Griselinia hedges are among the most popular choices for New Zealand gardens thanks to their fast growth, lush evergreen foliage, and ability to thrive in coastal and windy conditions. This guide covers everything you need to know to successfully grow and maintain a Griselinia hedge — from planting tips and spacing, to pruning and long-term care — so you can enjoy a tidy, green boundary all year round.
Griselinia hedges, prized for their vibrant green foliage, require regular trimming to maintain their shape and density. This series of articles provides sound advice on Griselinia hedge trimming.
Griselinia littoralis plants can be made bushy by a “tipping” the stems. That is, pinch out the end bud on each stem and this will stimulates the lower buds to sprout. The same principle occurs when plants are lightly trimmed, as this also removes the bud at the end. The reason it stimulates growth is due to a hormone the bud produces which prevents the others from sprouting.
Further information on how to grow Griselinias well, how to care for them, resolving issues, and more can be found in The Plant Company’s expert advice section. The suite of expert advice articles about Griselinia are short and well worth the read if you want amazing plants.
Griselinias make amazing formal hedges (i.e., trimmed) and to create an outstanding hedge, space plants 50-100 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted. Similarly, space plants closely if you want a dense hedge quickly (i.e., 50 cm apart).
Variety selection is very important as not all varieties grow as tall as each other. Check out The Plant Company's range of Griselinia varieties to make sure you get the right one. We have taken great care to provide accurate information and detail about how each one grows. The varieties most commonly used for a formal hedge are Broadway Mint, Ardmore Emerald, and Gecko Green.
It is important to understand that the hedge is generally pruned in winter with about 10-15% of the exterior vegetation removed. The amount removed depends on how much you need to contain the hedge. The best Griselinia hedges are trimmed again during summer. The notion being that the trimming is little and often to keep the plants dense and lush. That said, they still look good with once-a-year trimming.
The hedge width can be anywhere from 50 cm to 1.5m for Griselinia. Narrower hedges will take more regular trimming than wider ones, however. Work out the maximum width you want the hedge to grow to before trimming as you plan the planting. Trimming is generally 5-10 cm back from that outer width and allowing for a centre of at least 30 cm.
Griselinias make amazing informal hedges (i.e., minimally trimmed) and to create an outstanding hedge, space plants 50-75 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted. Similarly, space plants closely if you want a dense hedge quickly (50 cm apart).
Variety selection is very important as not all varieties grow as tall as each other. Check out our range of Griselinia varieties to make sure you get the right one. The Plant Company has taken great care to provide accurate information and detail about how each one grows. The varieties often used for informal hedges are Griselinia lucida, Canterbury, Whenuapai, and Gecko Green.
The hedge can be trimmed as little or as much as you want given it is the informality you are wanting. Sometimes, however, it is the natural shape of the plants that clients are after but still with the hedge closing in to a large extent. In these situations, The Plant Company recommends spacing plants 1-1.5 m apart, though they will take longer to close together in this situation.
Griselinia hedges are a popular choice for gardeners seeking a vibrant, low-maintenance, and versatile hedging solution in NZ. This evergreen shrub, native to New Zealand, boasts glossy, apple-green leaves that provide year-round interest and a lush backdrop for any garden. The dense foliage makes it ideal for creating privacy screens, windbreaks, or simply adding structure to your landscape.
A Griselinia hedge can be kept to a height anywhere from 50 cm to 2.5 m tall. The shorter the hedge, the more frequently it will need to be trimmed to keep it contained, however. The Plant Company has provided details of how big each of Griselinia Varieties will grow with normal growing conditions. If you take the maximum height it grows to and deduct 10-15%, that will give you the maximum height you could achieve as a nice hedge.
The Plant Company recommends that if you are opting for a low hedge, choose a smaller leaved variety. The best options here are either Gecko Green or Canterbury.
Griselinia are the most popular hedge plants in NZ with Broadway Mint being the standout variety. The lush and dense, fresh green, glossy foliage is what makes Griselinia Broadway Mint so popular.
