Sick of staring at your neighbour's window when you’d rather be looking at something green? It's a common problem, and it's exactly why so many Kiwis are on the hunt for fast-growing hedge plants. They offer a living, breathing solution to screen your property, cut down on noise, and create that lush, green backdrop every good garden deserves.
Why Choose Fast-Growing Hedges for Your NZ Garden
Let's be honest, the biggest reason we go for fast-growing hedges is instant gratification. Who wants to wait years for a few measly saplings to form a solid screen? These vigorous growers can create a dense, green wall in just a couple of seasons. This is a game-changer for new builds with bare boundary lines or for when you need to quickly block out an eyesore.
But it’s not just about speed. A thoughtfully chosen hedge is a world away from a stark, static fence.
- Natural Privacy: Hedges give you a softer, more beautiful barrier than timber or metal ever could. They blend right into the garden, becoming a feature in themselves.
- A Living Windbreak: In a country famous for its four-seasons-in-one-day weather, a dense hedge can take the bite out of the wind. This creates a sheltered little microclimate for your other plants and makes your deck or patio a much nicer place to be.
- Haven for Wildlife: Many hedging plants provide food and shelter for our native birds and beneficial insects, helping to build a healthier garden ecosystem.
A living hedge does more than just define a boundary; it breathes life into it. By choosing the right plants, you're not just building a screen—you're cultivating a thriving part of your garden's environment.
Of course, when you're looking for fast-growing hedge plants in NZ, you have to think about our one-of-a-kind climate. A plant that thrives in the humid, subtropical north might struggle down in the cooler, damper south. Success really comes down to picking a hedge that can handle your local conditions, whether that's salty coastal spray in Wellington or a sharp winter frost in Christchurch.
This guide goes beyond just a basic list. We want to help you create a thriving, beautiful screen that's perfectly suited to your space. We’ll dig into hardy natives—you can learn more about those in our guide to creating an NZ native garden—as well as some fantastic exotic options. The goal is to find a hedge that not only grows like the clappers but also fits your lifestyle and your local environment.
Our Top Native Plants for a Fast-Growing NZ Hedge
Choosing native plants for your hedge is a brilliant way to guarantee success. These are species that have evolved to thrive in New Zealand's unique climate, which means they tend to establish quickly, require less fuss, and are perfectly in tune with our local birdlife and beneficial insects.
For anyone looking for fast-growing hedge plants in NZ, our native flora offers some truly outstanding options that are both beautiful and practical.
Two native champions really stand out for their rapid growth and stunning looks: Griselinia littoralis (Kāpuka) and Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kōhuhu). Both can create a dense, living screen faster than you might think, giving you the privacy and shelter so many Kiwi gardeners are after.
Griselinia Littoralis: The Coastal Superstar
Often called New Zealand Broadleaf or Kāpuka, Griselinia is a firm favourite for good reason. Its lush, apple-green leaves have a glossy finish that seems to capture the sunlight, creating a vibrant and cheerful boundary. It's also famously hardy and one of the best choices for coastal properties.
Griselinia littoralis is prized for its dense foliage and remarkable adaptability. Left to its own devices, it could reach over 10 metres, but it’s typically kept between 2 to 8 metres as a hedge. It thrives in well-lit spots and is incredibly resilient to salt spray, making it a top contender for gardens exposed to those gusty coastal winds.
To get the best from your Griselinia hedge:
- Spacing: Plant your saplings roughly 75cm to 1 metre apart. This spacing encourages them to grow into each other, forming a thick, solid wall of green.
- Feeding: Give them a boost in spring with a general-purpose, slow-release fertiliser to fuel their main growing season.
- Trimming: A good trim once or twice a year will keep it dense and well-shaped. Aim for late spring after the first growth spurt, and again in late summer.
Pittosporum Tenuifolium: The Elegant Screen
Pittosporum tenuifolium, or Kōhuhu, offers a different aesthetic with its smaller, often wavy-edged leaves and dark, slender stems. It creates a finer-textured hedge that can look both formal and wonderfully natural. It's an incredibly versatile plant that performs well across most of the country.
One of the great advantages of Pittosporum is its dense growth habit. The key to achieving that fullness is formative pruning when the plants are young. Don't be afraid to give them a light trim on their sides and top; this encourages the plant to branch out and become bushy right from the base.
