Shiny Xylosma

Shiny Xylosma (Xylosma senticosum) is a hedging shrub for gardeners who want glossy, formal green without the frost limits that rule out most popular screeners. Untrimmed it reaches about 3.5m tall and 2.5m wide, and it clips down happily to a crisp hedge of 1m to 2m. New growth comes away bronze red over the older deep green, so a trimmed hedge carries colour for weeks after every cut.

Why you'll love it

• Frost hardy, unlike most glossy hedges. It grows through subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean climates, so southern and inland gardeners can have one too.
• Small leaves take shearing. Fine enough that a hedge trimmer cuts cleanly, without half sliced leaves browning across the face of the hedge.
• Dry and hot without complaint. Drought, heat and salt tolerant once established, so a hot western boundary or an exposed coastal fence line suits it.
• Low maintenance and bird friendly. Two or three trims a year is the whole job, and small birds use the dense interior for shelter.

Where it works best

Formal hedges. Plant 1m apart in a single row. At that spacing the plants knit into a continuous face within two to three seasons and hold density down to ground level.

Screening in cooler districts. Left to about 3.5m it makes a screen that keeps working through frosty winters, where frost tender screeners burn back and thin out.

Topiary and dry gardens. It takes repeated clipping, so single plants suit balls, cubes and standards. Established plants also need far less water than most hedging shrubs.

Growing Shiny Xylosma in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the tightest, densest hedge; it accepts part shade but grows more open. Being frost hardy, it is at home in Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and the southern tablelands as readily as in coastal New South Wales and Queensland.

Soil. Free draining soil of almost any type. It tolerates poor ground but not wet feet, so on heavy clay build a raised bed along the hedge line. Mulch 75mm deep, clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then reduce sharply. Established plants get through dry spells on very little. Feed with a controlled release fertiliser in early spring.

Pruning. Start trimming while the plants are small, because early cuts build a hedge that is solid at the bottom. Two or three light trims a year is plenty, and it reshoots from older wood if a hedge has been left too long.

What to expect when it arrives

It is offered as an advanced plant in a 400mm pot, a bushy, well branched shrub already carrying useful height. That size suits a hedge you want reading as a hedge quickly, or a specimen you intend to shape. The flowers are small and insignificant: this is grown for foliage, form and year round gloss.

Plants are packed to travel upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect a few quiet weeks while roots move into the soil, then a strong flush in the first warm spell. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Browse drought tolerant plants for dry gardens
• Emerald Lustre Viburnum for a large leaf hedge
• Preparing a bed before you plant a hedge

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer spacing costs more plants without producing a solid hedge sooner, because the limit is root establishment rather than the gap between stems.

How cold can it take?

It is frost hardy and grows through cool temperate and Mediterranean climates, so regular winter frosts are not a problem. That is the main reason to choose it over lilly pilly in a southern garden.

Is Xylosma senticosum the same as Xylosma congestum?

They are sold interchangeably in Australia and behave the same way in the garden. Expect the same glossy foliage, bronze new growth and hedging habit under either name.