Hedging plants provide a variety of benefits in the garden. They can screen out a bad view or a nosy neighbour, define a garden bed, give structure to different areas of the garden or just discourage people from trampling where they shouldn’t.
When it comes to choosing the right plant for a hedge, the choice can be overwhelming. Fortunately, there’s a wide variety of plants native to Australia that make perfect hedges.
General tips
Consider the eventual size of your plant. You can find this either on the plant label or online. For a denser hedge that’s quicker to form, consider planting a little closer together than the eventual size of the plant. This will mean the plants conjoin into one mass of greenery sooner, but will also require more regular pruning and fertilising than if planted further apart.
Before planting, measure and space your plants evenly. It sounds pedantic but will pay dividends later, as the human eye will snag on anything short of uniformity.
Regular pruning will create uniform, dense growth. This is ideal if you want a formal block of greenery, but if you’re after a softer, more informal look consider pruning more irregularly.
Tip pruning the soft, leafy ends of the branches will ensure the plant responds with lush, full growth. Avoid cutting deeper into the hard wood of the plant, as it is unlikely to regrow more foliage from these cuts.
Plants in hedges not only have to endure regular clipping, they face increased competition from their neighbours in the hedge. To help with this fertilise in spring, when the plants are putting on the most growth.
Syzygium/lilly pilly
There are 52 species native to Australia and various cultivars bred to perform in particular ways in the home garden. Generally they are large shrubs to small trees, with lush subtropical soft foliage held densely; ideal for hedging.
Syzygium are hedging classics in Australian gardens. Their adaptable nature and dense foliage means they offer a lot to home gardeners looking for a classic hedge look that’s easy to clip.
There are heaps of different cultivars to choose from that provide different heights, foliage colours and growth rates. In general they’ll do better when mulched and with a bit of supplementary irrigation over the drier months. Psyllids and beetles are a perennial pest problem, but modern cultivars have been bred for resistance.
Dodonea viscosa/sticky hop bush
Dodonaea viscosa is a dense, attractive large shrub with sticky, leathery foliage and small ornamental seed pods in summer. It’s fast growing and reliable, and perfect for a dense screen to around two metres. The foliage changes colour seasonally, creating a feature. It will reliably perform in windy, coastal sites.
True to its adaptability, it’s widely distributed in Australia and found in every state and territory.
There are cultivars that have been bred specifically for purple foliage or a more uniform flat-green look.
Correa glabra
Correa glabra is great low-maintenance shrub that will get to around two metres in the home garden.
It’s hardy and provides a dense, lime-green look with finely textured foliage. It’s adapted to growing under trees, so is a good choice for getting some greenery into that tricky situation. It also attracts birds to its tubular, cream-white flowers. A light trim occasionally will stop it getting straggly and open.
Hibiscus heterophyllus/native rosella
Hibiscus heterophyllus, also known as native rosella, is a species of hibiscus that is native to NSW and Queensland. It grows as a shrub or small tree with large textured leaves and there are various cultivars available at nurseries that will produce yellow, orange, pink or white flowers.
Despite its tropical appearance, it’s a tough plant that will handle drought and coastal conditions. It also responds well to an annual hard prune, making it ideal for an informal, low-maintenance hedge with a show-stopping flowering event.
Do you have a favourite Australian native plant? Why not share your opinion in the comments section below?
Also read: Four hard to kill indoor plants
