A busy little habitat
A HEDGEROW is far more than a row of bushes — it's a whole habitat full of life, and this word search gathers it. You'll be finding the woody BRAMBLE and HAWTHORN, the stinging NETTLE and climbing IVY, the bright HOLLY, and the TANGLE of TWIGS that gives so many creatures SHELTER along the country LANE.
Each puzzle pulls a fresh selection from the list, so the hedge changes every time you play — gentle on Easy, and a thicker tangle once the diagonals and backwards words appear on Hard.
Berries, birds and little creatures
The hedgerow feeds and houses all sorts of wildlife, and the words are here. In autumn it's heavy with BERRIES and ripe BLACKBERRY fruit, and in spring it bursts with green BUDS. A snuffling HEDGEHOG, a tiny VOLE and a quick MOUSE shelter in the BUSH below, while a SPARROW, a WREN, a ROBIN and many another BIRD build a NEST in the branches — and a FOX slips quietly along the LANE at dusk.
Tiny corridors of wildlife
A HEDGEROW might look like just an untidy line of bushes, but it's one of the most valuable habitats in the countryside. Many were planted centuries ago to mark fields and keep animals in, and over time they've become long, living 'wildlife corridors' — safe leafy highways that let a HEDGEHOG, VOLE, MOUSE or FOX travel from one wood to another without crossing open ground where predators could spot them. A single old hedgerow can be home to hundreds of different species.
The hedge is also a year-round larder. In spring its BUDS and flowers feed insects; in autumn the HAWTHORN berries and ripe BLACKBERRY fruit on the BRAMBLE feed birds and mammals fattening up for winter; and its dense, thorny TANGLE makes a safe place for a SPARROW, WREN or ROBIN to build a NEST. Even the stinging NETTLE is useful, feeding butterfly caterpillars. That's why hedgerows are protected and replanted today — and why they make such a rich nature and habitats topic.
Great for a habitats topic
It's a great fit for a nature or habitats lesson — Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words. Play online, print a PDF pack, or use Make Your Own to build a grid from your own hedgerow words.
Frequently asked questions
What's in the Hedgerow word search?
The life of the hedgerow — the bramble, hawthorn, nettle, ivy and holly, ripe blackberries and berries, plus creatures like the hedgehog, vole, mouse and fox, and birds like the sparrow, wren and robin. Each puzzle uses a fresh mix.
Which hedgerow wildlife can you find?
Plants like the BRAMBLE, HAWTHORN, NETTLE, IVY and HOLLY with ripe BLACKBERRY BERRIES, plus creatures like the HEDGEHOG, VOLE, MOUSE and FOX, and birds like the SPARROW, WREN and ROBIN.
Is it good for a habitats topic?
Great fit for a nature or habitats lesson. Easy mode keeps the grid small with no diagonals or reverse words.