Last Updated on April 8, 2024 by Real Men Sow
We are all busy sometimes, and some plants just require so much effort to keep up! Did you know, some hedges don’t require hours of labor-intensive care? This is why we collected the top 6 low-maintenance hedging plants for you.
A loose hedge that is allowed to bloom is ideal for wildlife gardens. However, low-maintenance hedging plants don’t have to be informal or untidy. Light trimming once or twice per year is enough to keep holly, a slow-growing plant, looking tidy.
You want your hedge to be low-maintenance, which means it’s best to keep it at 2m or less. Avoid plants that grow upwards, rather than outwards, because they’ll be more difficult to maintain.
Top 6 Low-Maintainance Hedging Plants
Holly
Holly is a great hedging plant for its evergreen foliage, it may appear as deep green, glossy green, or variegated. It’s also slow-growing, making prune time cut shorter.
Choisya
Choisya produces evergreen foliage and citrus-scented flowers in Spring. Prune the plant to keep it in its desired shape and size. You can grow your plant under full sun or partial shade.
Yew
Yew has dark green evergreen foliage. It’s relatively slow-growing and rarely gets affected by pests and diseases. Grow your plant with ample drainage as it hates being soaked.
Berberis
Berberis’ slower-growing varieties are great for hedging. The Berberis thunbergii f. Atropurpurea has purple foliage with yellow spring flowers and produces glossy red berries in autumn and winter. You’ll have to prune them lightly to keep it in its desired shape.
Cryptomeria ‘Globosa Nana’
‘Globosa Nana’ is a Cryptomeria variety that is slow-growing. It’s an attractive evergreen hedge that only needs light pruning. They thrive in partial shade and show their richest color in moist and well-drained soil.
Osmanthus
The Osmanthus delavayi and Osmanthus x burkwoodii varieties are great for low-maintenance hedges that can thrive in sun or partial shade. They are slow-growing evergreens that produce fragrant white flowers in spring.
