Viburnum ‘Quick Fence’

Viburnum 'Quick Fence' (Viburnum odoratissimum 'Quick Fence') is a selected sweet viburnum bred to do one job faster: close the gap between you and the neighbours. Left alone it reaches about 4m, but it is usually clipped into a dense 2m hedge, with large glossy leaves, bronze new growth and lightly fragrant white flower sprays the birds appreciate. Planted at 750mm spacings it is one of the quickest genuine privacy screens you can buy.

Why you'll love it

• Speed where it counts. This selection was chosen for rapid, even growth, giving usable privacy in as little as 18 months from 200mm stock in warm gardens.
• Dense from the base. Regular tipping keeps foliage to the ground, so the hedge reads as a wall rather than a row of trunks.
• A hedge that smells good. The white spring sprays carry a light sweet perfume, a bonus most screening plants never offer.
• Happy in warm climates. Thrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens, handles humidity, coastal salt air and dry spells once established.
• Takes shaping well. Formal faces, curves or cloud pruning, the big leaves recover fast from any clip.

Where it works best

Boundary screening. Plant 750mm apart in a single row for the fastest solid screen. A 9m fence line takes 12 or 13 plants.

Clipped hedges. Held at 1.8m to 2.5m it makes the classic suburban privacy hedge; allow about a metre of bed width.

Mass planting. On larger blocks, staggered double rows fill space quickly and give birds cover.

Growing Viburnum 'Quick Fence' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with sun giving the tightest growth. Suited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate zones; it takes light frost only, so in colder districts choose a frost hardy screen instead.

Soil. Any average garden soil with drainage. Improve sand with compost, and mulch 75mm deep, keeping mulch off the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer; established hedges get by with an occasional deep drink. Feed in early spring and late summer with a controlled release fertiliser to fuel the speed you bought it for.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting day, then clip two or three times through the warm months. Cutting little and often builds the dense face; letting it run tall first never fills the base properly.

What to expect when it arrives

All current sizes are in stock: single tubes, 140mm pots in packs of 10, 200mm in packs of 6 and 250mm in packs of 3. The packs are priced for hedge runs, and tubestock is the value route for long boundaries, catching up to potted stock faster than most people expect. Delivery is Australia wide, from $29.95, with a minimum order of $300 before delivery, which most hedge orders clear easily. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee. Expect a quiet couple of weeks after planting, then strong flushes of bronze new growth.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare all hedging and screening plants
• More fast growing plants
• Our pick of the best hedging plants

Common questions

How fast will it give me privacy?

From 200mm stock at 750mm spacing, expect a screen you cannot see through in 18 months to 2 years in warm climates with water and feed. Tubes add roughly a year but cost far less per metre.

How is it different from ordinary sweet viburnum?

Quick Fence is a selected form chosen for faster, more even growth and a naturally denser habit at hedge height, so it closes sooner and needs less corrective pruning than seedling grown sweet viburnum.

What height can I keep it at?

Anywhere from about 1.5m to 3m clipped. Left completely untrimmed it will build toward 4m, but it holds a 2m hedge with two or three clips a year.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only once established. In Canberra, the tablelands and cold inland districts, choose photinia, viburnum tinus or a juniper instead.