An evergreen shrub with fragrant, aromatic leaves and blue-gray berries that attract wildlife. Grows 6-10 ft tall with a loose, upright form. Prefers full sun to partial shade and moist, well-drained soil. Great for habitat restoration or a woodland themed landscape. Berries attract birds making it great for bird gardens.
Ideal for hedges, screens, or as a specimen plant. Tolerates salt and drought, making it great for coastal areas.
Growth Habit: Shrub, 6-12ft wide by 20ft high
Native Origin: Native through Central America and Mexico
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun, Part Shade,
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Requires constant moisture to establish root system. Highly adaptable
Japanese Holly, Straight and Narrow, is a columnar evergreen with a narrow and upright habit. Its strong architectural growth habit makes it a great choice for accents and hedges.
Growth habit: Compact, Upright,6-8ft tall by 2-3ft wide
Native Origin: Japan
Hardiness Zone: 6-8
Environment Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Moderate to high water needs. Prefers Acidic fertilizer
Podocarpus is an evergreen shrub or small tree with dense, dark green foliage. It grows to 6 to 10 feet tall and can spread 4 to 6 feet wide. This plant is adaptable to various soil types and light conditions, thriving in full sun to partial shade. It's a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant option for hedges or privacy screens.
Growth Habit: Tree, shrub, 12-20ft high 6-8ft wide
Native Origin:
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade. Provide well‑drained soil—from average garden loam to sandy coastal sites—and medium water during establishment.
Growth Rate: Slow
Maintenance: Prune and feed yearly with a slow release fertilizer. Disease and pest resistant, deer resistant, heat tolerant and salt tolerance, for coastal plantings.
Hedge Guide
Before we get to the plants, let's identify your goals. What are you looking to achieve with your hedge? Privacy? Hiding an eyesore? Windscreen? Knowing this will help us find the correct habit and size for your needs.
Your HOA and Community restrictions also need to be factored in. Will you need approval from your community? What are the restrictions on plant types or height? Southern Marsh Nursery works closely with many local communities and understands the restrictions in many of them, but coming to us with approval from your HOA and knowledge of what they do and don't allow will make the process quicker and easier.
Decide on the style you want for your hedge. Do you want a tight formal look or a loose, more natural look? What is the mature height and width you want? Do you want foliage or would you like flowers to draw interest? Consider if youll need to fill gaps with perennials or grasses. And of course, check the lighting in the area you plan to plant. Do you get full sun or full shade? Your lighting will determine which shrubs or trees you can plant and will help us recommend the best plant for your needs.
Evergreen Hedge
The Carolina Sapphire Cypress is a fast-growing evergreen that features lacy, silvery-blue foliage. It can grow 20 to 30 feet tall and maintains a pyramidal shape. This tree is a great alternative to a privacy fence. Not only is this evergreen fast-growing, but it is also deer, disease, and insect resistant! Just plant these trees in the ground for a lovely accent tree or use them as a wind barrier for your property. No extra pruning or pesticide treatments will be needed for this tree, unlike many evergreens that are not native to the South Caroline climate.
Growth Habit: Grows up to 2-3 ft per year with ideal conditions. It can reach 30-40 ft in height and 10-20 ft in width.
Native Origin: Arizona, New Mexico, Texas
Hardiness Zone: 6-9
Environment Needs: Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate: Rapid
Maintenance: A low-maintenance plant. After planting, adding a layer of 2 to 3 inches of mulch will help keep the soil moist and cool. Fertilize when planting and in early spring yearly with a slow release fertilizer.
Ligustrum ‘Jack Frost’ is an evergreen characterized by its two-tone foliage. Its waxy leaves are dark green with irregular ivory markings that run along its edges, which provide excellent contrast to any landscape. In late spring and early summer, it puts out clusters of small, white flowers.
Growth Habit: Upright, Bush, 6-10ft high by 6-10ft spread
Native Origin: Japan, Eastern Asia
Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Environment Needs: Full Sun, Part Shade
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Water regularly and plant with well-draining soil. Prune 2-3 times per year to shape.
An evergreen shrub with attractive, glossy leaves featuring creamy white edges. Grows 4-6 ft tall with a dense, rounded form. Prefers full sun to partial shade and well-drained soil. Ideal for hedges, borders, or as a foundation plant. Tolerates a variety of soil types.
Growth Habit: Mounding, evergreen, Hedge, 6-8ft tall and wide
Native Origin: Japan
Hardiness Zone: 8-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun to Part Sun. Allow soil to dry before watering.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: For a tidy appearance, prune annually to shape. May grow larger in optimal growing conditions.
Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus sinica var. insularis) is a hardy evergreen shrub with small, dark green leaves that maintain their color year-round. It typically grows to 3 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 4 feet wide. This variety is known for its cold tolerance and ability to withstand winter conditions, making it perfect for borders, hedges, or foundation plantings. It thrives in partial to full sun and well-drained soil.
A versatile evergreen shrub with silvery-green leaves, fragrant pink and white flowers, and edible fruit with a tropical flavor. Grows 10-15 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide, but can be pruned into a hedge or small tree. Drought-tolerant, low-maintenance, and attracts pollinators.
