09/01/2026
Ex hedges and windthrow-scroll lower for longer article
🌬️ Why So Many Trees Fell in Storm Goretti 🌳
Its notable that most of the trees blown over locally to my area were actually ex‑hedges — old hedgerows that councils stopped managing years ago. When hedges are abandoned, the individual plants shoot upwards and turn into tall, thin “trees” that were never meant to grow that way.
These ex‑hedge trees become unstable because:
Their roots stay shallow and spread sideways, not deep enough to anchor a tall tree.
Their stems grow thin and weak because they weren’t shaped to support height.
They compete for light, growing spindly with unbalanced crowns.
They never get proper pruning or relaid, so they develop weak forks and heavy tops that catch the wind.
So when a big storm hits, these “accidental trees” are far more prone to windthrow than true woodland trees. It’s a reminder of why regular hedge management matters — and what happens when it’s abandoned or thugged by land managers.
Long article version below
I can't help but notice, walking my village this morning something interesting around my area after Storm Goretti: a huge number of the trees that came down weren’t old woodland giants or parkland trees… they were ex‑hedges.
In ecology, ex‑hedges are simply hedgerows that were once regularly cut, laid, or managed, but have since been abandoned. Instead of staying dense and low, the individual hedge plants are left to shoot upwards, eventually turning into tall, thin, single‑stem “trees” that were never meant to grow that way.
And that’s exactly where the problem starts.
Why ex‑hedges become unstable:
Shallow, one‑sided root systems
Hedge plants evolve under constant trimming. Their roots spread sideways, not deeply, because they were never expected to support a tall canopy. When they suddenly grow upwards for 20–30 years without management, the roots simply can’t anchor them against strong winds.
Weak, narrow stems
A hedge plant growing into a “tree” is like a runner suddenly asked to become a weightlifter. The stem wasn’t built for height or heavy branching, so it becomes tall, thin, and structurally weak.
Crowded competition
In an unmanaged hedge, several stems shoot up together. They grow fast, spindly, and compete for light. This creates trees with poor taper, leaning trunks, and unbalanced crowns — all classic risk factors for windthrow.
No formative pruning
Proper trees are shaped when young. Ex‑hedge trees never get that. They develop multiple weak unions, narrow forks, and heavy tops that catch the wind like sails.
Council abandonment
Many roadside and boundary hedges were once maintained annually. When budgets were cut or management stopped, these hedges were simply left to grow. Decades later, they’ve become tall, unstable “accidental trees” — and storms expose the consequences.
So when Storm Goretti hit, it wasn’t surprising that so many of the fallen trees were ex‑hedges. They look like trees, but they don’t behave like trees. They lack the deep anchoring, balanced structure, and wind‑resistant form that true woodland trees develop over centuries.
If anything, this storm has highlighted the importance of proper hedge management, timely coppicing and or laying, and not letting hedges turn into trees unless they’re intentionally planted and shaped to be stable.
Newquay Town Council Cornwall Council Treloggan Residents Association
