Hedges
Create some privacy without a vinyl fence!
Bottlebrush
Bottlebrush is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Evergreen shrub or small tree with bright red, brush-like flowers that attract hummingbirds. Ideal for hedges or privacy screens in full sun.
- Harvest Season: Peak bloom spring–fall
- Tree Size: 6–15 ft (trainable)
- Uses: Hedges, screens, pollinator gardens, coastal sites
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental flowers)
- Chill Hours: None (warm-climate evergreen)
Boxwood
Boxwood is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Classic hedge plant with dense, small leaves and a neat growth habit. Perfect for formal borders and topiary work.
- Harvest Season: Evergreen interest year-round
- Tree Size: 2–6 ft (variety dependent)
- Uses: Formal hedges, knot gardens, topiary, borders
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental foliage)
- Chill Hours: None (landscape evergreen)
Buford Holly
Buford Holly is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Large, fast-growing holly with glossy, spiny leaves and bright red berries in winter. Excellent for tall hedges and privacy screening.
- Harvest Season: Berries fall–winter (ornamental)
- Tree Size: 10–20+ ft (shears well)
- Uses: Tall privacy hedges, windbreaks, wildlife value
- Pollination: Berries form on female plants; male nearby improves set
- Chill Hours: None (adapted landscape shrub)
Buttonwood
Buttonwood is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Salt-tolerant coastal shrub or tree with silver or green foliage. Works well as a windbreak or privacy hedge in seaside landscapes.
- Harvest Season: Evergreen interest year-round
- Tree Size: 6–20+ ft (green/silver forms)
- Uses: Coastal hedges, windbreaks, screens, specimen
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental foliage)
- Chill Hours: None (very salt/heat tolerant)
Clusia
Clusia is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Tropical hedge plant with thick, paddle-shaped leaves. Low-maintenance, drought-tolerant, and ideal for modern landscapes.
- Harvest Season: Evergreen interest year-round
- Tree Size: 6–15 ft (prunes tightly)
- Uses: Clean modern hedges, privacy screens, sound buffering
- Pollination: N/A (grown for foliage)
- Chill Hours: None (protect from hard frost)
Cocoplum
Cocoplum is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Native Florida shrub with glossy leaves and edible purple fruit. Excellent for informal hedges in coastal or inland settings.
- Harvest Season: Fruit spring–summer (ornamental/edible)
- Tree Size: 4–10 ft (rounded habit)
- Uses: Informal hedges, coastal plantings, wildlife value
- Pollination: Self-fertile; multiple plants improve fruit set
- Chill Hours: None (tropical/subtropical)
Crepe Myrtle
Crepe Myrtle is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Deciduous shrub or tree with vibrant summer blooms in various colors. Works as a showy hedge or specimen planting.
- Harvest Season: Peak bloom late spring–summer
- Tree Size: 6–20+ ft (dwarf to tree forms)
- Uses: Flowering hedges, allees, specimens, street plantings
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental flowers)
- Chill Hours: None (deciduous rest only)
Firebush
Firebush is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Heat-loving shrub with tubular red-orange flowers that attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Great for informal hedges and wildlife gardens.
- Harvest Season: Peak bloom spring–fall
- Tree Size: 4–10 ft (cut back to shape)
- Uses: Informal hedges, pollinator gardens, wildlife value
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental; attracts hummingbirds & butterflies)
- Chill Hours: None (dies back in freezes; rebounds)
Loropetalum
Loropetalum is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Evergreen shrub with deep burgundy foliage and pink fringe-like flowers. Ideal for colorful hedges and mixed borders.
- Harvest Season: Peak bloom spring; sporadic color summer–fall
- Tree Size: 3–10 ft (cultivar dependent)
- Uses: Color hedges, foundation accents, mixed borders
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental foliage/flowers)
- Chill Hours: None (evergreen in warm zones)
Podocarpus
Podocarpus is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Upright, dense evergreen with fine, needle-like leaves. Excellent for formal hedges and topiary in both sun and part shade.
- Harvest Season: Evergreen interest year-round
- Tree Size: 6–20+ ft (shears cleanly)
- Uses: Formal hedges, screens, topiary, narrow spaces
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental evergreen)
- Chill Hours: None (very adaptable)
Podocarpus Maki
Podocarpus Maki is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Narrow, columnar variety of podocarpus with tightly spaced foliage. Perfect for tight spaces and vertical accents in hedges.
- Harvest Season: Evergreen interest year-round
- Tree Size: 4–10 ft (narrow columnar)
- Uses: Tight hedges, entries, vertical accents, topiary
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental evergreen)
- Chill Hours: None (adaptable; prefers well-drained soil)
Sweet Viburnum
Sweet Viburnum is well suited for USDA Growing Zones 9A and 9B—ideal for St. Augustine and Northeast Florida gardens. Fast-growing evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and clusters of fragrant white flowers. Excellent for tall, dense privacy hedges.
- Harvest Season: Flowers spring; evergreen year-round
- Tree Size: 8–20 ft (responds well to shearing)
- Uses: Tall privacy hedges, sound buffering, wind screens
- Pollination: N/A (ornamental flowers; attracts pollinators)
- Chill Hours: None (warm-climate evergreen)