The secret to a dense hedge isn't just planting close together—it's encouraging bushy, lateral growth from the very beginning. A light trim in the first couple of years makes all the difference, preventing a gappy, leggy hedge later on.
For a thriving Pittosporum hedge, focus on these points:
- Planting: For a quicker screen, space plants around 75cm apart.
- Pruning: Trim twice a year to maintain shape. Try to avoid cutting back into old, hard wood, as it may not regrow. A light, frequent trim is far better than a single hard cut.
- Watering: While established plants are reasonably drought-tolerant, consistent watering during their first couple of summers is crucial for rapid establishment.
Comparing Fast-Growing NZ Native Hedges
To help you decide at a glance, here’s a quick comparison of our top native contenders. This table breaks down their key features so you can match the right plant to your garden's needs.
| Plant Name | Growth Rate Per Year | Ideal Height | Best For | Coastal Tolerance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Griselinia littoralis | Up to 1m | 2-8m | Lush, glossy green screens; coastal gardens | High |
| Pittosporum tenuifolium | Up to 75cm | 2-5m | Fine-textured formal or informal hedges | Moderate |
Both Griselinia and Pittosporum are fantastic choices, offering fast growth and a classic Kiwi look. Your final decision might just come down to whether you prefer the bold, glossy leaves of Griselinia or the more delicate, textured look of Pittosporum.
For more ideas on creating your living boundary, check out our broader guide on fast-growing hedges in NZ to compare these native gems with other popular options.
Popular Exotic Choices for a Quick Screen
While our native flora is brilliant, you can’t deny that New Zealand’s climate is perfect for growing a huge range of stunning exotic plants. Bringing in species from overseas can introduce a whole new palette of colours, textures, and even flowers to your garden, creating a living screen that’s truly unique.
Many of these non-native plants are right at home in Kiwi gardens and make for fantastic fast-growing hedge plants in NZ. They offer vigorous growth and eye-catching features that can quickly turn a boring boundary into a standout part of your landscape.
Let's dive into some of the most popular and reliable exotic options that will give you a quick screen with a bit of international flair.
Photinia 'Red Robin': The Colourful Contender
If you want a hedge that really puts on a show, it’s hard to look past Photinia ‘Red Robin’. Its claim to fame is the fiery, brilliant red of its new leaves, which pop up in flushes throughout the year—especially right after a good trim. This vivid display creates a beautiful, striking contrast against the older, glossy green foliage.
This is a seriously fast grower, easily putting on 60cm or more of height in a single year. That makes it a top choice if you’re trying to establish some privacy in a hurry. It’s a tough, dependable plant that’s not too fussy, performing well everywhere from full sun to partial shade.
To get the most out of your Photinia hedge:
- Encourage the Colour: Give it a regular trim through spring and summer. Every time you clip it, you’ll trigger a fresh burst of that iconic red growth.
- Planting Density: For a thick, dense screen, space your plants about 1 metre apart.
- Sun Needs: While it’ll handle some shade, that incredible red colouring is at its most intense and vibrant when the plant gets plenty of direct sun.
Camellia Varieties: The Flowering Favourite
For a hedge that does more than just be green, Camellias are an exceptional choice. They form a dense, glossy, dark green screen that serves as a perfect backdrop in any garden. But it’s during the cooler months that their true magic is revealed.
From late autumn, right through winter and into early spring, Camellia hedges burst into life with an incredible display of beautiful flowers. This provides a much-needed splash of colour when most of the garden is asleep, making them a really valuable addition to the New Zealand landscape.
Camellias offer a 'double duty' benefit that few other hedging plants can match. They provide a lush, evergreen screen for privacy all year round, then reward you with a spectacular floral display during the greyest months.
Different varieties will give you different flower colours and growth habits, but Sasanqua Camellias are a particularly good fit for hedging. They tend to have smaller leaves and denser growth, and they respond beautifully to clipping, allowing you to maintain a neat, formal boundary.
Portuguese Laurel: The Classic Choice
If you're after a more traditional, formal look, the Portuguese Laurel (Prunus lusitanica) is an elegant and enduringly popular option. It has smaller, darker green leaves than the common Cherry Laurel, set against distinctive reddish-purple stems. It just has a refined, sophisticated air about it.
