Serissa ‘Snow Leaves’

Serissa 'Snow Leaves' (Serissa japonica 'Snow Leaves') is a fine leaved evergreen that settles at about 60cm tall and wide, small enough to edge a path and never outgrow it. The draw is the foliage: tiny leaves rimmed in cream, so from a few paces back the plant reads silver white. Small white flowers come and go through the warmer months, and it clips as neatly as any dwarf hedge.

Why you'll love it

• Variegated foliage that carries the year. Cream edged leaves lift a dim corner without relying on flowers, and it is evergreen.
• It stays genuinely small. At 60cm by 60cm it suits a courtyard bed, a balcony pot or a narrow border.
• It clips to shape. Dense twiggy growth and tiny leaves mean a ball, a low hedge or a bonsai holds its line between trims.
• Low maintenance and humidity tolerant. A trim after each flush and a feed twice a year is the whole job, and muggy east coast summers do not bother it.

Where it works best

Borders and edging. Plant 40cm apart for a low clipped edge. At that spacing the plants knit into a continuous line within two seasons.

Pots and balconies. A pot 300mm or wider carries it for several years. Potted plants dry out faster, so group it with other moderate water plants rather than with succulents.

Topiary and small gardens. Single plants shape into balls or cones, at a scale that suits a front entry where clipped box would read too heavy.

Growing Serissa 'Snow Leaves' in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to light shade. Sun gives the tightest growth and the crispest variegation, though in hot inland gardens afternoon shade stops the leaf edges scorching. This is a subtropical and warm temperate plant that takes light frost only, so cold tableland and southern districts want a warm wall, or a pot that can move under cover for winter.

Soil. Free draining and enriched with compost. It dislikes waterlogging and a bone dry root zone equally. Mulch 50mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Keep the soil evenly moist through the first summer, then water deeply once or twice a week in warm weather. Be warned that serissa sheds leaves after a sudden dry spell. It reshoots, but consistency pays. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer is plenty.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density, then clip lightly after each flowering flush. It reshoots from older wood, so an overgrown plant can be cut back hard in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

This one is grown in a single size, tube stock, so you are buying a young plant of roughly 10 to 15cm with a well developed root system rather than an instant hedge. It is the sensible way to buy an edge anyway: a 3m border needs about eight plants at 40cm spacing.

Small woody plants travel well. Expect a quiet fortnight after planting, then new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to choose edging plants for a garden border
• Browse plants suited to topiary and shaping
• Compare plants for small gardens and courtyards
• Find companions that suit pots and containers

Common questions

How many plants do I need for a low hedge?

Space them 40cm apart in a single row, about five plants for every two metres. Planting tighter does not close the gap any faster.

Why did it drop leaves after planting?

Serissa reacts to change, so leaf drop after transit or transplanting is normal rather than a fault. Keep the soil evenly moist and it will releaf within a few weeks.

Will it handle frost?

Light frost only. In subtropical and warm temperate gardens it is fine outdoors year round, but a hard frosting district needs a sheltered position or a pot that can shift under eaves.