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Conservation Hedgerows for the Southwest

By Katherine Favor, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist 

“Kill two birds with one stone” — isn’t it time this old adage got an update? Instead of killing two birds with one stone, why don’t we save two birds with one hedgerow? And protect soil from erosion while we’re at it? And protect plants from wind damage, too? And do a bunch of other great things that benefit humans, animals, and the environment? When it comes to achieving multiple goals at once, conservation hedgerows are a shining example.  

Conservation hedgerows are an agroforestry practice defined by NRCS as “dense woody vegetation planted in a linear design to achieve a natural resource conservation purpose” (NRCS, 2021). Hedgerows are one of those agroforestry practices that don’t fit neatly into any one of the five recognized temperate agroforestry practices, but rather, that fall under that ambiguous category of “additional applications.”  NRCS often uses the term conservation hedgerows, the USDA National Agroforestry Center often uses the term windbreaks, and both agencies often use the term conservation buffers to describe variations of this practice. While all these terms do have nuanced differences, the practices have the same general characterization: they are all linear rows of woody perennials planted to achieve a conservation purpose. At the end of the day, no matter what you want to call them, trees planted in a linear fashion around the edges of your farm can serve many functions (Bentrup, 2008;  [1]Smukler et al., 2010Wilcox and Murphy, 1985): 

If you’re thinking about planting a hedgerow, the first thing you’ll want to do is think about your goals, so that you can select a species mix and a design layout that is right for you. Is your main goal to provide habitat to pollinators so you don’t have to import bees? If so, you’ll want to choose a wide variety of hedgerow plants that flower at all different times of the year. Is your goal to create a windbreak and reduce erosion? If so, you’ll want to add some tall trees to your mix, and you’ll want to plant your hedgerows in staggered rows with a close spacing, so that your final foliage density is around 50-65%. Evaluating your goals and deciding what you want to get out of your hedgerow is always step one.  

Once you evaluate your goals, it’s time to choose your species. There are many species that can be used for hedgerow plantings in the West and Southwest. It’s important to contact your local NRCS field office for specific recommendations, but examples of hedgerow plants for arid southwestern regions include elderberry (Sambucus spp.), redbud (Cercis Canadensis), New Mexican privet (Forestiera spp.), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), American plum (Prunus americana), dogwood (Cornus spp.), willow (Salix spp.), yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria), cottonwood (Populus spp.), serviceberry (Amelanchier spp.), toyon (Heteromeles arbutifolia), and velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina), to name a few. The species you choose will depend on a variety of factors, but good rules of thumb are as follows:  

Once you’ve got your species selected, the next step is to decide how you want to lay out your hedgerow. Consider the following:  

Now it’s time to get them in the ground! When you’re planting your hedgerows, make sure to:  

Once your hedgerows are established, it’s important to continue giving them good care. As with all agroforestry systems, hedgerows are intensive, and maintaining them with an intentional and consistent management plan is key. Make sure you:  

If you follow these rules of thumb, you’ll be well on your way to saving many birds with one hedgerow, along with achieving lots of other conservation goals at the same time. For more information about how to start a hedgerow planting, contact NCAT’s Western office at 530-792-7338. 

Related ATTRA Resources: 

A Pictorial Guide to Hedgerow Plants for Beneficial Insects  [2]

Miles of Hedgerows, a California Project Update  [3]

Other Resources:  

Trees for Conservation: a buyer’s guide [4], USDA National Agroforestry Center

Working Trees Info: Can Windbreaks do More than Slow the Wind? [5], USDA National Agroforestry Center 

Monarch Nectar Plants Southwest [6], Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation 

This blog is produced by the National Center for Appropriate Technology through the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture program, under a cooperative agreement with USDA Rural Development. ATTRA.NCAT.ORG.