Don’t let its formal appearance fool you, though—it’s a vigorous grower that quickly forms a dense, impenetrable screen. It’s also exceptionally hardy, happily tolerating a wide range of soil types, frost, and wind once it’s established. This makes it a reliable performer across many parts of New Zealand. A light trim once or twice a year is all it needs to stay looking sharp and tidy.
Planting Your Fast-Growing Hedge: The Ultimate Kick-Start Guide
Right then, you’ve picked your plants. But that’s only half the job done. Giving your new hedge the best possible start in life is absolutely crucial if you want it to grow fast and fill out nicely.
A truly great hedge doesn't start with a pair of shears; it starts with the soil. Getting the planting right is the foundation for a healthy, thriving screen that will look fantastic for years to come.
A common mistake is digging individual holes for each plant. It seems logical, but it actually slows things down by boxing the roots in. A much, much better way to go is to dig one continuous trench for the whole lot.
Think of it this way: a single hole is like a little pot, but a trench is like a wide-open garden bed. The trench gives the roots room to stretch out, find more nutrients, and knit together into a single, strong root system far more quickly.
Getting the Planting Site Just Right
First up, mark out a dead-straight line for your trench. Make it at least twice as wide as the root balls on your plants. Then, dig down to the same depth as the root ball, making sure to break up any hard, compacted soil you find at the bottom. It’s a bit of grunt work, but trust me, your plants will thank you for it.
Next, you'll want to supercharge the soil you've dug out. Mix in a generous amount of well-rotted compost or a good quality garden mix. This adds all the good stuff—organic matter and nutrients—that gives your young plants the fuel they need to really take off.
The quality of your soil will directly dictate how fast and how healthy your hedge grows. Putting in the time to prepare your soil before you plant is the single most important thing you can do for a quick, lush result.
Spacing is another big one. If you plant them too close, they'll just compete for light and water. Too far apart, and you’ll be waiting years for them to fill in. Always check the specific advice for the plant you’ve chosen, but as a general guide, most hedging plants do well when spaced between 75cm and 1 metre apart.
The First Few Weeks Are Key
With your plants nestled in the trench, backfill with your enriched soil. Make sure each plant is sitting at the same depth it was in its pot—if you plant it too deep, the stem can rot. Gently firm the soil down around the base and then give the whole row a really deep, thorough watering.
Now, for the first month or so, follow these steps:
- A Solid Watering Routine: Give them a good, deep soak two or three times a week for the first month, especially if you’re planting in spring. This encourages the roots to grow down deep, searching for moisture.
- Get Mulching: Spread a thick layer of bark chip or pea straw mulch around the base of your plants. This is a game-changer for keeping moisture in the soil, stopping weeds, and keeping the soil temperature even.
- The First Trim: This feels wrong, I know, but a light prune soon after planting works wonders. Snipping the tips of the main stems encourages the plant to branch out sideways. This creates a dense, bushy base, which is exactly what you want for a thick, impenetrable hedge down the line.
Caring for Your Hedge for Maximum Growth and Lushness
Right, you've got your hedge in the ground. That’s a brilliant first step, but the real magic in creating a thick, gorgeous living screen comes down to consistent, smart care. A little bit of upkeep ensures your hedge doesn't just shoot up quickly, but grows strong and stays lush through our classic Kiwi seasons.
First up, let’s clear up the difference between trimming and pruning. Think of trimming as a light haircut. You do it regularly to keep a tidy shape and encourage that dense, bushy growth we all want. A hard prune, on the other hand, is more like a major restyle. It’s for bringing an old, overgrown hedge back in line or sorting out any structural issues.
Pruning and Feeding Through the Seasons
For fast-growing hedge plants in NZ, timing your cuts is everything. A light trim is best done in late spring after that first big burst of growth, and then maybe again in late summer to tidy things up before winter rolls in. Just be sure to avoid any heavy pruning in late autumn—you don't want fresh, soft growth getting zapped by the first frosts.
To fuel all that growth, a good feeding schedule is non-negotiable.
