Landscape Designer’s 6 Best Hedge Plants

Growth Rate.  It's understandable to want a quick fix when planting a privacy hedge or screen, however, the best hedge plants are often moderate growers.

Good advice I give to my landscape design clients is to think long-term when it comes to hedges.

Tempting as it is to select a fast-growing hedge species such as Syzygium (aka  Eugenia ventenatii or Lilypily) when you are desperate to quickly screen out pesky neighbours or a neighbouring eyesore that is marring the beauty of your landscape, consider the long-term maintenance implications.

Your leafy screen may quickly soar to the often desired 2.5m metres high; however, it won't then stop. Regular trimming will be needed, and you may soon find yourself a slave to the hedge trimmers, as that Syzygium (aka  Eugenia ventenatii /Lilypily hedge may need pruning 2-3 times a year!

Garden help can be outsourced, but a hedge over three metres is a tricky beast to manage and may be classed as 'trees' by your landscaper or gardener, triggering extra health and safety measures / additional expense to keep it to the desired height.

A moderate grower, while slower to establish, will prove less demanding in the long run. 

Suitability. The best hedges are also happy hedges. Good landscape designers always select hedge plants from species that will thrive, or at the very least tolerate, the growing conditions on-site. If you know what to look for, plants give visual clues as to their environmental or situation tolerances. For example:

• The most suitable hedges for coastal sites will often have what looks like a furry coating on the underside of the leaves. These fine hairs are known as tomentosum and they often give the foliage a silvery look. Tomentosum provides foliage with a layer of protection from salt-laden winds.

  So, you can tell the best hedges for full sun or arid landscape situations, as they also typically have silvery, green foliage (think Olives & Corokia). This can be a waxy silver coating which helps reflect intense sun or that thicker silver 'fuzz' to help with drought as the silver fuzz ( that's right - tomentosum) catches rainfall and moistens the plant's cells.

• Thick, shiny leaves are another visual clue that a hedge plant is suited to dry or windy conditions. Plants with shiny leaves have a waxy coating. This gives protection against certain environmental factors (such as salt and wind) by creating a barrier, and can help the plant retain moisture in hot environments as the coatings can help deflect the rays of the sun, stopping the plant from transpiring too quickly. That’s why these thick leaves are also often moisture-filled.

• The best hedges for shade are often those with large leaves which can trap light energy for photosynthesis in a place where light levels are low, such as below trees or on the shadier side of the house. 
  

Foliage size. Another thing landscape designers consider while determining the best hedge plants for a landscape project is foliage size. Especially if a low-maintenance hedge is required. A quick whizz over with the electric or battery hedge trimmers doesn't take too long, but unless you don't mind the look of slightly gnawed edges, anything with a largish leaf such as the popular NZ native Psedopanax 'Cyril Watson' (Fivefinger) really needs to be hand pruned or at the very least tip pruned with secateurs. 

Aesthetics. The best hedges also look fantastic. Landscape designers all have their favourites, and I'm a big fan of trusty old Camellias for hedging; large-leaved japonicas for shade and dry, and the brighter green sasanquas for sunnier spots. Both types have flossy foliage, gorgeous flowers and a dense, thick habit that's not too demanding on the labour front. Of course, I'm not the only designer who thinks Camellias makes one of the best hedges, so if this is already done to death on your street and you want something different for your landscape, then here are my designer picks of other less common options for you to consider.