Lush & Thin™ Murraya

Lush and Thin murraya (Murraya paniculata 'Lush and Thin') is the answer when you want a 3m screen and have barely a metre to give it. It grows roughly 3m high by 1m wide, holding dense glossy foliage from the ground up, and carries the same white orange blossom scented flowers as a standard mock orange.

Why you'll love it

• Height without width. A standard murraya wants 2.5m of room. This one holds to about a metre and screens a side passage where nothing else fits.
• Fragrance that carries. Flushes of white flowers open after warm rain between spring and autumn, and the scent reaches well past the plant.
• Less clipping, not more. The narrow habit is natural, not something you hold with shears, so two light trims a year keep it tidy.
• Built for the coast. Salt tolerant, heat tolerant and comfortable in humidity, which suits exposed beachside boundaries.

Where it works best

Narrow screening and privacy. Plant 60cm apart in a single row, roughly seventeen plants for a ten metre run.

Side passages and small gardens. The classic use is the strip between a house wall and a fence, allowing at least 60cm clear of the wall for air movement.

Pots, balconies and courtyards. It grows well in a large pot, and the upright habit suits a pair flanking an entry.

One honest caution. Murraya is a restricted or discouraged plant in parts of coastal Queensland, because birds spread the berries into bushland. Check your council rules before planting, and clip after each flowering flush if you garden near bush.

Growing Lush and Thin murraya in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and heaviest flowering, though it copes with half a day in a side passage. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens and takes light frost only, so cold winter districts need a sheltered north facing wall or a pot that can be moved.

Soil. Free draining, and it will not sit wet. Dig compost through heavy clay or plant on a mound 200mm high, and mulch 75mm deep clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then a good drink in dry spells. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and midsummer keeps the leaf dark, and yellowing between the veins means iron is short, which iron chelate corrects.

Pruning. Tip prune from planting to build density low down, then trim lightly after each flowering flush. It shoots from old wood, so a neglected plant can be cut back hard in late winter.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in nine sizes: tube stock, 140mm, 200mm, 250mm, 300mm, 400mm and 500mm pots, 45L and 100L. Smaller sizes come in multi packs and catch larger stock within two seasons. The 300mm to 500mm plants arrive around waist height, while 45L and 100L give close to an instant screen.

Plants are packed to travel upright, so expect some leaf drop in transit. Water them the day they land, then plant. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Mock orange care guide: hedging, pruning and varieties
• Compare our hedging and screening range.
• See the standard mock orange for a wider hedge.
• More fragrant plants for paths and entries.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Sixty centimetres apart, centre to centre, in a single row. Because the plant is narrow, wider spacing leaves gaps that never close.

Can I keep it lower than 3m?

Yes. It clips comfortably to anywhere between about 1.5m and 3m, and trimming the top encourages it to thicken lower down.

Will it grow in a pot long term?

It does well in a pot 500mm diameter or larger with free draining mix. Expect it to sit closer to 2m than 3m, and plan on repotting every three to four years.