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best low hedge plants

Low hedges are the perfect way to define borders, create pathways, and add structure to your garden without losing sightlines or sunlight. Whether you’re looking for a classic formal look or something with a more relaxed, informal appeal, the right selection of low hedge plants can transform your outdoor space. In New Zealand’s varied climate, there are many reliable and attractive options that excel as low-growing hedges. Explore the best low hedge plants for easy-care, evergreen structure and year-round interest.

Euonymus 'Emerald Gem'

Euonymus 'Emerald Gem' is a hardy, evergreen shrub admired for its dense, compact form and glossy dark green foliage. With its neat rounded shape, it provides year round structure and colour in NZ gardens. This versatile plant is ideal for low hedging, borders, or container growing.

Buy Euonymus 'Emerald Gem'

From $24.77

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Shrubs

Height: 75 cm

Spread: 75 cm

Flowering time: Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy

Garden uses: Borders, Containers, Hedging, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Patios, Pool areas, Topiary

Garden styles: Alpine, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern, Rock

Westringia 'Aussie Box'

Westringia 'Aussie Box' is a compact evergreen shrub prized for its dense bright green foliage, naturally rounded habit, and small white flowers that appear throughout much of the year. Its neat growth makes it an excellent alternative to traditional box hedging and is perfect for formal gardens, borders, containers, and low hedges.

Buy Westringia 'Aussie Box'

From $18.95

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Shrubs

Height: 90 cm

Spread: 90 cm

Flowering time: Spring, Summer

Tolerances: Coastal, Extended dry periods, Hardy, Wind

Garden uses: Borders, Containers, Hedging, Living areas, Paths & Steps, Pool areas, Topiary

Garden styles: Alpine, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Mediterranean, Modern, Rock

What Makes a Plant Suitable for Low Hedges?

The best low hedge plants are compact, naturally bushy, and respond well to trimming. They should hold their foliage densely and cope well with regular shaping. Evergreen varieties are popular for consistent colour, but seasonal flower interest or bright foliage can add another dimension to your garden design.

Top Choices for Low Hedging

Ilex crenata Helleri

A favourite for low, neat hedges, Ilex crenata Helleri is sometimes called Japanese holly. Its fine, dark green leaves and dense branching habit make it the perfect alternative to box hedging. This robust shrub tolerates clipping and thrives in a range of soils, making it one of the best low hedge plants for both formal parterres and informal borders.

Pittosporum 'Stephens Island' (Dwarf Karo)

Native to New Zealand, Pittosporum 'Stephens Island' (Dwarf Karo) offers silver-green foliage that brings a fresh look to low hedges. This compact Pittosporum grows well in coastal and windy sites and is exceptional for low shelter planting with a naturally tidy shape that responds beautifully to trimming.

Lonicera 'Honey Hedge Lime'

If you love the idea of fast growth and scent, Lonicera 'Honey Hedge Lime' is an excellent option. This honeysuckle forms a dense, lime-green hedge in no time and is surprisingly easy to keep under control. Hardy and tolerant of varied conditions, it’s one of the best low hedge plants for filling space quickly and creating fragrance near seating areas or paths.

Brunfelsia pauciflora Scent sational

For colour and scent through the seasons, consider Brunfelsia pauciflora Scent sational (Yesterday Today Tomorrow Plant). This compact shrub features a succession of violet, lavender, and white blooms that not only look striking but also bring delightful fragrance to your low hedge. It is perfect where you want both a floral display and a clipped edge to a border.

Viburnum Hedge Master

For a more traditional look, Viburnum Hedge Master is a robust, evergreen choice for low to medium hedging. It provides dense growth, glossy foliage, and seasonal clusters of creamy white flowers. It works well as a low formal hedge lining pathways or separating garden rooms.

Tips for Growing Low Hedges Successfully

To get the most from the best low hedge plants, always start with strong, healthy plants and space them carefully according to their mature spread. Trim lightly and often to encourage density, water well during establishment, and feed annually with a slow-release fertiliser for lush growth. Mulching will help retain moisture, especially important for young hedges over summer.

Low hedges are a brilliant way to bring order and beauty to almost any garden, and with the right plants, your hedge will look fantastic with minimal effort all year round.

Contact us

Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.

best low hedge plants

Euonymus 'Emerald Gem'

Westringia 'Aussie Box'

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What Makes a Plant Suitable for Low Hedges?