When I read about these trees, yes they are trees, in the media it makes me want to scream. Why do people insist on using them as hedges?

If left unclipped they revert to what they are, large trees that block light and suck water out of the soil.

Don't get me wrong I have seen these trees grown as a hedge and kept trimmed properly they have looked quite nice, if you like that sort of thing.

But nine times out of ten the person that plants them either gets fed up with clipping them or, if they move house the new people don't bother then they become a menace.

Then you will get the other sort, those that know exactly what they are like and plant them deliberately either through spite, or dislike for their neighbours, or pig-headedness.

One of my friends neighbours moved away and when the new ones moved in they proceeded to plant a hedge of these front and back. He clipped them for only one year and then left them to their own devices. They soon reached eight feet at the front and reached the bottom of her upstairs windows at the back.

She lost most of the light at the front, along with most of her plants and, at the back had to have her downstairs lights on all day. When she asked her neighbour to trim, yes only trim, them his attitude was, this is my house, this is my hedge, and I will do as I please and he did not clip them.

She had this for four years and had to stand by and watch treasured plants succumb to lack of light and moisture. He had threatened her with court if she tried to trim them herself. It was only when he moved out and she got new neighbours that would talk to her and listen to her reasonably that the problem was finally resolved, they cut them down.

The difference is amazing, you can actually sit in her lounge without the lights on during the day and, she is now getting plants to grow again.

There has been much in the media of late about people who allow these
trees to overgrow sometimes, ruining their neighbours plants and lives. I understand the government was considering legislation to compel people to limit the size of these trees when used as hedging, but I don't know how far this went.

These trees are not my cup of teaa anyway but, I would not dream of allowing my hedge to interfere with the light going into other peoples homes and gardens.

I would never recommend these to anyone unless they live in a stately home with enough grounds to allow them to grow as nature intended without interfering with anyone else.