Plants for Hedges

Star Jasmine is renowned for its delightful spring fragrance, and this versatile vine also enhances the beauty of trellises, fences, or walls. 

Its year-round charm culminates in late spring when the plant bursts into a profusion of fragrant star-shaped blossoms that adorn it for 5 to 6 weeks.

In expansive landscapes, it is often utilized as ground cover, excelling equally as a topiary specimen or an elegant hedge. To ensure optimal growth, plant the Star jasmine in well-drained soil enriched with compost.

The Sweet Viburnum Sinensis is a fast-growing evergreen hedge plant for instant privacy.

This best-selling screening shrub delivers fast, lush coverage—perfect when you need a tall, evergreen hedge that fills out quickly. With growth of up to 60cm per year, it’s ideal for Cape Town gardens needing quick privacy or wind protection. Ideal in a sunny spot in your garden

In early summer, it produces clusters of fragrant, white, funnel-shaped blooms, adding beauty and scent to your space. Whether planted as a hedge, small tree, or in a large container near a patio or pool, it adapts beautifully with minimal maintenance.

• Best in well-drained, compost-rich soil
• Excellent for formal or informal hedging
• Not indigenous, but well-suited to Western Cape conditions

Once established, moderate watering will keep it thriving, though it appreciates extra care during dry spells. The Sweet Viburnum Sinensis is a popular addition to any garden 

A very popular tree due to its versatility to withstand the harsh conditions of the urban environment. It is indigenous, evergreen and fast growing and makes an excellent choice for screening off neighbours to create instant privacy in the garden. Creamy white, sweet scented flowers from August to December. Prefers moist, well-drained soil. Indigenous.

Starry Wild Jasmine,also known as 'Boerejasmyn', is a  versatile semi-climber that can reach up to 3m in height or transform into a compact, tidy hedge when pruned. Its fragrant, white flowers with delicate pink undersides grace your garden from September to January.

Notably, the Starry Wild Jasmine is indigenous, promoting biodiversity, and its exquisite fragrance makes it a delightful choice for attracting pollinators and enhancing your garden's sensory experience.

 Duranta Nonna's Gold is a favorite among many garden enthusiasts, known for its captivating golden foliage. This versatile shrub is a top choice whether you're looking to create a low, clipped hedge or border, or you need a tall growing screen for added privacy. 

Its stunning golden leaves offer a striking contrast in your garden beds, and the occasional appearance of blue flowers in spring and summer complements the yellow foliage of Duranta Nonna's Gold beautifully.

Portulacaria Afra, also known as 'Spekboom', is an easy-to-grow indigenous plant typically reaching heights of 2 meters in garden settings. Its small, non-invasive root system makes it perfect for poolside or boundary planting. With its compact structure, it's an excellent choice for accent planting, bonsai enthusiasts and landscapers. Creates perfect hedges and garden borders and readily accepts regular pruning. Spekboom is a truly 'green' succulent playing a vital role in combating air pollution by acting as a carbon sponge, effectively removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

The Australian Brush-Cherry (also known as Eugenia myrtifolia) is a popular plant for topiaries, hedging and screening. It makes a strong trimmed hedge and is a fast grower. Untrimmed it forms an excellent boundary wind break.  Small fluffy white flowers early summer are  followed by small, dark pink to red edible berries that will attract birds to the garden. Can grow in narrow areas between buildings due to its ability to adapt to light changing conditions.  Has a shallow root system. 

This plant thrives in full sun to semi-shade and responds well to pruning, making it perfect for formal hedges or sculpted shapes. It is suited to a range of soil types, provided they are well-draining, and benefits from regular watering, especially when young. Once established, it becomes moderately waterwise.

 Well adapted to coastal areas and windy conditions, the brush-cherry is a favourite among Cape gardeners for its neat appearance, easy maintenance, and all-season appeal.

Gardenias, renowned for their captivating fragrance and beautiful white or yellow flowers that bloom during spring and early summer, are suitable for gardens or indoor pots. This evergreen shrub thrives in warm climates with indirect sunlight. It requires well-drained, acidic soil enriched with organic matter. Regular watering is essential, but take care not to overwater, as their roots are sensitive to waterlogged conditions. Plant them near a patio, garden bench, or window to fully enjoy their fragrance. They do best with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Highly recommended for its prolific growth, the Salt Bush lends itself beautifully to marvelous formal applications, including crafting shaped balls and clipped hedges.

