For UK garden centres and landscaping companies buying hedging plants at trade volumes, sourcing direct from the growing nursery rather than from an importer or wholesaler changes more than just the price. It changes the provenance of the material, the consistency of supply between repeat orders, and the quality of the information available before an order is placed.
Vivai Reali is a producing nursery in Pistoia, Italy, supplying hedging plants direct to trade buyers across the UK, Ireland and continental Europe since 1978.
The Difference Between a Grower and an Intermediary
When you buy hedge plants in bulk from an intermediary (an importer, a wholesale distributor) you are buying from their catalogue, not from the nursery’s field. The intermediary’s stock is assembled from multiple sources, sometimes unnamed. Calibre consistency within a delivery, and between repeat deliveries of the same variety, depends on how carefully the intermediary manages its sourcing, which the buyer rarely has visibility into.
When you buy direct from a growing nursery:
- The plants in your order have been grown by the same nursery that is invoicing you
- Calibre and quality consistency within a batch is the nursery’s own production standard, not a patchwork of multiple growers
- The same order repeated next season comes from the same production system
- You have direct contact with the team that knows the current state of the crop
Vivai Reali grows 90–95% of its catalogue in-house, across 30 hectares of production in Pistoia. The remaining 5–10% comes from a selected network of partner nurseries operating to the same quality standards.
Hedging Species Available in Bulk
Taxus baccata (English Yew)
The formal hedging species with the longest track record in the UK landscape. Slow-growing, dense, exceptionally long-lived. Tolerates hard pruning. Hardy to Zone 4 (-34°C). Available from transplant size to large established hedging specimens.
Specified for estate gardens, hotel grounds, formal commercial landscaping and public realm schemes where permanence and long-term quality matter more than speed of establishment.
Photinia fraseri
One of the most commercially active hedging species in the European B2B trade, and one of Vivai Reali’s core production lines. The varieties Red Robin, Compacta, Chico and Little Red Robin cover the range from vigorous background hedging to compact ornamental forms suited to garden centre retail and residential planting.
Commercial characteristics: bright red new growth provides year-round colour interest; evergreen; responds well to pruning; fast establishment. Hardy to Zone 7 (-18°C), suited to the UK climate, particularly in regions with mild winters and the majority of residential landscaping contexts.
Strong and consistent demand from UK garden centres, landscaping contractors and residential developers.
Prunus lusitanica (Portugal Laurel)
Broad-leaved evergreen hedging with a more refined appearance than Prunus laurocerasus: darker, glossier foliage, more upright habit, less aggressive growth rate. Reliable establishment across a wide range of UK soil and light conditions. Hardy to Zone 7 (-18°C).
One of the cleanest-looking broadleaf evergreen hedging options in the professional range: suitable for garden centre retail, residential landscaping and formal hedging specifications where the visual quality of the hedge matters as much as the speed of establishment.
Ilex crenata (Japanese Holly)
The established Buxus alternative for hedging and clipped forms. Ilex crenata offers compact, dense evergreen growth with a fine leaf texture similar to Buxus, and is immune to Cydalima perspectalis (box tree moth), which continues to affect Buxus across the UK.
For garden centres and landscaping companies that have reduced or eliminated Buxus from their ranges due to box moth pressure, Ilex crenata is the practical replacement: same compact habit, same pruning response, same use in low borders, edging and clipped hedging. Hardy to Zone 6 (-23°C).
×Cupressocyparis leylandii (Leyland Cypress)
The volume privacy screening species for the UK trade. Fast growth, dense evergreen coverage, tolerant of a wide range of soil types. Competitive pricing at trade volumes.
Consistent demand from UK developers, housing associations, commercial property landscaping contractors and facility management companies with large-scale screening requirements. One of the highest-volume hedging categories in the UK B2B trade.
Elaeagnus ebbingei
A versatile evergreen shrub with exceptional wind and salt tolerance, particularly well suited to exposed coastal positions and urban sites where other hedging species struggle to establish. The compact varieties Compacta and Vivileg are suited to garden centre retail and residential hedge planting; growth is moderate and manageable.
Hardy to Zone 6 (-23°C). Growing demand from landscaping companies and garden centres in coastal markets and exposed urban locations.
Real-Time Stock Availability
One of the practical advantages of buying direct from Vivai Reali is the B2B Stock List on infoplant: real-time availability across all species and size ranges, accessible without requesting a quote or waiting for an email response.
Before placing an order, buyers can check whether the species, container size and quantity they need are currently in stock. This eliminates the discovery at time of order that a key variety is unavailable, a situation that is common when sourcing through intermediaries working from non-transparent aggregated stocks.
Logistics for UK Buyers
Lead time: 1–2 weeks from order confirmation, including phytosanitary certification for UK export. Extended during spring and autumn peak, agreed at order confirmation.
Documentation: Vivai Reali manages phytosanitary certificates and Additional Declarations for all UK consignments. Buyers or their customs agents handle IPAFFS pre-notification on the UK side.
Incoterms: EXW / FCA (ex-nursery, Pistoia) as standard. DAP delivery to UK premises for established partner accounts.
Loads: full and partial loads accommodated. No rigid universal minimums: volume is discussed at the time of order.
Annalisa manages the UK and Irish markets from Vivai Reali’s commercial team, with over 20 years in the role.
Irish Buyers
Republic of Ireland buyers importing hedging plants from Vivai Reali are not subject to BTOM or phytosanitary certificate requirements. Intra-EU plant passport rules apply: simpler, faster, and with no BCP documentation burden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which hedging species does Vivai Reali supply in bulk?
Vivai Reali grows Taxus baccata, Photinia fraseri (Red Robin, Compacta, Chico, Little Red Robin), Prunus lusitanica, Ilex crenata, ×Cupressocyparis leylandii and Elaeagnus ebbingei (Compacta and Vivileg) in Pistoia, for garden centres, landscapers and developers.
Why buy hedge plants direct from the grower rather than an importer?
Because the plants come from the nursery that grows and invoices them: calibre and quality follow a single production standard, and a repeat order next season comes from the same production system. Vivai Reali grows 90–95% of its catalogue in-house on 30 hectares.
What is the best alternative to Buxus for low hedging?
Ilex crenata: compact habit, fine leaf and the same pruning response as Buxus, but immune to box tree moth (Cydalima perspectalis). Hardy to Zone 6 (−23°C).
What documents are needed to import hedging from Vivai Reali into the UK?
Vivai Reali manages the phytosanitary certificate and Additional Declarations for every UK consignment. IPAFFS pre-notification on the UK side is handled by the buyer or their customs agent. Irish buyers follow intra-EU plant passport rules, with no BTOM requirements.
What are the lead times and delivery terms?
1–2 weeks from order confirmation, including phytosanitary certification, extended in spring and autumn peaks. EXW/FCA ex-nursery Pistoia as standard, DAP for established partner accounts. Full and partial loads, no rigid minimums: volume is agreed at the time of order.
Can I get support choosing species, formats and quantities?
Yes. Vivai Reali’s staff are available for information and support on availability, formats, documentation and shipment planning. For enquiries and quotes: contact us.
→ View Stock List: hedging available now
