White Escallonia

White Escallonia (Escallonia 'Iveyi') is the flowering hedge for a coastal block that gets belted by salt wind. It grows to about 3m tall and 2.5m wide, holds glossy dark green leaves through winter, and carries upright panicles of scented white flowers all summer. Clipped or left loose, it stays furnished to the ground, which is the part most flowering hedges get wrong.

Why you'll love it

• It takes the coast. Salt tolerant and wind tolerant, so it holds a boundary in exposed seaside gardens where softer hedge plants burn off.
• Scented white flowers. Dense summer panicles with a honey scent that carries on a still evening, worked by bees and small birds.
• Glossy evergreen structure. Dark leathery foliage all year, so the screen is as solid in July as in January.
• Two hedges in one plant. Trim it to a formal wall at 1.5m, or let it run to 3m as an informal flowering screen.

Where it works best

Hedging. Plant 1m apart for a dense hedge. At that spacing the plants meet within two seasons, and you can hold the finished hedge anywhere between 1.5m and 3m.

Screening and privacy. Left unclipped it makes a 3m informal screen carrying far more flower than a trimmed hedge, which suits a back boundary.

Coastal gardens and windbreaks. A staggered double row at 1m spacing filters salt wind rather than blocking it, protecting softer planting behind.

Growing White Escallonia in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun for the heaviest flowering, with part shade tolerated at the cost of density. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens and is frost hardy once established. In humid subtropical and tropical gardens it is prone to leaf spot, so it is not the pick for the far north.

Soil. Well drained soil of almost any type, including sand and light clay. It will not accept waterlogging, so mound the row on heavy ground. Mulch 75mm deep, kept clear of the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper off, since it is drought tolerant after two seasons. A complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again in late summer keeps growth even along the row.

Pruning. Trim straight after the summer flush, because flowers form on new wood. Two trims a year hold a formal face, and it reshoots from old wood, so a neglected hedge can be cut back hard in early spring.

What to expect when it arrives

Escallonia is grown in 140mm pots sold in packs of ten and 200mm pots in packs of six, both sized for planting a run rather than a single specimen. The 140mm plants are usually 20 to 30cm tall and the cheapest way to plant a long boundary, while the 200mm plants are a season ahead.

Plants are packed upright and delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Expect roughly 40 to 60cm of growth a year once established, so a hedge from 200mm reads as solid in the third season. Every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to create a great hedge and keep it sharp
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Coastal and salt tolerant plants
• Browse fragrant plants

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

One metre apart in a single row. Closer planting does not close the hedge faster and makes the row compete for water, while wider spacing leaves gaps at the base.

Will it grow in a humid subtropical garden?

It will grow, but leaf spot and reduced flowering are common in constant humidity. In Queensland and northern New South Wales a lilly pilly or viburnum is the more reliable hedge.

How close to the beach can I plant it?

It handles salt laden wind well, so a second row position is comfortable. On an exposed front line, give it temporary wind protection for the first two years while the roots go down.