Plants for Windbreaks

How to choose windbreak plants that hold

Wind tolerance is the non-negotiable, and over 150 plants here carry that tag. After that, the honest trade off is speed against lifespan. Brisbane golden wattle (Acacia fimbriata) reaches about 6m quickly at 2m spacings but lives only 15 to 20 years, so growers often plant it as a nurse row while slower, longer lived trees such as coast banksia catch up behind it. Our fast growing plants hold more quick options, always with the same fine print: speed up means speed out, so budget for pruning.

Matching the windbreak to the site

On the coast, salt burns before wind breaks, so lead with coast banksia, which shrugs off salt, wind and frost, and tuckeroo, a dense 8m native that handles salt laden wind but only light frost. Inland and in frost prone districts, Mediterranean cypress, Leighton Green and the olives all stand firm, and Leighton Green doubles as a clipped hedge if trimmed twice a year. On suburban subtropical blocks, slender weavers bamboo gives an 8m screen from a contained clumping base, and Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' filters wind while doubling as privacy. In wet or periodically flooded ground, white paperbark (Melaleuca quinquenervia) thrives where cypress would drown.

Layout and spacing with real numbers

• Formal single row. Leighton Green or Mediterranean cypress at 1.5m apart.
• Coastal boundary. Coast banksia at 3m apart, tuckeroo at 4m.
• Suburban block. Slender weavers bamboo at 1m apart, or Lilly Pilly 'Resilience' at 1m held as a 2m to 3m clipped screen.
• Rural boundary. Two or three staggered rows, 3m to 4m between rows: an outer row of banksia or olive at 3m spacings with a faster inner row of wattle at 2m.

Establishing shelter in the wind

Wind dries young plants faster than sun does. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, mulch 75mm deep, and stake loosely if at all, because a trunk that can flex builds the strength a rigid one never does. Tip prune young trees from the first year so the break thickens from the base instead of racing up thin. Similar rules apply to any screen, and our hedging and screening range covers the denser privacy options.

Common questions

How tall does a windbreak need to be?

Shelter extends roughly eight to ten times the height of the planting, so a 5m belt calms a 40m paddock and a 3m suburban screen protects most backyards.

Should a windbreak be solid?

No. A solid wall of foliage forces wind over the top and creates turbulence on the sheltered side. A planting that lets roughly half the wind filter through slows it evenly, which is why layered rows beat one clipped hedge.

What is the fastest windbreak I can plant?

Brisbane golden wattle and slender weavers bamboo are the quickest here. The bamboo is the taller finisher at about 8m, and being a clumper its base stays contained at 1m to 2m across. The wattle is cheaper per metre but shorter lived.

Does a windbreak work near the coast?

Yes, if you choose salt tolerant species; about half this collection carries a coastal and salt tolerance tag, and our coastal plants collection overlaps heavily. Expect everything to finish shorter on the front line than the catalogue heights suggest.

How does delivery work for an order this size?

Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and no minimum order. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.