Our Top 6 Hedging Plants

When it comes to choosing the right hedge, the choices can be overwhelming. Whether you are after privacy or simply want to add a bit of formality to your garden, hedging plants are the way to go. We’ve compiled a list of our 6 favourite/best selling hedging plants to help. A few things to think about before making a choice; What height do you want it to reach? Is the climate suitable? How fast/slow will it grow? Flowers or foliage?

Viburnum Odoratissimum ‘Sweet Viburnum’

Sweet Viburnum is one of the best hedging plants for fast screening, dense greenery, and a lush, polished garden look.

This is a very popular choice because it grows quickly, fills out well, and creates a soft but substantial hedge that works in many Sydney gardens. It is especially useful for people who want privacy without waiting too many years for a hedge to establish. The foliage is glossy and vibrant, which helps the plant look fresh and healthy even when used as a practical screen. Sweet Viburnum also suits both formal and more natural garden styles, depending on how tightly it is pruned. If you want a hedge that gives height, softness, and strong coverage, this is often one of the easiest and most reliable options to start with.

• Great for fast privacy and screening
• Produces a dense, leafy hedge
• Suits both formal and informal shaping
• Strong choice for gardeners wanting quick results

Japanese Buxus

Japanese Buxus is one of the best hedging plants for neat, formal structure and low, tidy borders.

This variety is widely used in gardens that need clean lines and a classic landscaped look. It is especially suited to clipped hedges, edging, and repeated planting where consistency matters more than fast height. Japanese Buxus grows in a compact and controlled way, which makes it easier to shape into a refined hedge without becoming too wild or bulky. It works particularly well in front gardens, along pathways, and around feature beds where the goal is to create order and definition. For homeowners who want a hedge that feels timeless, elegant, and easy to keep looking sharp, Japanese Buxus remains one of the safest and most dependable choices.

• Ideal for formal hedging and structured borders
• Grows in a compact, tidy shape
• Works well along paths, beds, and entrances
• Best for gardeners wanting a classic clipped hedge

Murraya Paniculata

Murraya Paniculata is one of the most versatile hedging plants for privacy, fragrance, and a soft evergreen finish.

Murraya is a favourite because it does more than simply block a view. It creates a dense green screen, responds well to pruning, and also brings seasonal fragrance, which gives the hedge more presence and character than many purely structural plants. This makes it especially attractive for people who want privacy planting that still feels decorative and inviting. It can be shaped into a tidy formal hedge or allowed to sit a little softer for a more relaxed garden look. Murraya suits front and back gardens, boundary lines, and outdoor entertaining areas where greenery needs to feel both practical and appealing. For many homeowners, it offers one of the best balances between screening function and ornamental value.

• Excellent for privacy and boundary planting
• Adds fragrance as well as greenery
• Can be clipped neatly or grown with a softer look
• Strong option for decorative evergreen hedging

Syzygium ‘Resilience’ Lilly Pilly

Syzygium ‘Resilience’ Lilly Pilly is a standout hedging plant for dense screening, glossy foliage, and strong everyday performance.

This variety is especially popular because it gives the lush look people want from a Lilly Pilly hedge while also being practical for regular residential use. It forms a thick screen, has attractive foliage, and works well in gardens where privacy, greenery, and a more contemporary hedge style are all important. It is often chosen for side boundaries, back fences, and wider screening runs where a hedge needs to look full and substantial. The name itself signals one of its key advantages: it is selected for being a tougher and more reliable option, which makes it attractive to homeowners who want a beautiful hedge without unnecessary stress. For a modern Sydney hedge, this is one of the strongest all-round performers.

• Great for thick, glossy privacy hedges
• Creates a lush and modern garden look
• Suits larger screening runs and boundary lines
• Popular for being a reliable Lilly Pilly option

Gardenia Florida

Gardenia Florida is a beautiful hedging plant for low borders, soft structure, and fragrant garden detail.

This is not the hedge people usually choose for tall privacy, but it is an excellent option when the goal is to create a more decorative, sensory, and refined garden edge. Gardenia Florida works especially well in lower hedging, around paths, near entries, or in spaces where fragrance and flowering value matter just as much as shape. The evergreen foliage keeps the plant useful outside flowering periods, while the blooms add a richer garden feel when in season. It is best thought of as a feature hedge rather than a hard-working tall screen. For homeowners who want their hedge to contribute beauty and atmosphere as well as structure, Gardenia Florida is a very appealing choice.

• Best for low decorative hedging
• Adds fragrance and flowering appeal
• Suits entryways, paths, and feature areas
• Ideal when beauty matters as much as structure

Photinia Red Robin

What sets the ‘Red Robin’ apart from the other plants on this list is its foliage. Instead of just green, the Photinia has stunning, bright red, new growth, which looks amazing against the dark green foliage. Regular pruning will result in an abundance of red leaves. It is fast growing and suitable for warm climates. White flowers appear in Spring and it can reach a height of 3 metres.   This has hopefully given you a good introduction into hedging plants. It may be helpful to look at some images of each of the above mentioned varieties, to get an idea of what they will grow to look like. Given the popularity of these lines, we tend to have them in stock all year round, in multiple sizes from budget friendly tubestock, to advanced plants that will make an instant hedge. Feel free to email us for size recommendations or spacing suggestions. A few things to remember in order to achieve the perfect hedge no matter what plant you choose…

1. Prune after flowering to maintain shape and encourage a bushy growing habit
2. Fertilise regularly during the growing period
3. Keep the water up on days of extreme heat or wind no matter how mature the plants are!
4. Ensure there is an adequate amount of sunlight in the area you are planting the hedge

Happy Planting! Discover your Plant Nursery Dural and Dural Garden Centre here today!