Ficus ‘Green Island’

Ficus 'Green Island' (Ficus microcarpa) is the low hedge that stays glossy through heat, salt and wind. It holds a naturally rounded shrub of thick, almost succulent leaves at about 2m tall and 1.5m wide, and it clips to any shape you want. Where box and buxus struggle in the warm half of the country, this is the plant that replaces them.

Why you'll love it

• A hedge that clips crisply. Small, dense, leathery leaves take a hard edge and hold it, so a formal line stays formal.
• Handles the coast. Salt, wind and heat tolerance make it one of the few tidy hedges that survives an exposed seaside boundary.
• Glossy year round. The leaves are thick and reflective, so the hedge looks fed even in a dry summer.
• Grows to the size you need. Left alone it makes a 2m shrub, or two trims a year hold it at knee height.

Where it works best

Hedging and screening. Plant 60cm apart in a single row for a dense hedge. That spacing closes within two seasons and keeps the base furnished rather than leggy.

Topiary and shaping. Single plants shape into balls, cubes and standards, and the small leaf means the outline stays clean between trims.

Pots and borders. A 400mm or larger pot suits a clipped ball at an entry. As a low border, 60cm spacing gives a continuous glossy band under taller planting.

Growing Ficus Green Island in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth, and it accepts part shade with looser habit. This is a plant for tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens only. It is frost tender, so cold southern and inland districts need a different hedge.

Soil. Any soil that drains. It copes with sand near the beach and with heavier ground if planted on a slight mound. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. A controlled release fertiliser in early spring and again in midsummer keeps the leaf colour deep green.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density low down. After that, two or three light trims through the warm months hold a sharp face. It reshoots readily from old wood if left too long.

What to expect when it arrives

The range runs from tube, 140mm, 175mm, 200mm and 250mm packs through 300mm, 400mm and 500mm, up to 45L, 90L, 100L and 200L. Tube stock is on backorder at present. Small sizes are the economical way to plant a long hedge, while 45L and larger plants arrive as established shrubs.

Plants travel upright and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect new growth within four to six weeks in warm weather. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant and maintain a sharp hedge
• Browse the full ficus range
• Plants that suit topiary and shaping
• Compare coastal and salt tolerant plants

Common questions

How far apart do I plant it for a hedge?

Sixty centimetres apart in a single row. Planting tighter costs more and does not close the gap faster, and it makes watering and feeding the row harder.

Are the roots invasive like other figs?

This is a compact shrubby form, kept small by regular clipping, so it does not develop the aggressive buttressed roots of a full sized ficus. Even so, keep a hedge at least a metre from pipes and paving.

Will it grow in a cool climate garden?

Not reliably. It is frost tender and belongs in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens. Cool climate gardeners wanting the same clipped look should choose a frost hardy hedge.

How low can I keep it?

Down to 40cm to 50cm as a border, provided you start trimming while the plants are young. Letting it reach 2m and then cutting hard works, but takes a season to refurnish.