x 4m
Himalayan Tree Cotoneaster - C. frigidus 6 x 3m
Tasmanian Snow Gum - Eucalyptus coccifera 10 x 7m
Mountain Gum - E. dalrympleana 25 x 4m
Tasmanian Blue Gum - E. globulus 25 x 4m
Cider Gum - E. gunnii 25 x 4m
Gippsland Malle - E. kisoniana 5 x 4m
Swamp Gum - E. ovata 20 x 4m
Ghost Gum - E. pauciflora ssp. niphophila 6 x 5m
Spinning gum - E. perriniana 7 x 3m
Risdon Peppermint - E. risdonii 6m x 4m
Urn Gum - E. urnigera 10 x 4m
Mana Gum - Eu. viminalis 15 x 5m
Beech - Fagus sylvatica 20 x 10m
Holly - Ilex aquifolium 10 x 3m
Ñirre - Nothofagus antarctica 10 x 3m
Silver Beech - Nothofagus menziesii 15 x 5m
Goat Willow - Salix caprea 10 x 7m
Whitebeam - Sorbus aria 10 x 3m
Rowan - Sorbus aucuparia 10 x 3m
Olearia
macrodonta,
tough quick &
attractive it is
an invaluable
plant for the
coastal garden.
Shrubs: (Those suitable for hedging are marked *)
Coast wattle - Acacia longifolia ssp. sophoriae 2 x 3m
Prickly mimosa - Acacia verticillata 2.5 x 1.5m *
Baccharis patagonica 1 x 1m *
Bedfordia linearis 2 x 2m
Berberis darwinii 2 x 2m *
B. linearifolia 2 x 2m *
B. verruculosa 1.5 x 1.5m
B. x stenophylla 3 x 3m *
Brachyglottis rotundifolia 3 x 3m *
Butterfly bush - Buddleja davidii 2 x 3m
Orange ball tree - Buddleja globosa 2 x 3m
Cassinia spp. 2 x 2m *
Larger Ceanothus species and hybrid can be used to
brighten up a windbreak
Fachine Chilotrichum diffusum 1.5 x 1.5m
Taupata Coprosma repens 3 x 3m *
Corokia species & hybrids 1-3 x 1.5m *
Correa backhousiana 1.75 x 2m *
Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna 2 x 2m *
Elaegnus x ebbingeii 2 x 2m *
Escallonia rubra 3 x 3m *
Many Escallonia hybrids, mostly with E. rubra blood, are
excellent even in very exposed situations. *
Wild fuchsia - Fuchsia 'Riccartonii' 2 x 2m *
Papauma Griselinia littoralis 15 x 6m *
Coast Koromiko Hebe elpitica 2 x 2m
Hebe parviflora 3 x 2m *
H. salicifolia 3 x 2m *
H. speciosa 2 x 2m
H. x francicsana 1.5 x 2m *
Manuka/Tee tree Leptospermum scoparium 1-5 x 2m *
Lonicera ledebourii 3 x 4m *
Pohutukawa Metrosideros excelsa 3 x 3m
Southern rata Metrosideros umbellata 3 x 2m
Olearia albida 3 x 2m *
O. arborescens 2 x 2m *
O. avicenniaefolia 3 x 3m *
O. capillaris 2 x 2m *
O. cheesmanii 2 x 3m *
O. x hastii 2 x 2m *
O. lineata 'Dartonii' 4 x 2m *
New Zealand holly - O. macrodonta 'Major' 2.5 x 3m *
O. x oleifolia 'Oleifolia' 1.5 x 2m *
O. paniculata 4 x 2m *
O. solandri 2 x 2m *
O. traversii 4 x 2m *
Ozothamnus rosmarinufolius 2 x 2m *
New Zealand Flax - Phormium tenax 3 x 2m *
Coast or Mountain Flax - P. cookerianum 2 x 2m
Rhododendron yakushianum 1.2 x 1.5m
Many 'Yak' hybrids are also well suited to windy places.
Japanese Rose Rosa rugosa 1.5 x 2m *
Swiss Willow - Salix helvetica 1.5 x 2m
Wooly Willow - Salix lanata 1.5 x 3m
Westringia rigida 1.5 x 1.5m *
Gorse / Whin - Ulex europaeus 1.75 x 1.75m The
double form is preferable as it doesn't seed everywhere.
This list is far from complete but includes most of the common and many of the best plants for West Coast
windbreaks & hedges. We try to offer as many of these plants as we can, as well of course hundreds of others. If
you plan to plant a windbreak or hedge come and see us and we will be glad to advise you on the best choices for
your site.