When planting, choose a well-drained soil location with full to partial sun exposure for optimal results. The fantastic silvery-grey foliage of the Salt Bush not only adds to its own allure, but also showcases the colors of the plants planted around it, creating a visually stunning landscape.

Spekboom'Grande' ,also known as Large-leaf Spekboom, has slightly larger leaves than the rest of its family. This versatile plant is considered by many to be a miracle plant and is highly regarded for its ability to fight climate change. This indigenous plant acts like a carbon sponge and statistics indicate that a Spekboom thicket is 10 times more effective per hectare in carbon fighting than any rainforest.

For care, provide well-drained soil and ample sunlight. Water sparingly, as it's drought-resistant. Spekboom'Grande' benefits by occasional pruning ,helping to maintain its shape and promote branching. 

The Leyland Cypress is an evergreen conifer with densely packed foliage. It is a fast grower and often used as Christmas trees or to form wind breaks or screens in the garden. Plant 1 m apart for hedging purposes. The Leyland Cypress is a fast grower and can be clipped into formal hedges or left natural.

The Honey-Bell Bush is a beautiful, tall growing indigenous shrub with slender, rather loosely spreading branches that flowers profusely. This fast-growing, waterwise shrub benefits by regular pruning to encourage bushy growth. Flowers mainly in Spring. The Honey-Bell Bush can also be used to create a hedge and does equally well in patio pots.

This proudly indigenous plant is also commonly known as the "Natal Plum"or large"num-num". An extremely easy-to-grow, thorny shrub often used for hedges. It produces shiny, deep green leaves and perfumy,snowy white flowers in summer. The ornamental plump, round, crimson fruit appears in summer and autumn at the same time as the blooms.

A popular indigenous, evergreen choice for coastal areas.

Low maintenance and easy to grow. Plant 1m apart to form impenetrable hedge.

The Italian Cypress is an attractive, upright, pencil-thin conifer that works perfectly in restricted spaces or spaces where shade is not desired. It can be planted in groups to create a beautiful hedge or screen. Effortless with minimal water requirements once established. The Italian Cypress is also wind-tolerant and suitable for coastal gardens.

 This evergreen shrub resembles rosemary but lacks its fragrance and culinary value. It excels in coastal gardens, withstanding salt spray admirably. It thrives in sandy, well-drained soil and becomes relatively drought-tolerant once established, requiring less water than other plants. Additionally, it responds well to pruning, allowing you to shape it into beautifully pruned balls, hedges, or lollipop standards. During spring and summer, it adorns itself with dainty white or blue flowers.

Excellent used as a windbreak or hedge. Can be cut to any size. Indigenous.A strikingly attractive and hardy drought resistant tree, with an uncommon silvery-blue appearance that contrasts beautifully with surrounding, darker green foliage. Well suited to harsh coastal conditions. It has a non invasive root system and can be used close to walls. Easily trained as a shrub or screening plant that can provide privacy in a short space of time due to its fast growing rate.

 Prune off the lower branches to form a shade tree; and if space is limited, grow it in a large pot.

Grown for its exceptionally beautiful velvety silver foliage. A soft, vigorous shrub with roundish, aromatic (licorice) leaves covered in silver grey hairs. Blooms consist of tiny cream-white flowers from November to January. Ideal for containers, borders and as a groundcover.  Requires well-drained soil. Indigenous. 

Reaching a height of 5m+ with a non-aggressive root system, the Kei-apple is an extremely versatile all-rounder that lends itself to many applications: it can planted on its own, in a border or as a screen. It can be pruned to create a compact neat shape which makes it ideal for confined areas, container planting or as a bonsai. The evergreen foliage is dense and the branches have thorns which make it a good choice for a security hedge

 Birds such as the louries and the black-eyed bulbuls love the unusual fruit of a Dovyalis caffra. 

Highly recommended as a fast growing hedge plant, this scrambling shrub is also often used as a framework plant in flower beds. Expect a lively concert from honey bees and birds as they come to feast on the nectar. 

Buxus ‘Faulkner’ is a compact, slow-growing evergreen shrub, widely used in landscaping and formal garden design. Known for forming exceptionally dense hedges, it’s often chosen for maze gardens, borders, and low structural plantings.

With its rich green foliage, tidy growth habit, and excellent tolerance for shaping, it’s ideal for Cape Town gardens where structure, elegance, and low maintenance are key. 

