By Eve Werner, Butte County Master Gardener, September 19, 2014

A number of Butte County Master Gardeners recently spent a lovely morning at Hedgerow Farms in Winters, California. Strolling amid the tawny hues of late summer, we learned about hedgerows.  These are wide, densely-planted swaths of trees, shrubs, grasses and forbs (herbaceous flowering plants) traditionally used to define the boundaries of farms. Experts from Hedgerow Farms, UC Davis, and UC Cooperative Extension took turns sharing their research and observations.

In recent decades, hedgerows have largely been replaced in California by mown, cultivated, or weedy edges as farmers seek to maximize their productive acreage.  But hedgerows are coming back into favor as scientists document the many benefits that they offer to farmers and the environment.  Consider the following:

• Hedgerows can perform several distinct functions.  Depending on the plants selected, they can provide wildlife habitat, dust control, wind breaks, biofiltration, pest control, crop pollination, and natural beauty.
• California native plants make effective hedgerows.  The natives bloom and set seed later than weedy invasive plants.  The timing of their blooming and seeding is just right for many beneficial pollinators and too late for many pests.
• Hedgerows can help control insect pests.  UC studies have shown that hedgerows have 90% fewer crop pests and 60% more beneficial parasitoid wasps (tiny, non-stinging wasps that prey on stinkbugs, aphids, scale, and many other harmful pests) than conventionally managed edges.  Croplands adjacent to hedgerows have 10% more parasitoid wasps than conventionally-edged fields.
• Hedgerows support insectivorous birds that eat the larvae of the coddling moth.
• Populations of potentially harmful animals (such as field mice and gophers) are present in equal or lesser numbers in hedgerows than in conventionally-managed edges.
• Populations of predatory animals (such as raptors) that prey on potentially harmful animals are much higher in hedgerows.
• Hedgerows support native bees by providing undisturbed habitat, pollen, and nectar.  Some species of native bees, such as Mason bees, are individually more effective at pollinating flowers than are honey bees.

While the benefits of hedgerows to farmers are apparent, the hedgerow concept can be of use to homeowners, too.  A smaller hedgerow, planted along a property boundary, will attract pollinators, pest predators and birds to your yard. Landscape-friendly California native plants that are suitable for a suburban yard and providing habitat, shelter, pollen, and nectar include California Redbud; Ceanothus; Buckwheat; Coffeeberry; Manzanita; Coyotebrush; Deergrass; California Fuchsia; Milkweed; Cleveland and White Sage; Yarrow; and Penstemon.

If you are looking for a way to screen views or define the edges of your property, consider planting a mini hedgerow!