Name: The Plant Company
Address: 284 Meeanee Road, Meeanee, Napier, 4112, New Zealand
Telephone: 0800 843 752
Price range: Contact Us
Rating: 4.8/5

laurel hedge plants

Looking for the ideal option for attractive, dense, and evergreen garden screening? Laurel hedge plants are a popular choice across New Zealand for creating lush, private boundaries and windbreaks. These versatile shrubs bring year-round colour, rapid growth, and excellent resilience, making them perfect for both urban and rural gardens. Whether you need a classic backdrop, a sound barrier, or a textured green wall that’s easy to maintain, laurel hedge plants will suit your needs.

Laurus 'Pride Of Provence' young trees at The Plant Company nursery.

Laurus nobilis Pride of Provence

Laurus nobilis 'Pride of Provence' is a variety of Laurel selected for its compact growth habit. This evergreen tree features lush, glossy, dark green leaves, which are aromatic and somewhat leathery in appearance. Flowers produced in spring are pale yellow-green and result in small and glossy, black berries as it grows to 2 m tall and the same width. Laurus nobilis 'Pride of Provence' is an excellent plant for trimming into a hedge, using as a screening plant, planting as a backdrop for smaller plants, maintaining in a container, or growing as a specimen. The leaves on this variety are the well-known Bay Leaves, and can be used fresh or dry in cooking to add flavour to dishes.

Buy Laurus nobilis Pride of Provence

From $33.68

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Shrubs

Height: 2.00 m

Spread: 2.00 m

Flowering time: Spring

Tolerances: Coastal, Hardy

Garden uses: Containers, Culinary, Hedging, Living areas, Parks, Pool areas, Specimen, Topiary

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

Pittosporum tobira green foliage and elegant white flowers.

Pittosporum tobira (Australian Laurel)

Pittosporum tobira, commonly known as Japanese Pittosporum or mock orange, is a versatile, evergreen shrub prized for its glossy, green foliage and fragrant, white flowers. Native to East Asia, it thrives in New Zealand's climate and is an excellent choice for hedging, borders, or container planting. This hardy plant tolerates coastal conditions, wind, and frost, offering year-round interest with minimal maintenance.

Buy Pittosporum tobira (Australian Laurel)

From $21.53

Suited to regions: All regions

Plant type: Trees

Height: 10.00 m

Spread: 3.00 m

Flowering time: Spring, Summer

Tolerances: Coastal

Garden uses: Containers, Hedging, Living areas, Ponds, Pool areas, Screening

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

Why Choose Laurel Hedge Plants?

Laurel hedge plants are favoured for their glossy green leaves, ability to thrive in various soil types, and fast growth rate. Perfect for hedging, these plants efficiently form thick, impenetrable screens that ensure privacy and shelter for your outdoor spaces. They tolerate trimming well, so you can shape your hedge to suit formal or informal garden styles.

Popular Laurel Varieties for Hedges

There are several standout laurel hedge plants available in New Zealand nurseries, offering choices for various conditions and preferences:

Aucuba Picturata (Japanese Laurel Plant): Loved for its striking variegated foliage and tolerance of shade, this laurel is great for adding interest to darker corners of your hedge line.
Laurus nobilis Pride of Provence: The true “bay tree”, renowned for aromatic leaves and a classic, upright habit. Laurus nobilis makes a tough and handsome hedge, especially in Mediterranean-inspired gardens.
Pittosporum tobira (Australian Laurel): This glossy-leaf alternative is prized for its fragrant white flowers and salt tolerance, ideal for coastal hedging and exposed sites.
Prunus lusitanica: Portuguese Laurel is known for its dark, shiny leaves and elegant red stems—a fast-growing choice that creates an attractive, formal hedge.

Planting and Caring for Laurel Hedges

Successful laurel hedges start with healthy plants and the right site preparation. Choose a well-drained position in full sun to part shade, and dig in organic matter before planting. Space your laurel hedge plants according to the variety and the desired hedge density—usually 60cm to 1m apart for a thick screen.

Water regularly during establishment and mulch around the base to help retain moisture and keep roots cool. Once your hedge is established, trim annually to maintain the shape and encourage healthy, dense growth.

Complementing Your Hedge

For even more interest, consider mixing your laurel hedge with other attractive and fragrant shrubs. Brunfelsia pauciflora Scent sational (Yesterday Today Tomorrow Plant) offers beautiful, changing-colour blooms that complement the solid greenery of laurels and add seasonal colour to your garden.

Create the Perfect Boundary with Laurel Hedge Plants

Whether you want instant privacy, shelter from wind, or a classic garden structure, laurel hedge plants provide an evergreen solution that’s easy to grow and manage. Browse our range of laurels and related hedging shrubs to find the best fit for your landscape. With their versatility and year-round appeal, laurel hedge plants remain a trusted favourite among New Zealand gardeners.

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.