Box Leaved Privet

Box Leaved Privet (Ligustrum undulatum) is the workhorse behind a great many crisp, formal Australian hedges. It reaches about 2.5m tall and 1.5m wide if left alone, but it is almost always clipped, and it takes clipping better than nearly anything else at this size. Small glossy leaves with wavy margins hold tight to the stem, so a trimmed face reads as a solid green wall rather than a row of shrubs.

Why you'll love it

• It holds a sharp edge. Fine, dense foliage means a clipped face stays flat and defined between trims instead of going shaggy within weeks.
• Fast to a finished hedge. Quicker than buxus, and it reshoots strongly from old wood, so a neglected hedge can be cut back hard and recovered.
• Tough where formal hedges struggle. Frost hardy, drought tolerant, salt tolerant and happy on poor soil, which covers most difficult boundary conditions.
• Scented white flowers. Left untrimmed it carries panicles of small perfumed white flowers in late spring.

Where it works best

Clipped hedging. Plant 60cm apart in a single row for a dense formal hedge. That spacing closes the face within two seasons and keeps the base furnished to the ground.

Screening and privacy. For a taller informal screen at around 2.5m, stretch the spacing to 80cm and trim the sides only, letting the tops run up.

Topiary, shaping and edging. The small leaf and dense branching suit balls, cones and standards. Held at 60cm to 1m it makes a tidy edge to a bed or driveway.

Growing Box Leaved Privet in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest hedge, though it accepts part shade with looser growth. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it is frost hardy, which is why it works so far south. Despite older listings, it is not an Australian native.

Soil. Almost anything that drains. It tolerates poor and compacted ground, but a hedge is a long term planting, so dig a trench and work compost through the whole run rather than individual holes.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first summer, then reduce as it becomes drought tolerant. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer keeps growth even along the row. Mulch 75mm deep, kept off the stems.

Pruning. Start trimming from planting, because early clipping builds density at the base. Two to three trims through the growing season hold a formal face. Trimming before flowering removes both the pollen and the berries, worth doing if hay fever is an issue.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in two sizes: tube, and 140mm in packs of ten. Both arrive as young single stemmed plants, usually knee height or less, which is standard for hedging stock and the reason a long boundary is affordable to plant. A hedge started from these sizes reaches a usable 1.2m to 1.5m in two to three seasons.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a quiet three to four weeks after planting, then rapid growth through the first warm season. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to choose the right hedge for your garden
• Compare our best hedging plants
• Plants suited to topiary and shaping
• Browse all hedging and screening plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row for a dense clipped hedge. Planting tighter wastes plants and makes watering harder without closing the hedge any sooner.

Is it safe around pets?

The berries are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so we would not recommend it where a dog grazes on the garden. Trimming before or straight after flowering prevents berries forming, which removes the risk.

Can I cut an overgrown hedge back hard?

Yes. It reshoots reliably from bare old wood, so an overgrown hedge can be reduced hard in early spring and will refurnish over the following season.