Beech hedges

[juniperhillfarm]

Has anyone had success in planing beech whips for hedging in the northeast (zone 5-ish)?

It seems our British collegues love beech hedges, and I do too, but I rarely see them in the US, and it is very hard to find plants. I have recently come upon some sources for both european and american beech, but the growers become speechless when I start discussing them as hedges. I can't buy them if they are too large.

If not beech, other deciduous ideas (other than privet)?

Regards,

Paula

[The Helpful Gardener]

They're also mad for Carpinus or hornbeam, and we have a native form of that (that friends tell me they are working on a hedge of at the Mt Cuba Center). That'd be neat and problem free (tough tree and pretty flowers; ours is known as hop hornbeam, because of the hop-like flower)

HG