Griselinia

Sun

Full sun or partial shade; protect from cold, drying winds near its hardiness limit.

Water

Water regularly while establishing; once rooted, water during prolonged dry spells. Avoid persistently wet soil.

Soil

Well-drained soil, including sandy or loamy ground; tolerates acidic, neutral and alkaline conditions.

Height

13-26 ft (4-8 m) unpruned; commonly maintained as a 5-10 ft (1.5-3 m) hedge

Spread

8-16 ft (2.5-5 m) unpruned

Flowers

Small, inconspicuous yellow-green flowers in spring; male and female flowers grow on separate plants.

Foliage

Evergreen. Broad, leathery, glossy apple-green leaves with slightly uneven bases; foliage remains year-round.

Growth

Moderate to fast in mild conditions with adequate moisture.

Care needed

Low

• Drought tolerant
• Heat tolerant
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   2.4 ft (0.72 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2 m)

3. After 2 years

   11 ft (3.4 m)

4. After 3 years

   15 ft (4.7 m)

5. After 5 years

   20 ft (6 m)

   full size

About 4 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Fast

• Water deeply during dry weather for the first two growing seasons.
• Spread a 2-3 in (5-8 cm) organic mulch over the root area, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Apply a balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring if growth is weak or the soil is poor.
• Improve drainage before planting; do not leave roots sitting in saturated soil.
• Protect newly planted shrubs from severe frost and cold, drying winds.

Pruning. Trim hedges in late spring after the main flush of growth, with a light second trim in midsummer if needed; keep the base wider than the top. Remove frost-damaged shoots after new growth starts, and avoid late-season clipping that encourages tender shoots.

Spring

Plant once the soil is workable and the risk of severe frost has passed, especially in cooler districts.

Spring

Refresh mulch and feed lightly if growth is weak.

Late spring

Clip hedges and remove dead or frost-damaged shoots once healthy growth is visible.

Summer

Water young plants deeply during dry spells; check that water reaches the rootball.

Midsummer

Give formal hedges a light second trim if necessary.

Late summer

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, non-flowering shoots.

Winter

Check drainage and protect young plants during unusually severe cold.

• Clip into a dense boundary hedge for privacy in mild coastal gardens.
• Use as a green backdrop to flowering shrubs and perennial borders.
• Plant as an informal coastal windbreak, allowing enough room for its natural width.
• Train as a small evergreen tree to provide year-round structure in a sheltered courtyard.

Garden styles it suits: Coastal, Modern, Formal, Green on green, Low-maintenance and Modern courtyard.

Plant it with: New Zealand flax, Pittosporum, Hebe, Agapanthus, Lavender and Escallonia.

Wildlife: Dense growth provides shelter and potential nesting cover for birds. Female plants can produce purple-black fruits when a male plant is nearby, and birds may eat these.

• Root rot in waterlogged soil: improve drainage or move the plant to a better-drained site; severely affected plants may need replacing.
• Frost scorch and shoot dieback: wait until spring growth reveals the damage, then prune back to healthy wood.
• Drought stress and leaf drop: soak the root area thoroughly and mulch, particularly around young hedges.
• Scale insects: inspect stems and leaf undersides; remove small infestations by hand or use a labelled horticultural oil when conditions are suitable.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. No particular plant part is recognised as poisonous, but it is not an edible garden plant and ingestion may cause stomach upset.

• Chilean griselinia (Griselinia lucida)

  Has much larger, very glossy leaves with conspicuously unequal sides at the base; it is generally less cold-hardy.

• Kohuhu (Pittosporum tenuifolium)

  Usually has smaller, thinner, often wavy-edged leaves on dark, nearly black young stems.

• Japanese spindle (Euonymus japonicus)

  Has opposite leaves with finely toothed edges; griselinia has alternate leaves with smooth edges.

Griselinia honours the Venetian naturalist Francesco Griselini, while littoralis means 'of the seashore'.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and root in a free-draining medium with gentle humidity. Fresh seed can also be sown, but seedlings vary and fruit requires a female plant with a male nearby.

Accepted botanical name

Griselinia littoralis

Native range

New Zealand North and New Zealand South.

Measured

Average height 470 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.