• Forms one of the densest hedges you can grow
  
• Tolerates heat and light drought better than many box varieties
• Best in well-drained, slightly acidic soil
• Prune regularly for shape and compact growth
• Excellent in pots, borders, paths, or parterres

Although it grows on the slower side, the reward is a long-lived, highly sculptable hedge that adds structure and polish to any space.

The dense growth of this plant ensures that they make excellent wind breakers and large screening shrubs. They make a beautiful clipped hedge and can be planted in a container and shaped. Great for bonsai enthusiasts. Slightly larger leaves than other Searsia (Rhus) Crenata. Indigenous.

Laurustinus Lucidum,also known as 'Wild Laurel', is widely considered to be a 'Golden oldie'. This versatile plant remains popular for its ability to be a perfect specimen for use in small gardens, in pots and even on balconies. In late winter flattish heads of pink flower buds appear, opening into tiny white flowers. Clusters of small metallic-blue berries mature in autumn. 'Wild Laurel' is a  popular evergreen choice for hedging and also often grown as a compact standard tree. 

Fast growing, upright and will tolerate a variety of soil and watering conditions.

Makes an excellent evergreen hedge or a beautiful small tree. Prune to any size.

Small flowers April until July. Indigenous. 

The Yellow Spekboom is an indigenous plant with bright yellow-green, rounded succulent leaves and a reddish stem. For gardening purposes the plant is grown for its striking leaf colour and water-wise attributes. The leaves are edible and the plant has marvelous air-purifying qualities. It helps fight air pollution in that it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, acting like a carbon sponge. Easy to grow and low-maintenance. It works well in hot, dry rockeries or grouped with other succulents in drought-prone areas.Yellow Spekboom happily provides bright evergreen leaf colour amongst plants receiving regular watering.

Known as Christmas roses because this is when they flower. Hydrangeas are undoubtedly among the showiest flowers in the summer garden, with a mop of pom-pom flowers. The soil acidity determines the colour of the flowers. Great cut flowers.

The evergreen False Olive is a tough, fast-growing, and versatile indigenous tree perfect for hedging, screening, or shaping into a small ornamental tree. It thrives in full sun, is both drought and frost resistant, and has non-invasive roots—ideal for small gardens, containers, and even bonsai.

In spring, it produces masses of fragrant white flowers that attract birds, bees, and butterflies. It’s low-maintenance, responds well to pruning, and offers medicinal uses and durable wood, making it as practical as it is beautiful.

Highly recommended as a fast growing hedge plant, this scrambling shrub is also often used as a framework plant in flower beds. Expect a lively concert from honey bees and birds as they come to feast on the nectar. 

Known as Christmas roses because this is when they flower. Hydrangeas are undoubtedly among the showiest flowers in the summer garden, with a mop of pom-pom flowers. The soil acidity determines the colour of the flowers. Great cut flowers. Endless Summer is an outstanding variety as it blooms, as its name says, endlessly.

 A resilient shrub boasting lush green foliage and magnificent bursts of pink or white blooms each spring. Elevate your garden effortlessly with its low-maintenance charm. Shape it into the hedge of your dreams or let it flourish in pots or beds.

A striking evergreen bamboo, with tall, upright, polished black canes that arch slightly at the top. The canes start off as green, then turn brown-black before turning black. Creates a stunning feature plant or privacy fence. Award of Garden Merit from Royal Horticultural Society for its outstanding qualities. 

This variety will delight and brighten your garden with vibrant rouge coloured flowers in spring.  Will attracts birds to the garden.  Ideal for low maintenance, low water use gardens.

A compact flowering shrub, with masses of salmon coloured upright flowerheads. They are tough, versatile and ideal for a sunny spot in the garden.

A compact flowering shrub, with masses of bright yellow upright flowerheads. They are tough, versatile and ideal for a sunny spot in the garden.

Highly recommended as a fast growing hedge plant, this scrambling shrub is also often used as a framework plant in flower beds. Flowering peaks in autumn and spring. Expect a lively concert from honey bees and birds as they come to feast on the nectar. This fast growing, evergreen, wind resistant plant will tolerate long periods of drought once established.

This fast growing, evergreen shrub is ideal for mass planting or works well in containers. Makes a wonderful edging plant when clipped into low boxed hedges. Bears small lilac-purple flowers from Spring to Autumn.