- Spring Boost: As the ground starts to warm up in early spring, give your hedge a balanced, slow-release fertiliser. This acts like a steady breakfast, providing nutrients for its most vigorous growing period.
- Summer Top-Up: A second, lighter feed in the middle of summer can be a great help, especially for really hungry hedges or if your soil is a bit on the poor side.
- Autumn Rest: Hold off on the fertiliser in autumn. The goal is to let your hedge slow down and toughen up for winter, not to encourage a last-minute spurt of vulnerable new growth.
A well-fed and properly trimmed hedge doesn't just look better; it's tougher, too. This regular care helps the plant fight off common pests and diseases, keeping your living fence in top-notch condition year after year.
Take a classic Kiwi native like Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kōhuhu). It absolutely loves this kind of routine. It's a quick grower, often putting on 50 to 80 centimetres in just a couple of years. While it's pretty disease-resistant, it can get bothered by scale insects if it's stressed. A couple of trims a year to keep it narrow and manageable is usually all it needs to stay dense, healthy, and looking its best.
Managing Pests and Diseases
Even the healthiest hedge can run into a few problems. Keep an eye out for common garden troublemakers like aphids, scale insects, and psyllids. Often, a good blast with the hose is enough to send them packing. For a more stubborn problem, a bit of neem oil is a great low-impact solution.
Your best defence against fungal problems like mildew, which can pop up in our humid spots, is good air circulation. That’s where proper trimming really pays off.
Ultimately, a little proactive care is so much easier than trying to fix a big problem later. And if you're thinking about screening on a grander scale, have a look at our guide to some of the best fast-growing trees NZ has on offer.
Got a Hedging Question? We’ve Got Answers
Even with the best plants and perfect soil, a few questions are bound to pop up when you're creating a living screen. Getting the right advice helps you make confident decisions and keep your new hedge looking its absolute best.
Let’s dig into some of the most common queries we hear from Kiwi gardeners about their fast-growing hedges.
How Can I Make My Hedge Grow Thicker and Faster?
Patience is great, but who doesn't want to give their hedge a bit of a helping hand? The secret to a thick, lush hedge isn't just about shooting for the sky; it's about encouraging dense, bushy growth right from the base. You can achieve this with a simple one-two punch of good nutrition and smart pruning.
Think of it like this: feeding provides the fuel, and pruning tells the plant where to put its energy.
- Consistent Nutrition: A good dose of slow-release fertiliser in early spring is like a power-up for your hedge's main growth spurt. Healthy, well-fed plants will naturally grow faster and fill in any gaps much more quickly.
- Formative Pruning: Don't be scared to trim your hedge while it's still young! Lightly clipping the sides and top encourages the plant to branch out, which is exactly what you want for creating a dense, solid structure. This early shaping is key to preventing a hedge that's leggy and thin at the bottom.
What Is the Most Affordable Fast-Growing Hedge in NZ?
Screening a long boundary can get pricey, so finding a budget-friendly option is a top priority for many. While the initial cost of plants always varies, some species are consistently easier on the wallet, especially if you buy them as smaller, younger plants.
For sheer value and speed, it's pretty hard to beat Pittosporum tenuifolium (Kōhuhu). It's available everywhere in New Zealand, establishes itself in a flash, and its vigorous growth means you get a full, private screen without a massive upfront investment.
Other cost-effective choices often include Leyland Cypress and some types of privet, but Pittosporum is a firm favourite for its native hardiness and great looks.
When Is the Best Time to Plant a New Hedge in New Zealand?
Getting your timing right is one of the most important things you can do to give your hedge the strongest possible start. The goal is to give the roots plenty of time to get established before they have to deal with the stress of extreme weather.
Here in New Zealand, we have two golden windows for planting: autumn and spring.
Planting in autumn lets the roots grow into the still-warm soil over winter, setting them up for a massive growth surge come spring. Spring planting is also fantastic, as it gives the hedge a full growing season to get settled before the next winter rolls around. Just try to avoid planting in the peak of summer, when intense heat and dry spells can really stress out young plants.
Ready to create your own private green sanctuary? Find the perfect fast-growing hedge plants nz gardeners love at Jungle Story. Explore our wide selection and get your project started today! Find your ideal hedge at https://junglestory.co.nz.