Hedge suggestions for top of retaining wall

DoubleA

Hi there,

I'm looking for suggestions for a hedge along the top of a 5' retaining wall. There will only be a layer of approx 18-20" of top soil and the rest of the back fill behind the wall will be gravel with a layer of geo grid textile about 2' from the top level.

The hedge would be in full sun and we do live in a climate that can range from +40C to -40C (at the extreme). We'd like something approx 3' in height.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a hedge that would not compromise the integrity of the wall and be suitable for the climate etc?

Thanks!

TreeSpecialist

Tough call.

You might just wait to see what occurs there naturally and use that. Nature usually hates bare soil and will plant something.

The soil depth may be too shallow to allow anything to survive you sever winters.

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treeshaveneeds

There are a number of shrubs that will withstand these conditions - Privet, Honeysuckle, Arctic Willow, but you will need to trim them to keep them at 3 ft. Shrubby trees are also a possibility (need more trimming) like Buckthorn (Rhamnus), Russian Olive (Elaeagnus) - even Manitoba Maple (Acer negundo). If you're not fussy and don't need to access area much, Rosa rugosa could do well here. And a number of grasses will provide cover and height with minimal maintenance.

Hope these suggestions help, or at least lead you in right direction.

treeshaveneeds

Another shrub you might consider is currant - tough, withstands wind and drought, once established -- let it be. Minimal trimming required.