FAQs

Pleaching is the process of training trees into a specific shape by pruning and intertwining branches. This technique creates a flat, “hedge in the air” appearance, providing privacy, structure, and visual interest in your garden. Pleached trees are often used to create elegant boundaries, screen unwanted views, or add a sophisticated touch to outdoor spaces.

This handy size chart is here to show you the different size choices you have for pleached trees. A visual guide, helping you get a feel for the sizes and how much foliage each option brings with a growing season on the frame. We hope this gives you an idea of the relative sizes and foliage cover – this is not intended to be an exact representation for each species of tree.

If you would like a photo of a particular size and species of tree, please contact us. We are here to find your garden's perfect fit!

Clear Stem

The clear stem in pleached trees means the straight part of the tree trunk without any branches. It is measured from the base of the tree to the base of the pleach frame and where the foliage begins. Our trees are available in 100cm, 150cm, 180cm, and 200cm clear stems. Some times you may be see pleached trees referred to as half standard (~100-150cm) or standard (~180-200cm) trees. When considering the overall height of the clear stem and pleach frame, please bear in mind, freshly-pleached trees may not yet cover the entire pleach frame's full height or width. Young trees, in particular, will cover less of the frame compared to mature trees.

Stem Girth

The stem girth refers to the measurement around the trunk of the tree. Many of our trees are grown in Europe, and when imported, the stem girth is measured at approximately 60cm above the soil level. This measurement is taken above the initial, natural taper of the trunk's base. It's a way to quantify the thickness or circumference of the tree trunk.

Measuring the stem girth is important for assessing the tree's maturity. Typically, the greater the stem girth, the greater the maturity and foliage cover. Young, freshly-pleached trees do not yet cover the entire pleach frame, however with the proper care they will flourish over the coming growing seasons. Please bear this in mind when selecting your stem girth.

Each tree’s stem girth band is assessed at the beginning of the dormant season (October–November), once the year’s growth cycle is complete. Trees that have recently progressed to a larger stem girth band may initially appear less densely covered in foliage compared to others in the same category at the peak of the growing season (August–September). This is a natural part of their growth cycle and nothing to be concerned about; however, it’s worth considering when purchasing trees during the dormant season. All trees are carefully checked to confirm the correct stem girth band and are healthy, ready to flourish with new growth as they enter the growing season (April–October). To help you gauge how the trees look throughout the year, we include the month the photo was taken in the caption of each image.

Sometimes, pleached trees are referred to by their categories: light standard (~6-8cm), standard (~8-10cm), select standard (~10-12cm), heavy standard (~12-14cm), or extra heavy standard (~14-16cm).

Choosing the Right Clear Stem and Stem Girth for Your Garden

When selecting a pleached tree, the right clear stem and stem girth depend on your preferences and needs. If budget is a concern, opt for a younger, freshly pleached tree with a 6-8cm stem girth, which with the proper care, will grow to fill its frame in the coming years. For a more instant screening effect, choose a tree with a minimum stem girth of 14cm+ (depending on species). If you plan to use the tree for screening over a wall or fence, the height will determine the clear stem.

Our most popular choice is a pleached tree with a 12-14cm stem girth and a clear stem height of 180cm. This combination strikes a balance, providing a good height, some screening in the first growing season, and excellent value for money. It's a well-rounded option that caters to various landscaping preferences and offers a practical and cost-effective solution.

Bespoke Pleach Frame Sizes Available

Our standard pleach frames measure 120cm x 120cm, but we understand the need for flexibility in size. That's why we're pleased to offer custom pleaching tailored to your preferences.

To calculate the number of trees needed, divide the width of the boundary by the frame width (standard width is 120cm). Round down if needed, with a small buffer between trees.

If your boundary is not divisible by 120cm and/or you would like a specific number of trees, we can custom pleach bespoke frame widths of up to 180cm.

Choosing the right species involves understanding your garden’s specific conditions, including soil type and light exposure. Certain species are better suited for particular environments, so selecting one that thrives in your location is key. Think about your long-term goals, do you want evergreen trees for year-round coverage or deciduous varieties for seasonal interest? Enjoy a free consultation with one of our pleached tree specialists who will guide you towards your garden "Just Pleachy."

Choose an evergreen with the widest stem girth possible. A larger stem girth usually means greater maturity, foliage cover, and better privacy screening.

For year-round privacy, evergreen pleached trees are an ideal choice. These trees retain their foliage throughout the year, ensuring constant coverage and privacy. In contrast, deciduous trees, while suitable for summer privacy, lose their leaves in autumn but offer lovely seasonal interest with fresh growth in spring. Although some deciduous trees may retain some of their leaves during winter, they do not provide the consistent screening that evergreen varieties do.