Erecting a Windbreak or Hedge

Fig. 4. Two sample layouts for a windbreak in an exposed site of 3 layers.

On the left, 1st a fence of windbreak netting to aid establishment, behind two overlapping rows of vigorous tough shrubs & finally
a row of pine trees or similar.
On the right, the same though the line of trees is straddled by two rows of shrubs, as the trees mature they will look to be under
planted by the shrubs. As the front ranks establish further layers can be added behind so strengthening & eventually heightening
it.
 Fig. 5. A sample hedge layout which will give a
good stout hedge within a few years. The addition of
a second row will increase the speed at which the
hedge thickens-up, but doubles the cost in plants.

Tough, quick growing & attractive Olearia

traversii has glossy green evergreen leaves
silver below. It is a first rate wind-stopper.
The erection of a hedge or windbreak involves basically the same procedure, with a windbreak simply being deeper,
with more rows. A hedge could be planted and later 'upgraded' to a windbreak by adding more shrubs & trees
behind.

Protective Fencing
First chose the site for you windbreak or hedge, ensure it is secure from livestock or that the fence you will lay out
will be. One nights browsing can destroy several years growth.
Lay out a line slightly greater than the length desired (same principle as Fig. 3.). Drive in fairly stout treated softwood
posts around 1.2m apart. On the windward side attach a roll of synthetic windbreak fabric at least 1m high, different
products are affixed by different means. Around 60% wind reduction is desirous. This barrier provides important
extra protection for the planting in the vital first couple of years of establishment, without which the growth will be
considerably slower. However in less exposed sites or if money is tight & time not short, the netting maybe forgone.
For the windbreak material there are quite a variety of types, Netlon, Tensar, Paraweb & the cheapest, knitted
polythene monofilament (like a tough plastic hessian it is usually only good for about a year in very exposed sites)
are the most common materials. Alternatively you could construct temporary hurdles of woven hazel or willow
coppice shoots also old New Zealand flax leaves are durable & easily woven, though for these the uprights must still
be strong & firm.
Any protection will often follow the line of an existing boundary fence the netting may be mounted on it if the position
& nature of the fence is suitable. This saves a lot of money & effort, so if practical it should be taken advantage of.
A third alternative is 'Yorkshire boarding' this will be familiar to farmers as it has lond been used for sheltering
livestock. A line of Deerposts have lengths of treated sarking board (c. 6' x ¾') firmly mounted, alternating in front of
& behind the post as they go up. This baffles the wind as it passes, however though effective it is very costly in both
materials, i.e. it needs a lot of wood & labour.
Another method of more instant hedging, rarely seen in Scotland is 'Cornish Hedges' (see Fig. 6) where a stout
earth-filled dyke is built along the boundary to a height tall enough too stop sheep reaching the top, say 5-6' and on
the top two rows of tough & drought tolerant shrubs are planted, these should be bushy varieties that shouldn't get
too high as you don't want them blowing out. Fuchsia were commonly used in Cornwall, Hebe x franciscana 'Blue
Gem' is well suited, Corokia x virgata 'Red Wonder' would look good in this role as it's silver-baked leaves would look
good viewed from below. In an open site with many rocks it is a good way of clearing them but drystone dyking is
not easy to do well & help should be sought. Turf dykes have also been used in this way.

Drainage
Ensure that your chosen site doesn't turn in to a bog every time it rains. There are plants which will tolerate
waterlogging but growth & establishment will be far quicker if drainage is improved, don't over do it though, plants
need moisture & growth is arrested when they can't get any. Ensure that the plants can be watered in times of need,
either by hose or a watering can.