The popularity of Griselinia for hedging is not just the foliage but also because they are also fast growing. An attractive privacy screen can be created in just a few years. Once established, they require minimal watering and infrequent trimming. They can be kept at heights between 75 cm and 2 m tall, depending on the variety. Adding to that, they are NZ native plants that can tolerate wind, salt spray, and a wide range of soil conditions.
The key to an amazing Griselinia hedge is good drainage. They will fail or perform poorly if they are in prolonged wet conditions. If you can get the drainage right, they are pretty much bullet proof! If drainage is an issue, opt for a Corokia or Coprosma hedge.
When planting the hedge, space the Griselinia plants 40-50 cm apart. If you try and go any wider, you will struggle to fill out the bottom of the hedge properly. Also, at this spacing, the plants will push each other upwards, so you end up with a dense hedge faster. If you have purchased larger grade plants that are about 1 m tall and have been manicured so they are bushy already, the spacing can go to 1 m apart.
The Plant Company has several Griselinia Varieties and based on our experience the most popular are presented below in order of popularity:
Griselinia Broadway Mint. This variety features smaller, mint-green leaves that create a softer, more delicate feel compared to the classic Griselinia littoralis. It grows slightly slower and reaches a maximum height of around 3 metres, making it ideal for hedging to sizes ranging from 1-2 m tall.
Griselinia Ardmore Emerald. Ardmore Emerald features lush and glossy emerald-green leaves which add a touch of elegance and sophistication to any garden. It is perfect for hedges 1-2 m tall.
Griselinia littoralis. Griselinia littoralis features small, green leaves held densely. It grows to a maximum height of around 4 metres, making it ideal for hedging to sizes ranging from 1.5-3 m tall.
Griselinia littoralis 'Canterbury'. Canterbury boasts a finer texture among the various Griselinia varieties. The smaller smaller, deep green leaves are held on dark stems and create an elegant display. It is perfect for hedges 75 cm to 1.5 m tall.
Griselinia littoralis 'Whenuapai'. Whenuapai has dark green, oval-shaped leaves and a naturally more upright growth habit than the other Griselinia varieties. It's perfect for formal hedges and requires less frequent pruning to maintain its shape. It can reach up to 3 meters tall and 2.5 meters wide, and suits hedges 1-2 m tall.
Griselinia 'Gecko Green'. Gecko Green is a newer variety of Griselinia and ever increasing in popularity. It features glossy emerald-green leaves that adds a sense of lushness to any garden. It is perfect for hedges 75 cm to 1.5 m tall.
Griselinia lucida is often grown as an informal Griselinia hedge. That is, it is not trimmed in the same manner as a normal hedge, but more pruned to shape. This is because the large and glossy leaves can look untidy if cut in half which would occur with trimming. To trim Griselinia lucida, simply cut the stems off to achieve the shape you are wanting. A somewhat “formal” hedge can still be created in this manner if that is the desired outcome, but it will take more time than with other hedges.
With their combination of beautiful foliage, dense foliage, and ease of care, the Griselinia varieties are a fantastic choice for hedging.
Griselinias make amazing hedges (both formal and informal) and to create an outstanding hedge The Plant Company recommends spacing them 50 cm apart. The faster you want the hedge to fill in, the closer they should be planted is the general rule. With this planting regime they will close in quickly and also push each other upwards as they compete for light. The result is a fabulous hedge every time.
You can go out to 75 cm if the budget is tight but that will often result in a gap at the bottom between plants which is hard to fill. The gap results from the natural vase shape with which these plants grow. In this situation opt for smaller grade sizes and plant more of them rather than going with bigger plants as this will make the money go further and produce a better result in the longer term.
If 25L grades (or bigger) are purchased which are 1m tall and lush, you can space these 75 cm apart without issue. These grades have generally been manicured to ensure they are bushy to the base and will therefore branch and fill in more easily.
The plant spacing for a Griselinia lucida hedge is generally 50-60 cm apart for plants that are 30-40 cm tall already. Larger plants that have been manicured can be placed at wider spacings. The professional advice behind spacing, establishing a Griselinias hedge, and anything else you would ever want to know can be found in our suite of expert advice articles about Griselinia.
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