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Top 10 Hedging Trees for a Dense Hedge

Top 10 Hedging Trees for a Dense Hedge

Ten reliable dense hedging trees, ranked by speed, density and use case.
Best Hedging TreesDense HedgeHedging

Dense hedging is the most-asked-for category in the garden. The hedge gives the home its privacy, frames the rest of the planting, and quietly carries the design. The right choice depends on the climate, the look you want and how much trimming you want to keep up with.

The ten dense hedging plants below are the ones we recommend most often. Together they cover every common hedging brief — fast tall privacy, soft natives, formal Mediterranean, fragrant compacts, coloured-foliage features and tough coastal frost-tolerant picks.

  • Ficus hillii — the fast dense privacy industry standard. Glossy dark foliage, fast establishment, and the cleanest knife-edge formal face.
  • Ficus hillii 'Flash' — the Flash variant adds lime new growth that lights up the hedge between summer flushes.
  • Waterhousea floribunda — the soft fast native screen with weeping habit and bronze new growth.
  • Murraya paniculata — the fragrant warm-climate hedge. Glossy mid-green foliage and clouds of citrus-scented white flowers.
  • Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' — the improved Bay selected for an even, tight, dense habit. A Mediterranean formal hedge with aromatic culinary leaves.
  • Syzygium 'Resilience' — the psyllid-resistant Lilly Pilly bred for hedging. Fast, low-maintenance, holds a clipped face cleanly.
  • Magnolia 'Teddy Bear' — the dense flowering hedge with ground-up coverage. Plush brown-backed foliage and fragrant cream summer flowers.
  • Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss' — the compact native Lilly Pilly. Tidy width, glossy small leaves, strong psyllid resistance.
  • Photinia robusta — the classic red-tip hedge. Glossy green foliage with vivid red-bronze new growth that lights up the cool season.
  • Elaeagnus ebbingei — the silver-backed coastal and frost-tough hedge. Leathery silver-green foliage and tiny perfumed autumn flowers.

Compare at a glance

CultivarHeightWidthFormFoliageBest if you…
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii
Hill's Weeping Fig 		5 to 10 m2 to 3 mDense uprightGlossy dark greenDense privacy hedges, tall formal screens, boundary planting.
Ficus hillii 'Flash'
Flash Hill's Fig 		5 to 10 m2 to 3 mDense uprightGlossy dark green with lime new growthDense privacy hedges with seasonal lime colour.
Waterhousea floribunda
Weeping Lilly Pilly 		6 to 10 m3 to 4 mWeepingWeeping mid-greenSoft native fast tall privacy screens.
Murraya paniculata
Orange Jasmine 		2 to 4 m1.5 to 2 mDense roundedGlossy aromaticFragrant warm-climate hedges, courtyards, pool surrounds.
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'
Miles Choice Bay Tree 		3 to 6 m1.5 to 3 mUprightAromatic dark greenFormal Mediterranean hedges, courtyards, kitchen-garden borders.
Syzygium 'Resilience'
Resilience Lilly Pilly 		4 to 6 m2 to 3 mDense uprightGlossy green with bronze new growthNative dense privacy hedges, family backyards, clean clipped screens.
Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'
Teddy Bear Magnolia 		4 to 5 m2 to 3 mDensely uprightDark green with cinnamon undersidesDense formal flowering hedges with feature presence.
Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss'
Backyard Bliss Lilly Pilly 		4 to 6 m2 to 3 mDense uprightGlossy greenCompact native privacy hedges, pool surrounds, suburban boundaries.
Photinia robusta
Photinia Robusta 		3 to 5 m2 to 3 mUprightGlossy green with red-bronze new growthCool-climate dense colourful hedges.
Elaeagnus ebbingei
Silverberry 		2 to 4 m1.5 to 3 mDense roundedGreen above silver beneathCoastal and frost-tolerant silver-toned hedges.
Height matters first
A 2 to 3m hedge gives single-storey privacy. A 4 to 5m hedge screens a two-storey house. A 6 to 10m hedge handles tall boundaries. Ficus hillii, Flash and Waterhousea handle tall. Resilience, Backyard Bliss, Teddy Bear and Bay 'Miles Choice' hold the medium-tall range. Murraya, Photinia and Elaeagnus carry compact hedges.
Match the climate
Tropical and humid coastal: Waterhousea, Resilience, Ficus hillii. Warm temperate: Murraya, Ficus hillii, Bay 'Miles Choice'. Cool temperate and frost-tolerant: Resilience, Photinia, Elaeagnus. Coastal exposed: Elaeagnus, Waterhousea.
Decide the look
Knife-edge formal: Ficus hillii, Bay 'Miles Choice', Teddy Bear. Soft weeping: Waterhousea. Fragrant compact: Murraya. Native glossy: Resilience, Backyard Bliss. Colour features: Flash, Winter Lights, Photinia, Elaeagnus.
Colour or all green
For seasonal colour: Flash (lime), Photinia (red-bronze), Teddy Bear (plush brown backs), Elaeagnus (silver). For a pure green wall: Ficus hillii, Waterhousea, Bay 'Miles Choice', Resilience, Backyard Bliss, Murraya.
Speed of establishment
Ficus hillii, Flash, Waterhousea, Murraya, Resilience and Backyard Bliss establish fastest — a full screen inside two seasons. Photinia and Elaeagnus are fast. Bay 'Miles Choice' and Teddy Bear are slower and steadier.
Maintenance you can keep up with
Bay 'Miles Choice', Teddy Bear and Elaeagnus are once or twice a year. Resilience, Backyard Bliss, Photinia, Waterhousea and Murraya are two prunes a year. Ficus hillii and Flash reward two to three light prunes a year for the cleanest formal face.
Ficus microcarpa var. hillii

