Silk Tassel Bush

Silk Tassel Bush (Garrya elliptica) performs in the one season most gardens go quiet. Through winter it drapes itself in long, silvery grey green catkins that hang like silk cords against the dark leathery foliage. It is a dense evergreen to about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, frost hardy and coastal tough, and it makes an unusual, characterful screen for cooler parts of the country.

Why you'll love it

• A genuine winter feature. The catkins lengthen through the coldest months, when almost nothing else in the garden is trying.
• Dense evergreen screening. The leathery, wavy edged leaves hold thickly year round, so the privacy never drops with the temperature.
• Tough where it counts. Frost hardy, wind tolerant, salt tolerant and drought tolerant once established, it suits exposed and coastal sites.
• Low maintenance by nature. Beyond one tidy up a year it asks for very little, and it has no serious pest or disease drama in a suitable climate.

Where it works best

Screening and hedging. Plant 1.5m apart for a dense screen at fence height and above. It clips well into an informal hedge that still carries its catkins.

Coastal gardens. Salt wind that shreds softer screens leaves it untroubled, making it a strong choice for exposed southern coastlines.

Feature planting. Give it a wall or dark hedge as a backdrop near a window or path, where the winter display can be seen from inside.

Growing Silk Tassel Bush in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean climates: Melbourne, Adelaide, Hobart, the tablelands and southern coasts all suit it. It dislikes humid subtropical summers, so it is not the shrub for coastal Queensland gardens.

Soil. Any free draining soil, including poorer ground, once it has settled in. On heavy clay, raise the bed slightly and mulch well.

Water and feed. Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, then only in extended dry spells. A light dressing of complete fertiliser in spring is ample.

Pruning. Trim straight after the catkins finish in late winter or early spring, because the next winter's display forms on growth made through the year. Cut later and you cut off the show.

What to expect when it arrives

We supply Silk Tassel Bush as advanced 45L plants, already dense, well branched and carrying real height. That head start matters with this species, which is steady rather than rapid in its early years. A few marked or dropped leaves after freight is normal and new growth follows in the next flush.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare hedging and screening plants
• More plants for coastal areas
• How to create a great hedge and keep it looking sharp

Common questions

When do the catkins appear?

They develop through winter and hang at their longest and most silvery from mid winter into early spring. The show improves as the plant matures.

Will it grow in Brisbane or further north?

We do not recommend it there. It dislikes humid subtropical summers and tends to sulk and thin out north of the warm temperate zone. It is at its best in southern Australia.

How far apart should I plant it for a screen?

1.5m apart in a single row. The plants knit into a continuous screen while each keeps enough air and light to stay dense to the base.

When should I prune it?

Immediately after flowering, in late winter or early spring. Pruning any later removes the wood that would carry next winter's catkins.