Pleached trees can be highly effective for noise dampening, particularly when chosen for their dense, fine leaves and evergreen nature, which ensures year-round reduction. Some of the best options for this purpose include Leylandii, known for its fast growth and thick foliage, Mimosa, with its delicate yet dense leaf structure, and Holm Oak, a robust evergreen with leathery leaves that provide a solid sound barrier. In addition to the type of tree, the density of the pleaching and the height of the screen will significantly impact the noise-dampening effect. Choose a mature stem girth to maximise the sound-blocking potential.

We’ve listened to our customers and understand the need for size flexibility. That’s why we’re excited to offer custom pleaching tailored to your preferences. Our standard pleach frames are 120cm x 120cm (with no extra charge for this size), but we also provide custom-made frames with widths or heights ranging from 100cm to 180cm.

Custom frames are priced at £50 each, with a minimum order of 3 frames (£150). The lead time for custom frames is approximately 6 weeks. Please note, custom pleached trees require extra time to mature and fully fill the frame, particularly when adding additional width or height. Some tree species and stem sizes are more adaptable than others. Due to the bespoke nature of these trees being custom pleached onto bespoke frames, custom orders are non-refundable.

For more information and to discuss suitability before placing a bespoke order, please call 0330 818 7142 or email info@justpleachy.co.uk.

Transform your garden with custom pleaching tailored just for your garden's perfect fit!

Choose Your Perfect Frame Size

Typically our trees are pleached to order on a bamboo pleach frame. The pleach frame is crafted by our nursery team here in the UK, using bamboo canes and small black zip ties. This combination creates a durable, yet natural-looking structure that serves as a skeleton as the tree matures. The trees are attached to the pleached frame using these small black zip ties. Our frames are made by hand in our distinctive house style (which is the
same as our Just Pleachy logo for the eagle-eyed!), this ensures that
all our pleached trees have uniform, tidy frames.

The lifespan of the bamboo pleached frames can vary depending on the environmental conditions they are exposed to. Generally, a well-maintained bamboo pleached frame can last anywhere from 5 to 10 years. As the bamboo frame naturally starts to deteriorate over time, you have a couple of options for maintenance: you can either remove the frames if the trees have matured enough to hold their shape independently, or you can replace sections with new bamboo. Replacement bamboo is readily available at local garden centres, making it easy to maintain your pleached trees.

As your tree matures, please ensure that any overly tight zip ties are removed or replaced as necessary to prevent them from cutting into the tree’s trunk or branches. The tree will also have a central thick bamboo cane to continue training the straight, clean stem. Again, please monitor these ties and remove or replace them as needed.

Absolutely! Our team is available via email or online chat from 8am-8pm daily, or you can call us on 0330 818 7142 between 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday.

Certainly! We're more than happy to send you any photos we have on file. While we're diligently building our photo library, please note that we may not have a photo for every variant available.

Our sales and customer service team is based in Hampshire, but our trees are located in the Norfolk nursery. These trees are typically in common sizes and are among our best-selling species. We regularly take photos in the nursery and aim to update our website with these images as frequently as possible.

For more specific sizes or species, we collaborate with nurseries to import trees from European growers, mainly in Italy or Holland. For example, our Camellias are imported to order. Providing real-time photos of these imported trees can be challenging, but we can often show you photos of the same species, albeit in a slightly different size or from previous years.

The same limitation applies to custom pleaching. Since these trees are tailored to order, we can't provide a photo beforehand due to their bespoke nature. However, we can show you images of other custom pleaching projects we've completed.

We understand it’s reassuring to know the plant you're buying is in great shape and health, which is why we conduct rigorous checks on every plant leaving our nursery. If you can't find a photo of the tree you're interested in, please contact us.

If you're looking for a specific size or species, please contact us, and we'll do our best to help.


Absolutely! Many of our pleached trees are perfectly suited to urban settings and smaller gardens. We offer species in a variety of sizes, including those with smaller clear stems of 100cm or clear stems of 150cm, ideal for compact spaces. These trees provide privacy and greenery without overwhelming your outdoor area, offering elegance and functionality even in tighter spots.

We are to help you create a beautiful outdoor space while prioritising the well-being of your beloved pets. We've referenced the HTA Guide to Potentially Harmful Plants, 3rd Edition (2022), and created our Pet-friendly collection. We created this collection based on the HTA guide to help you filter out known offenders. However, it's important to note that any plant material can cause vomiting and gastrointestinal upset if ingested by dogs or cats, and no species is entirely pet-safe. Therefore, it remains the responsibility of the buyer to ensure that the selected species aligns with their own needs of their pets before completing an order.

Choose a low-pollen species (such as Magnolia) and keep the trees well-watered to reduce stress, as stressed trees produce more pollen as a survival instinct. Planting pleached trees may also act as a barrier, shielding the garden from larger pollen-producing trees.


Regulations can vary by location, so it's essential to check with your local council or planning authority regarding any necessary permission for planting trees. Factors like tree height, proximity to boundaries, and conservation area status may influence what you can plant. We recommend consulting with local authorities to ensure compliance before placing an order.