Native Species-Rich Hedgerow with Trees BNG Units
High
Hedgerows and Lines of trees
Trusted by Developers and Landowners
What is
Native Species-Rich Hedgerow with Trees
Hedgerows are linear boundaries of shrubs or trees over 20m long and less than 5m wide, with gaps no greater than 20m. A native species-rich hedgerow contains at least 80% cover of native woody species, and is defined as “with trees” where standard trees are present along its length.
These hedgerows combine shrub structure, tree canopy, herbaceous margins, and associated features such as banks, ditches, and veteran standards. They are one of the most important farmland habitats, supporting birds, bats, dormice, pollinators, and providing food, shelter, and corridors for wildlife.
Why It Matters for BNG
Species rich hedgerows with trees contribute to linear habitat units and support connectivity across development sites. They help satisfy hedgerow trading rules within the metric.
Landowners can improve hedgerows through gapping up, coppicing and tree establishment. Well managed hedgerows generate consistent BNG units and strengthen farm biodiversity.
Where Do They Occur?
Hedgerows are found across England but are most dense in the lowlands. They vary regionally:
• Devon and Cornwall: hedges often on earth or stone-faced banks
• Exmoor and Quantocks: beech hedges
• Herefordshire: damson hedges
• South East: fewer trees, larger field patterns
Overall, there are more than 550,000 km of hedgerows in England, over 400,000 km actively managed.
How New Native Species-Rich Hedgerows with Trees Are Created
Inputs
• Plant a mix of at least 5 native shrub species (e.g. hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel, field maple, dogwood) with 80%+ native composition.
• Establish hedgerow trees at irregular intervals, using species such as oak, ash (limited by disease), field maple, or crab apple.
• Include climbing plants such as bramble and honeysuckle, which are integral to hedgerow ecology.
• Use local or regional provenances where possible to support resilience.
Management
• Protect young hedges from grazing and browsing until established.
• Gap-up where necessary to maintain continuity, avoiding breaks longer than 20m.
• Cut on a rotation of 2–3 years, outside the bird breeding season, and favour winter cutting to retain berries for wildlife.
• Maintain a varied structure: some hedges tall and wide, others laid or coppiced.
Landscape
• Plant new hedges to connect existing hedgerow networks, woodlands, or other semi-natural habitats.
• Retain margins or buffer strips on both sides to reduce nutrient or pesticide drift.
• Use hedgerows with trees as corridors in farmed landscapes, linking across fields and valleys.
Target Condition
Native species-rich hedgerow with trees in Good condition will show:
• More than 80% cover of native woody species
• At least 5 native woody species in a 30m length
• Standard trees present at irregular intervals, with diverse age structure
• Less than 10% gaps, none greater than 20m
• Evidence of appropriate management (rotational cutting, laying, coppicing)
• Base of the hedge unbroken and not heavily shaded or over-managed
• Adjacent margins managed to reduce nutrient and pesticide drift
The BNG Value of
Native Species-Rich Hedgerow with Trees
• Distinctiveness: High
• Condition potential: Strong, especially where managed sympathetically and buffered from agriculture
• Connectivity: Exceptional, providing corridors across intensively farmed landscapes
• Climate services: Store carbon in woody biomass, act as windbreaks, regulate microclimate, and buffer soils
• Time to target condition: 15 years for Moderate, 30+ years for Good
Species Typical of
Native Species-Rich Hedgerow with Trees
🌳 Trees
• Oak (Quercus robur)
• Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) [now reduced by ash dieback]
• Field maple (Acer campestre)
• Crab apple (Malus sylvestris)
🌿 Shrubs
• Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna)
• Blackthorn (Prunus spinosa)
• Hazel (Corylus avellana)
• Dogwood (Cornus sanguinea)
• Spindle (Euonymus europaeus)
🌱 Climbers and field layer
• Bramble (Rubus fruticosus)
• Honeysuckle (Lonicera periclymenum)
• Cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris)
• Hedge bedstraw (Galium mollugo)
🐦 Wildlife
• Dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius)
• Brown hairstreak butterfly (Thecla betulae)
• Tree sparrow (Passer montanus)
• Bats using linear corridors
.avif)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Native Species-Rich Hedgerow with Trees?
A linear feature composed of at least five native shrub/tree species per 30m length, containing standard trees spaced along its length. It is a key priority habitat.
How is BNG measured here?
Measured in linear metres. The condition score is based on the hedgerow's width, height, density (gappiness), the number of associated trees, and the quality of the base/verge.
How can I achieve BNG?
Enhancement (e.g., gapping-up, laying, coppicing, changing cutting cycles, planting standard trees) or Creation of new species-rich hedgerows, planted with native trees.
What is the BNG target condition?
A Good condition is achieved when the hedge is dense and bushy from base to top, has few gaps, is at least 2m wide, and is managed on a rotation (e.g., 2-3 years) rather than annually.
What management is required?
Managing the cutting cycle to allow for flowering and fruiting, laying/coppicing on rotation to maintain density, and protecting the associated standard trees.
Exploring Other Habitats?
Upland Hay Meadow
Upland hay meadows are species rich grasslands dominated by a mix of fine grasses and abundant herbaceous wildflowers such as sweet vernal-grass, wood crane’s-bill, great burnet, pignut, and lady’s mantles.
These meadows have developed through long term traditional management that combines light grazing with a late summer hay cut. Rare species including lesser butterfly-orchid and burnt orchid are sometimes found.
This habitat is a dense mix of grasses and a wide variety of wildflowers, with no single grass species dominating the vegetation.
Upland Calcareous Grassland
Upland calcareous grassland is a springy, species-rich habitat occurring above approximately 250–300 metres on lime-rich, or “base-rich,” soils. The habitat develops as a short, species rich sward of calcicolous grasses, herbs and orchids adapted to alkaline conditions and cooler upland climates
The grassland appears patchy and open, with fine grasses, colourful herbs and scattered rock outcrops. Wild thyme, common rock rose and bird’s foot trefoil often grow alongside sheep’s fescue and upright brome, creating a varied mosaic.
Upland Acid Grassland
Upland Acid Grassland is a mix of fine grasses, mosses and small herbaceous plants adapted to low pH and limited nutrients. This habitat appears as an open grassy landscape, often dominated by mat grass or purple moor grass. Texture and color come from all patches of tormentil, heath bedstraw and scattered mosses.
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