How to Create an Evergreen Border

Five evergreen trees that combine to create a layered, year-round border.

EvergreenGarden DesignHedging and Screening

An evergreen border holds shape and colour 12 months of the year. Layer tall structure behind dense feature plants and fragrant fillers. These five plants combine to make it work.

1. Ficus Hillii

The backbone. Tall, fast and dense. Build the border on this foundation.

2. Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'

The feature layer. Dense from the ground up with summer flowers.

3. Laurus nobilis Bay

The formal aromatic layer for narrow lines and clipped shapes.

4. Murraya paniculata

The fragrance. Glossy aromatic foliage with repeated flushes of jasmine-scented flowers.

5. Waterhousea floribunda

The soft native option. Adds movement and weeping texture.

How to layer

Ficus Hillii at the back, Teddy Bear or Bay in the middle, Murraya at the front, Waterhousea as the soft edge corner.

1. Ficus microcarpa var. hillii (Hill's Weeping Fig)

Ficus Hillii is the tall evergreen border foundation.

Type: Evergreen hedging tree
Height: 5 to 10 m
Width: 2 to 3 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Glossy dark green
Form: Dense upright
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low to moderate
Best for: Tall evergreen border foundation.

Why choose it

Fast dense screening establishes the border backbone.

Perfect pair

Ficus Hillii backbone with a Magnolia feature in front.

Tips for planting

Keep 3 m clear of pipes.

The border backbone.

Shop Ficus microcarpa var. hillii

2. Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear' (Teddy Bear Magnolia)

Teddy Bear is the dense flowering evergreen for the border feature layer.

Type: Evergreen feature tree
Height: 4 to 5 m
Width: 2 to 3 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Dark green with cinnamon undersides
Form: Densely upright
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Border feature with flower interest.

Why choose it

Dense from the ground up with summer flowers.

Perfect pair

Teddy Bear feature with Ficus Hillii behind.

Tips for planting

Plant 1.5 to 2 m apart.

Evergreen border feature.

Shop Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear'

3. Laurus nobilis (Bay Tree)

Bay is the formal aromatic evergreen for narrow border lines.

Type: Evergreen hedging tree
Height: 3 to 6 m
Width: 1.5 to 3 m
Growth rate: Slow to moderate
Foliage: Aromatic dark green
Form: Upright dense
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low, can be pruned to desired height
Best for: Formal evergreen border lines.

Why choose it

Aromatic, edible and tolerates clipping.

Perfect pair

Bay border with a Magnolia Little Gem feature.

Tips for planting

Trim regularly.

Formal aromatic border.

Shop Laurus nobilis

4. Murraya paniculata (Orange Jasmine)

Murraya brings fragrance to the warm-climate evergreen border.

Type: Evergreen hedging shrub
Height: 2 to 4 m
Width: 1.5 to 2 m
Growth rate: Moderate
Foliage: Glossy dark green aromatic
Flowers: Fragrant white
Form: Dense rounded
Conditions: Full sun to part shade, warm climates
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Fragrant evergreen border layer.

Why choose it

Repeated fragrant flower flushes through the year.

Perfect pair

Murraya layer with a Magnolia feature.

Tips for planting

Trim after each flower flush.

Fragrant border layer.

Shop Murraya paniculata

5. Waterhousea floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Waterhousea is the soft weeping native border option.

Type: Evergreen native hedging tree
Height: 6 to 10 m
Width: 3 to 4 m
Growth rate: Fast
Foliage: Weeping glossy mid-green
Form: Weeping
Conditions: Full sun to part shade
Maintenance: Low
Best for: Native soft-edged borders.

Why choose it

Adds movement and native texture to a formal border.

Perfect pair

Waterhousea border with a Banksia feature.

Tips for planting

Plant 80 cm to 1 m apart.

Native border softness.

Shop Waterhousea floribunda

Compare at a glance

Cultivar	Height	Width	Form	Foliage	Best if you…
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii Hill's Weeping Fig	5 to 10 m	2 to 3 m	Dense upright	Glossy dark green	Tall evergreen border foundation.
Magnolia grandiflora 'Teddy Bear' Teddy Bear Magnolia	4 to 5 m	2 to 3 m	Densely upright	Dark green with cinnamon undersides	Border feature with flower interest.
Laurus nobilis Bay Tree	3 to 6 m	1.5 to 3 m	Upright dense	Aromatic dark green	Formal evergreen border lines.
Murraya paniculata Orange Jasmine	2 to 4 m	1.5 to 2 m	Dense rounded	Glossy dark green aromatic	Fragrant evergreen border layer.
Waterhousea floribunda Weeping Lilly Pilly	6 to 10 m	3 to 4 m	Weeping	Weeping glossy mid-green	Native soft-edged borders.