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’

If you need a quick screen, the Sweet Viburnum is one of the fastest hedging plants. It can reach a height of four metres and pruning twice a year will ensure a great, compact hedge. Small clusters of white flowers appear in the warmer months but it is the large, bright green leaves that are the main attraction of this plant. A very dense grower!

 

Japanese Buxus

Considered to be one of the most popular hedging plants around the world, the Japanese Box is commonly used for formal hedging due to its dense growth habit and evergreen foliage. It responds well to clipping and will reach a maximum height of 1.5 metres. Japanese Box is a hardy plant that grows exceptionally well in Sydney and is low maintenance. Its glossy, green foliage and lack of flowers mean it will work well with almost every other plant.

 

Murraya Paniculata

If you’re after some sweet smelling flowers, look no further. Another winner amongst hedging plants, Murraya’s produce tiny white, star-shaped flowers in the warmer months. They will fill your garden with a beautiful perfume and have dark green foliage all year with light green, new growth. The leaves are much smaller than the Sweet Viburnum but larger than the Japanese Buxus. It can be easily pruned and kept to any desired height. Maximum height of 3 metres.

 

Syzygium ‘Resilience’ Lilly Pilly

A native shrub, the ‘Resilience’ is a fairly new and popular addition to the Lilly Pilly family. This variety is Psyllid resistant, meaning it will not succumb to the scaly disease that most other Lilly Pilly suffer from. It has glossy, pale green foliage with reddish bronze new growth. It produces edible berries and white, fluffy flowers which attract native birds and bees. ‘Resilience’ is drought and frost tolerant and if left unclipped, it can reach a height of 5 metres.

 

Gardenia Florida

Prized by florists for their magnificent smell, Gardenia Florida produce double, creamy-white flowers throughout Summer and Autumn. It is a small to medium shrub, which can reach 1 metre in height, making it ideal for a low hedge. The dark green foliage provides a great contrast with its flowers and they work well in any style of garden. Florida’s can tolerate part shade and will grow to 1.5 metres.

 

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!

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