Are there trees grown just for pleaching?

[Chippychop]

I started an earlier thread re hedging ideas we have now decided to try our hand at pleaching hornbeam and are planning on buying 8-10ft rootballed ones. Will any old straight hornbeams do or do we need to buy specially grown ones? Thx

I have no idea what you're saying but I like the words

crowntopiary.co.uk/portfolio-of-stock/pleached

Heavens. It doesn't seem very kind to the trees.

I would LOVE a pleached hornbeam hedge.

The trees don't mind SirEdmund

Hawthorn or blackthorn are the ones that sprang to my mind, but they are very prickly. I used to do voluntary conservation work and remember getting very scratched when hedgelaying. I'd love to have a garden big enough for proper hedges.

Have a look at this suggestions

Sorry, didn't read your post properly, only the title, missed that you were only looking at Hornbeams.

That's a relief, Humph

Talk to the nursery - they will be in the best position to advise you.

You can buy hornbeams of that size ready pleached on a frame. They are very expensive though. I'm not sure what's a good starting size to be honest if you're doing it from scratch. The ones I used to look after had already had the initial framing done and it was my role to take it from there. I used to love pruning them every winter though.

Best bet would be to look on the RHS website.