How to choose and grow hedge plants

When it comes to getting bang for your landscaping buck, you can’t go past screening and hedge plants. Hedges can also be just about any size or style to suit your needs, and if you grow them in pots or troughs, they’re renter-friendly, too. Here’s how to select the right plants for your place and keep them in good shape.

What are the benefits of garden hedges and screening plants?

They serve so many purposes and provide multiple benefits, including:

• Giving you height and privacy a fence can’t achieve
• Creating garden ‘rooms’
• Defining boundaries, such as between the front yard and street
• Reduce the impact of prevailing winds and weather
• Provide shade from harsh sun (if tall)
• Offer more fragile plants protection
• Provide a habitat for wildlife
• Create new planting opportunities by creating sheltered shade zones
• Improve acoustics by muffling street and neighbour noise
• Block out an uninspiring view, or cover an unattractive wall or fence

Tip: Always wear the appropriate safety equipment (safety glasses, gloves, ear muffs and a mask, for example) and always follow the instructions for the product or equipment.

Frequently asked questions and answers: A guide to hedge trimming and pruning

Tom Gleeson, horticulturist with Protea Landscapes has these answers for looking after hedges and screens.

What are the best tools for hedge trimming?

Always use sharp and clean tools such as hedge shears and hedge trimmers to avoid torn leaves and browning leaf edges.

How do I get clean, even hedge lines?

For the best finish, trim back to the same line every time. This helps create the bushiest growth and avoids the hedge slowly creeping up in height or out in width.

How do I help my hedges grow evenly?

Trim on a regular basis to avoid cutting into older wood that is slower to reshoot with new growth.

What’s the secret to healthy looking hedges?

Regular feeding, at least every 3–6 months, is critical for bushy growth and to encourage recovery from regular pruning.

What’s the difference between a hedge and a screen?

Although the terms are often used interchangeably, it’s fair to say that nearly all hedges are screens but not all screens are hedges. So, what’s the difference?

Hedges: Generally continuous rows of the same plant, hedge plants are tightly grown and heavily maintained, they have a dense appearance. Often, they’ll also totally block a view, providing a higher level of privacy. Screens could be only two or three plants, or even just one, rather than a continuous run.

Screens: These are looser but still allow glimpses through while breaking or softening the view. Horticulturist Tom Gleeson recommends reading the plant labels to check the width when mature. “Using that width as a spacing guide may lead to a sparse hedge,” he advises. “You may want to space them closer to achieve privacy and density.

How to choose hedge plants

Deciding on the right plants for your hedge or screen is really just a process of asking the right questions.

• What is the aspect: is it sunny, shady, windy?
• Are there any extreme prevailing conditions such as coastal winds, salt air or heavy winter frosts?
• What are the soil conditions? Good garden soil, clay-based or sandy?
• What are you looking for? Full hedging blockout or relaxed screen?
• How tall would you like it to ultimately grow?
• Do you want a fine texture with small leaves, or bolder, with larger leaves?
• Is there anything special you’d like, such as flowers or foliage colour?

What are some popular hedge and screening plants in Australia?

Here’s our pick of the top hedging and screening plants.

1. Sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua spp) A true flowering hedge, sasanquas are available in sizes from 1m to over 3m. Left unpruned, they’ll form a loose screen; pruned, a dense hedge. They grow in full sun through to part shade. In hotter regions, protect from western sun; in cooler zones, from the most extreme weather.


2. Photinia (Photinia cultivars, ‘red tip’ forms) A very robust hedging plant which generally grows to around 2m tall. A major attribute is the vibrant red new foliage – look for varieties such as ‘Red Robin’. Photinia can tolerate cold to around -10 degrees Celsius. In the sub-tropics, it may need protection from hot afternoon sun.


3. Viburnum (Viburnum spp) This versatile and generally fast-growing hedge suits a wide range of situations and climates. For warmer areas, choose the large-leafed V. odoratissium cultivars, known as sweet viburnum. For cooler zones, the smaller-leafed V. tinus cultivars are safe to at least -10 degrees Celsius.


4. Pittosporum (Pittosporum spp) Very attractive as a smaller-foliage hedge or screen, this fast-growing plant can tower above 4m but takes well to pruning. Varieties such as ‘Silver Sheen’ have a lovely touch of silver and P. tenuifolium varieties tolerate cold well. They do need excellent drainage to avoid root rot.


5. Lilly pillies (Syzygium spp, Acmena spp) Lilly pillies are robust and versatile. They have attractive foliage, often in hues of bronze, reds or pinks, and take very well to even hard pruning. Most produce fluffy ‘powder puff’ flowers followed by wildlife-friendly berries. Syzygium australe ‘Resilience’ is one of the most reliable and problem-free varieties. 


6. Heliconia (Heliconia spp) Fabulous screening plants in tropical, sub-tropical and frost-free, sheltered temperate gardens. Some can spread, so go for a clumping variety such as the popular Heliconia bihai x caribaea ‘Hot Rio Nights’, which can grow to around 3-4m in 12 months. 

Keep in mind…

• Take care when selecting your plants, as some can be poisonous to children and pets.
• Store all garden chemicals and products out of reach of children and pets.
• Wear gloves and a mask when pruning, along with long sleeves, as the leaves and sap of some plants can be a skin irritant and/or cause allergic reactions.
• Check suitability of plants for your region, as some may be classified as weeds in certain states and territories.

Looking for more ways to create privacy in your yard?

Check out these creative screening ideas for an outdoor oasis.

Photo credit: Sue Stubbs, Adobe Stock.

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