Type of Plants
In all cases planting young plants will be better in the long run. If planted when young the plant can form the whole of
its root system & top growth to suit the nutrient & water availability as well as the force & prevailing direction of the
wind. However Very small plants will be easily swamped by weeds or succumb to drought in their first summer. Use
entirely container grown shrubs (preferably in 1L or 2L pots) as planting shock will be negligible compared to that of
field-grown or 'containerised', i.e. field-grown, then recently lifted & potted.
Planting of container grown plants can be carried out from May until August, before of this there are too many gales
which will set back the establishment of the plants and after the temperatures too low & gales to frequent for much
establishment to happen.
 How To Plant
At least 60cm back from your fence line mark out your first line of
shrubs. String a straight line from before where the first plant in
the run will be until just after the last . Planting distances vary
from species to species & site to site but planting 1m / 4'4" (no
less than 75cm, no more than 1.5m for a hedge) apart (see Figs.
4 & 5).should do just fine in most exposed situations & give a
good screen in a few years when using the appropriate vigorous
species
The planting holes should be dug to at least twice the width &
depth of the plants root ball. Amelioration of the existing soil with
some well rotted manure or good garden compost will help. If
these are unavailable a small handful of Blood, Fish & Bone Meal
divided between the bottom of the hole & mixed in with the spoil
will help. Bare in mind that though soils on the coast are typically
A late summer gale blowing in from Antarctica at
poor, the shrubs you are using also come from coastal regions,
Mason Bay on Stewart Island, south of New Zealand.
and as such do not need rich soils. Over feeding is also likely to
The 8½ mile long beach is backed by many familiar
produce lots of soft growth that will be hammered by the salty
shrubs such as Brachyglottis rotundifolia, below,
winds. After they are planted they should be watered well & not
that thrive in our gardens 12,000 miles away.
allowed to get dry until their first winter. Mulching is a good idea
as it helps keep weeds down, & therefore competition, & reduces
water loss through evaporation around the plant in dry periods.
Natural mulches, like composted bark can blow away so artificial
ones are usually more practical, they should be water permeable
and the edges should secured & buried to prevent fraying. A
piece of old carpet cut into 1m2 pieces, slit to the middle & placed
around the base of the plant is a good cheap method, there are
custom made 'mulch mats' available, these are generally of a
dark colour as this raises the immediate soil temperature, so
speeding root growth. Some are bio-degradable & will disappear
after a few years, by which time they should no longer be
needed.

Other considerations
Often the soil in a coastal garden may be derived from a stabilised sand dune or shingle banks & is exceptionally well
drained. In such places it may be desirous to add some organic matter to the planting hole to aid water retention for
the plant early on. Having a very sandy is not a great problem though, one of the toughest & quickest shrubs in the
wind Olearia traversii from the Chatham Islands will grow happily in even pure sand. However in very friable soils
staking of larger shrubs & trees is more important & the regular topping of some vigorous species, as in these more
open soils it is easier for them to blow over. Normally staking isn't necessary, where it is drive a stout wooden stake
well into the ground diagonally pointing away from the prevailing wind. Attach the stake to the tree or shrub near the
base with a proper and appropriate tree tie via a spacer. Ensure that the tie is inspected periodically and loosened
as the plant grows and removed after it is no longer required, this will rarely be more than 5 years, 8 at most.

In a windbreak the shrubs true function is to protect the trees behind them, these will be slower to start & their
establishment period longer, which is even more important than that for the shrubs. Remember that trees get big
though, don't plant them right next to the shrubby barrier as they will compete & neither will benefit. The planting
distance of the trees varies according to the type used. For shelter planting though it is a good idea to plant at half
the final distance you want between your trees (what ever tree species you are using the final spacing should never
be less than 5m) this will help to fill the gaps between the trees for the first 10 years or so, after which the in-between
one should be removed. More over-planting than this will have little benefit & is of little 'insurance' worth as the vast
majority of likely losses would be in the first few years of establishment when they can still be easily replaced. If left
closely planted they will only spoil the shape of the other trees & make them all less wind-firm.
 Conclusion
Erecting a hedge or windbreak as you can see takes a lot of work in its
preparation & planting, but after the initial effort it needs very little attention & you
begin to reap the rewards of all your efforts. A well chosen one should need no
watering after a couple of years, no feeding and only a little dead-wooding &
pruning.

With any shelter planting it is the plants establishment period which is key, if the
plant struggles to get going it will take a very long time for it to provide much
useful protection.

As the windbreak matures you could interplant to brighten it up, a border behind
the trees for example with a mixture of shrubs & perennials or plant a few
climbers to ramble through.

©Ben Rushbrooke, August 2002

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