The Compact Laurustinus is a small-growing Viburnum variety. The dense, compact growth of this beautiful evergreen shrub is perfect for small hedges, screens or foundation plantings. The leaves are slightly smaller and darker green than V. tinus. Tight clusters of lightly fragrant pinkish-white flowers in spring are followed by dark blue-black fruit. The compact Laurustinus is very suitable for use in pots and containers.

This beautiful, pyramid-shaped conifer is a smaller variant of the popular Leyland cypress. Evergreen, with yellow-green foliage, it is excellent for screening and hedges.

Create a lush, evergreen screen with Eugenia Hedgemaker, a fast-growing, dense shrub ideal for hedging and topiary. Its vibrant green foliage responds beautifully to pruning, making it perfect for shaping into neat, formal hedges or natural privacy barriers. Low-maintenance and drought-tolerant once established, this hardy plant thrives in full sun to partial shade. Whether used to define garden borders, reduce noise, or enhance curb appeal, Eugenia Hedgemaker is the ultimate choice for a striking, year-round hedge

Tangerine Twist will delight with stunning masses of orange flowers in spring.  Perfect for small gardens, pots and borders or low hedges.  Will attracts birds to the garden.  Ideal for low maintenance, low water use gardens.

Excellent plant for topiaries, hedging and screening. Lush and fast growing with dark pink to red berries which will attract birds to the garden.

Coprosma ‘Pink Splendour’ has green, pink and cream leaves and the pink colour will intensify in winter. This versatile evergreen shrub can be used as a filler plant, trimmed as a hedge, planted in containers or anywhere you would like to make a statement. They are pest and disease resistant.

Excellent evergreen plant for topiaries, hedging and screening. Compact growth habit. Tiny creamy-white flowers early summer are followed by purple edible berries that will attract birds to the garden.  Slow growing. Ideal for bonsai use.  Cold hardy.

Adds colour to the garden due to its cheerful foliage. A versatile shrub that can be used as an evergreen container plant or as a neat, low hedge or border . It can also be shaped into a sphere or pyramid. Tiny yellow flowers in late spring and early summer. Ideal coastal plant.

Platycladus orientalis 'Aurea Nana Compacta' is a slow-growing, evergreen shrub with dense, golden-yellow foliage that adds vibrant color year-round. Its compact, rounded form makes it ideal for small gardens, borders, or containers. Thriving in full sun to partial shade, this low-maintenance shrub is perfect for adding texture and color to any landscape.

This 'best-seller' shrub is your answer when you need a tall growing screen, hedge or topiary and you need it quickly. A fast-growing, hardy,  evergreen shrub with fragrant funnel-shaped white flowers. 

The foliage of Eve Prince is finer than other Viburnums. This medium sized, evergreen shrub has dark green leaves and heads of small pink-tinged white flowers in late winter/early spring followed by small blue-black berries. Drought and wind tolerant. Ideal to clip into a hedge or screen. Eve Prince is suitable for container gardening or as a stand-alone specimen in garden beds.

A beautiful evergreen, variegated Trachelospermum, that features bright green, white and pink leaves. It produces fragrant, small white flowers from late spring to autumn. Ideal as a wonderful ground cover and admired for its interesting foliage. Although it is a slow growing plant it makes a statement in a garden

Glistening coppery-red leaves on bright red stems. Ideal shrub to grow as a hedge.

 This evergreen shrub resembles rosemary but lacks its fragrance and culinary value. It excels in coastal gardens, withstanding salt spray admirably. It thrives in sandy, well-drained soil and becomes relatively drought-tolerant once established, requiring less water than other plants. Additionally, it responds well to pruning, allowing you to shape it into beautifully pruned balls, hedges, or lollipop standards. During spring and summer, it adorns itself with dainty white or blue flowers.

Juniperus chinensis 'Torulosa Variegata' features the same twisting, irregular branching pattern as Torulosa but with golden-yellow or creamy-white variegation on its green foliage, making it an ornamental, eye-catching conifer. This variety is drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and thrives in full sun, making it an excellent choice for landscapes, hedging, or specimen planting.

'Little Jim',also known as' Dwarf Spekboom', is ideal to shape into a Bonsai or used as small hedge. The leaves are edible and the plant ,has marvelous air-purifying qualities. It helps fight air pollution by removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, acting like a carbon sponge. Easy to grow and low-maintenance. 'Little Jim' works well in hot, dry rockeries or grouped with other succulents in drought-prone areas.