Griselinia littoralis is the hedge that looks soft and behaves tough. Its rounded, apple-green leaves give a fresher, brighter wall of colour than almost any other evergreen — no dark, heavy laurel green here — and yet it’s one of the finest coastal hedging plants you can buy, taking salt winds in its stride on seafront plots where most evergreens burn.
It grows a brisk 30–45cm a year into a dense, even screen, clips cleanly with one trim a year, and unlike conifers it stays leafy right to the ground. Griselinia is the quiet favourite of gardeners across coastal Britain and Ireland for good reason — and it’s just as happy inland in a sheltered or urban garden, so long as it’s given decent drainage.
Every plant below was grown on at our nursery in Whitestake, hardened off outdoors in North West weather. Pot grown stock can be planted at any time of year — use the calculator below to work out how many you need for your run.
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PLANTING DISTANCE
Plant Griselinia at 3 per metre for a hedge that knits together within two to three seasons, or 2 per metre with larger plants if you can wait a little longer. Use the calculator below and we'll work out the exact number and cost for your run.
WHY BUY GRISELINIA FROM NEWGATE?
Griselinia grown soft under cover struggles when it meets real weather — ours is hardened off outdoors on our Lancashire beds, so it arrives ready for your garden, not a greenhouse. If you're on the coast, tell us how exposed the site is and we'll recommend the right starting size; send a photo of the run and we'll spec the whole job free. Order online for UK-wide delivery quoted at checkout, or click and collect seven days a week. Call 01772 612336.
It's one of the very best — Griselinia littoralis grows wild on New Zealand coastlines and takes salt spray and sea winds that scorch laurel, conifers and most other evergreens. It's the classic seafront hedge across the west coast of Britain and Ireland.
A brisk 30–45cm a year once established — quick enough to form a dense 1.5–2m screen within three to four seasons, kept tidy with a single trim in late spring or summer.
3 plants per metre for a fast, dense hedge, or 2 per metre for larger plants if you're happy to wait an extra season. Our hedge calculator works out the exact number for your run.
Griselinia is hardy through typical UK winters and completely reliable in coastal and mild areas. In cold inland frost pockets a severe winter can scorch or brown the foliage — it usually regrows from the base in spring, but if your garden is a known frost trap, laurel or Elaeagnus may be the safer choice. Ours is grown outdoors in Lancashire, which is a better start than soft imported stock.
Pot-grown Griselinia can be planted year-round when the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged. If your site is cold or exposed inland, spring planting is ideal — it gives a full growing season to establish before the first winter.
After a hard frost, browned or blackened leaves are cold scorch — trim off the damage in late spring and the plant normally regrows. Browning in mild weather usually points to waterlogged roots; Griselinia hates sitting in wet, so improve the drainage. If you're local, bring a leaf in and we'll take a look.