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

Ficus hillii is the fast dense privacy industry standard. Glossy dark foliage, fast establishment and takes shaping into the cleanest knife-edge formal face of any hedge in the range. The pick when you want a tall hedge inside two seasons.

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
Moderate, can be pruned to desired height
Best for
Dense privacy hedges, tall formal screens, boundary planting.

Why choose it

Speed and density both, on a hedge that takes a knife-edge clip. The fastest tall evergreen privacy screen in cultivation and the cleanest formal face once it's clipped in.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Magnolia 'Coolwyn Gloss' as a polished evergreen feature, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense clipped hedge. Tip prune early to build a dense base. Two to three light prunes a year keeps the formal face clean.

Industry standard.

Shop Ficus microcarpa var. hillii
Ficus hillii 'Flash'

2. Ficus hillii 'Flash' (Flash Hill's Fig)

Flash is the Ficus hillii cultivar bred for lime new growth that lights up the hedge between summer flushes. Same fast dense form, same forgiving nature, with a seasonal colour pop on top.

Type
Evergreen hedging tree
Height
5 to 10 m
Width
2 to 3 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy dark green with lime new growth
Form
Dense upright
Conditions
Full sun to part shade
Maintenance
Moderate, can be pruned to desired height
Best for
Dense privacy hedges with seasonal lime colour.

Why choose it

All the speed and density of standard Ficus hillii plus a lime new-growth flush that gives the hedge a fresh seasonal lift through warmer months.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a Magnolia 'Coolwyn Gloss' as a polished evergreen feature and Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base for sculptural punctuation.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense clipped hedge. Tip prune early. Two to three light prunes a year for the cleanest formal face.

Lime-touched standard.

Shop Ficus hillii 'Flash'
Waterhousea floribunda

3. Waterhousea floribunda (Weeping Lilly Pilly)

Waterhousea floribunda is the soft fast Australian native screen. Pendulous foliage that ripples in the breeze, relaxed weeping habit and pink-bronze new growth that gives the hedge a constant warm flush.

Type
Evergreen native hedging tree
Height
6 to 10 m
Width
3 to 4 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Weeping mid-green
Form
Weeping
Conditions
Full sun to part shade
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Soft native fast tall privacy screens.

Why choose it

Dense, fast and forgiving on a native hedge that reads as soft rather than architectural. Handles humid coastal and warm-temperate gardens better than most.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Acer palmatum as a sheltered feature, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Gardenia 'Magnifica' as a fragrant midstorey.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense screen. Mulch heavily — this one likes a bit more soil moisture. Two light prunes a year keeps the weeping habit tidy.

Soft native hedge.

Shop Waterhousea floribunda
Murraya paniculata

4. Murraya paniculata (Orange Jasmine)

Murraya paniculata is the most fragrant compact hedge you can plant. Glossy bright green foliage, citrus-scented white flowers in flushes, and the dense bushy habit that suits warm-climate entries, courtyards and pool surrounds.

Type
Evergreen hedging shrub
Height
2 to 4 m
Width
1.5 to 2 m
Growth rate
Moderate
Foliage
Glossy aromatic
Flowers
Fragrant white
Form
Dense rounded
Conditions
Full sun to part shade. Warm temperate to subtropical. Prefers frost-free positions when young.
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Fragrant warm-climate hedges, courtyards, pool surrounds.

Why choose it

A hedge that earns its place with scent as well as privacy. Clips tight, flowers generously and looks expensive in front of pale render or dark cladding.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Magnolia 'Little Gem' as a polished feature out in front, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense hedge. Clip lightly after each flowering flush so the perfume show keeps coming.

Fragrant dense hedge.

Shop Murraya paniculata
Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'

5. Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' (Miles Choice Bay Tree)

Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice' is the improved Bay selected for an even, tight, dense habit. Less work to keep formal than the standard Bay, and you still get aromatic culinary leaves. A Mediterranean formal hedge with built-in kitchen value.

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
Conditions
Full sun to part shade
Maintenance
Low, can be pruned to desired height
Best for
Formal Mediterranean hedges, courtyards, kitchen-garden borders.

Why choose it

The Bay to plant when you want a clipped formal evergreen hedge that handles dry summers without complaint. The aromatic foliage doubles as a kitchen supply and the dense habit holds shape better than seedling Bay.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with an Olea 'Manzanillo' as a sculptural Mediterranean feature in front of the dark Bay hedge, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a formal hedge. Prefers well-drained soil. Prune after the spring flush and again in late summer to keep tight.

Formal edible hedge.

Shop Laurus nobilis 'Miles Choice'
Syzygium 'Resilience'

6. Syzygium 'Resilience' (Resilience Lilly Pilly)

Syzygium 'Resilience' is the psyllid-resistant Lilly Pilly bred for hedging. Glossy green foliage with copper-bronze new growth, dense from the base, and holds a clipped face cleanly without the lumpy leaf problem of older selections.

Type
Evergreen hedging tree
Height
4 to 6 m
Width
2 to 3 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy green with bronze new growth
Form
Dense upright
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Native dense privacy hedges, family backyards, clean clipped screens.

Why choose it

Fast establishment and the same dense glossy look as older Syzygium cultivars, but actually resists psyllid distortion. The native hedge that finally behaves.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Acer palmatum as a sheltered feature in front, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Gardenia 'Magnifica' as a fragrant midstorey.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense hedge. Trim straight after each flush. Two to three trims a year keeps the formal face clean.

Low-maintenance all-rounder.

Shop Syzygium 'Resilience'
Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'

7. Magnolia 'Teddy Bear' (Teddy Bear Magnolia)

Magnolia 'Teddy Bear' is the dense flowering hedge with ground-up coverage. Plush brown-backed glossy foliage and large fragrant cream summer flowers on a tight pyramidal frame. The feature hedge.

Type
Evergreen feature hedge
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
Dense formal flowering hedges with feature presence.

Why choose it

A hedge that reads as a feature. The plush tactile foliage stays dense from the ground, the brown undersides give it warmth other Magnolias don't have, and the summer flowers do the rest.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Magnolia 'Little Gem' as a polished feature in matching tone, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense formal hedge. Light shaping prune in late winter is enough.

Dense flowering hedge.

Shop Magnolia 'Teddy Bear'
Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss'

8. Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss' (Backyard Bliss Lilly Pilly)

Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss' is the compact native Lilly Pilly bred for suburban backyards. Glossy small leaves, tidy 1.5 to 2m width, strong psyllid resistance — the easiest Lilly Pilly to live with on a tight block.

Type
Evergreen native hedging tree
Height
4 to 6 m
Width
2 to 3 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy green
Form
Dense upright
Conditions
Full sun to part shade
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Compact native privacy hedges, pool surrounds, suburban boundaries.

Why choose it

The tidy compact width and the dense glossy foliage. Backyard Bliss holds a clean clipped face on a smaller footprint than any other Lilly Pilly, and the psyllid resistance keeps the leaves pristine.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a single Magnolia 'Little Gem' as a polished feature, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base, and Star Jasmine as a fragrant groundcover.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a fast-forming dense hedge. Mulch deeply to keep roots cool. Trim two to three times a year.

Native fast hedge.

Shop Syzygium 'Backyard Bliss'
Photinia robusta

9. Photinia robusta (Photinia Robusta)

Photinia robusta is the classic red-tip hedge. Glossy mid-green leaves carry vivid red-bronze new growth that lights up cool-season gardens. Tough, fast and the most colour you can ask of a green hedge.

Type
Evergreen hedging shrub
Height
3 to 5 m
Width
2 to 3 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Glossy green with red-bronze new growth
Form
Upright
Conditions
Full sun to part shade, frost tolerant
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Cool-climate dense colourful hedges.

Why choose it

Bright seasonal colour from the new growth flush, on a hedge that takes clipping cleanly and handles cool to cold conditions where many evergreens slow down.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a Magnolia 'Coolwyn Gloss' as a polished evergreen feature, Japanese Box Topiary Balls at the base for sculptural punctuation.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense hedge. A spring trim brings the red-bronze flush forward.

Bright tough hedge.

Shop Photinia robusta
Elaeagnus ebbingei

10. Elaeagnus ebbingei (Silverberry)

Elaeagnus ebbingei is the underused silver-backed hedger. Leathery silver-green foliage with silver undersides, tiny perfumed cream autumn flowers, and a tough constitution that handles coastal and cool exposure without complaint.

Type
Evergreen hedging shrub
Height
2 to 4 m
Width
1.5 to 3 m
Growth rate
Fast
Foliage
Green above silver beneath
Flowers
Fragrant cream autumn
Form
Dense rounded
Conditions
Full sun to part shade
Maintenance
Low
Best for
Coastal and frost-tolerant silver-toned hedges.

Why choose it

A hedge with a different colour palette to standard green, on a plant that handles cold, coast and clipping. The silver tone lifts the whole boundary.

Perfect pair

Layers beautifully with a Pyrus nivalis as a silver-foliaged feature for a silver-on-silver coastal scheme, Westringia fruticosa as a low underplanting.

Tips for planting

Plant at 1m spacing for a dense hedge. Pinch tip prune young plants to thicken from low down. Mature plants almost look after themselves.

Silver-backed tough hedge.

Shop Elaeagnus ebbingei

How to plant and care for them

Pick the position
Most hedging plants want full sun. Waterhousea, Resilience, Backyard Bliss and Murraya tolerate part shade. Run the hedge line where the home most needs the screen.
Prepare the planting trench
Dig a trench (not individual holes) along the hedge line, twice the width of the rootball and the same depth. Mix the original soil with aged compost rather than replacing it.
Plant at 1m spacing
Use 1m spacing for a dense hedging face across every species on this list. Closer spacing crowds the root zone; wider spacing leaves gaps that don't fill in.
Plant level and water in deeply
Set the rootball so the top sits level with surrounding soil, never deeper. Soak each rootball thoroughly so the new soil settles around the roots.
Mulch out to the row
Lay 75 to 100mm of organic mulch the full length of the hedge, 50mm clear of each trunk. Mulch keeps roots cool and holds moisture through summer.
Tip prune in the first season
Tip prune the new growth in the first season to encourage branching low and create a dense base. Two light tip prunes are better than one hard cut.
Water deeply through the first two summers
Twice a week deep watering in warm weather, once a week in mild weather, through the first two summers. After establishment all ten hold their own on rainfall plus the occasional deep soak.

The wrap up

The ten dense hedging picks cover every common brief. Ficus hillii and Flash lead on tall fast formal. Waterhousea and Backyard Bliss are the soft and compact native picks. Bay 'Miles Choice' and Teddy Bear carry formal Mediterranean and dense flowering. Murraya, Photinia and Elaeagnus cover fragrant, colourful and coastal-tough compact roles.

Whichever species you choose, plant at 1m spacing, water deeply through the first two summers, and trim straight after each flush for the cleanest face. Pair the hedge with a feature tree out in front and the garden reads as designed.

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Comments

  • Oliver March 30, 2023

    How can this be used in tree growth?

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