Growth Habit: Bush, shrub, 10-15 ft tall and wide
Native Origin: Florida and South America
Hardiness Zone: 8-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade. It does well in any soil type but prefers an acidic soil. It is especially suited for coastal gardens because it tolerates salt spray.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: It does well with minimal pruning and care and typically won’t require much irrigation beyond normal rainfall. Pineapple guava will begin producing fruit about 2-4 years after planting, and it reaches maturity and full fruiting potential at 8-10 years. Fruits can appear from September through November, depending on the variety.
Dahoon is typically a small, evergreen tree. Stiff, oval, evergreen leaves are glossy, medium-green. The greenish-white, axillary flowers are inconspicuous, while the 1/4 in. diameter fruits, some persisting until spring, range from bright-red to bright-yellow and can be produced in great quantities. Planted as an ornamental for the evergreen foliage and profuse red fruit used in Christmas Decorations. The common name is of American Indian origin.
Growth Habit: Ornamental Tree,40ft height by 8-12ft spread
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Native Origin: Southeastern United States
Growth Rate: Moderate
Environment Needs: Part Sun, Shade, Full Shade
Maintenance: Little pruning is needed. Moderate water needs but tolerant moisture moisture-retaining soil, as it is a swamp native. Low toxicity berries.
Elaeocarpus sylvestris, commonly known as the Blueberry Ash, is a small to medium-sized evergreen tree or shrub with a dense, bushy appearance. It has glossy, dark green leaves and produces clusters of white or cream-colored flowers that bloom in late spring to early summer.
The tree is known for its striking blue, berry-like fruit that appears in late summer. Typically growing to 20-30 feet in height with a spread of 15-20 feet, it has a moderate to fast growth rate and prefers well-drained soil. This tree thrives in full sun to partial shade.
Growth Habit: Shrub, 30ft high by 20ft wide
Native Origin: Australia
Hardiness Zone: 9-11
Environment Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade
Well-draining, slightly acidic soil.
Clay Tolerant
Non-toxic to humans and pets, but can cause stomach upset.
Growth Rate: Fast
Maintenance: Low Maintenance, fertilize once a year. Pruning isn’t necessary, but if needed is best done after blooming in late winter.
Podocarpus is an evergreen shrub or small tree with dense, dark green foliage. It grows to 6 to 10 feet tall and can spread 4 to 6 feet wide. This plant is adaptable to various soil types and light conditions, thriving in full sun to partial shade. It's a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant option for hedges or privacy screens.
Growth Habit: Tree, shrub, 12-20ft high 6-8ft wide
Native Origin:
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade. Provide well‑drained soil—from average garden loam to sandy coastal sites—and medium water during establishment.
Growth Rate: Slow
Maintenance: Prune and feed yearly with a slow release fertilizer. Disease and pest resistant, deer resistant, heat tolerant and salt tolerance, for coastal plantings.
Ilex x meserveae 'Steeds' (Steed's Holly) is an evergreen shrub known for its upright growth and dark green, glossy leaves. Reaching 8-10 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, it is perfect for hedges or as a standalone specimen. In spring, it produces small, white flowers, followed by bright red berries in fall, which persist through winter. This variety is also deer-resistant, making it a durable and attractive choice for landscapes.
Flowering Hedges
Cerise Charm Loropetalum will keep your yard looking stunning with its year-round burgundy-black leaves and reddish-pink fringe flowers that bloom three out of the four seasons. It is a very versatile plant and can be used in multiple ways around landscaping as accent plants, hedges, foundation plants, or even a replacment for japanese maples in full sun.
Growth Habit: 3-4 ft height and 3-4ft width, compact, well-behaved
Native Origin: China
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Environment Needs: full sun, provide organically rich, acidic soil, and mulch to keep roots cool.
Pest resistant
deer resistant
drought tolerant
Growth Rate: moderate
Maintenance: After the blooming season, feed with an acid fertiliser. Pruning is not needed aside from occasional shaping.
Prolific, large, sweetly fragrant, velvety white blooms and lustrous evergreen foliage on a rounded shrub that forms a beautiful natural hedge, screen, or container accent. Patio tree forms are especially effective in formal designs. A superb flower for corsages, wedding bouquets, or an elegant centerpiece of petals floating in a bowl of water.
Growth Habit: Rounded Bush
Native Origin: Southern China, Japan
Hardiness Zone: 8-11
Environment Needs: This variety is heat and humidity-tolerant, thriving in well-drained, acidic soil. Regular watering is recommended.
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Thrives in organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Handle with care when transplanting; gardenia roots are best undisturbed. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system. Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch.
Want a hedge that gives you a little more than your average foliage? We have a wide variety of flowering shrubs and trees that pair perfectly with your hedge plants to add an accents to the monotony of green or create a full-flowering hedge for a lovely wall of flowers.
Cerise Charm Loropetalum will keep your yard looking stunning with its year-round burgundy-black leaves and reddish-pink fringe flowers that bloom three out of the four seasons. It is a very versatile plant and can be used in multiple ways around landscaping as accent plants, hedges, foundation plants, or even a replacment for japanese maples in full sun.
Growth Habit: 3-4 ft height and 3-4ft width, compact, well-behaved
Native Origin: China
Hardiness Zone: 7-11
Environment Needs: full sun, provide organically rich, acidic soil, and mulch to keep roots cool.
Pest resistant
deer resistant
drought tolerant
Growth Rate: moderate
Maintenance: After the blooming season, feed with an acid fertiliser. Pruning is not needed aside from occasional shaping.
Delaware Valley Azalea produces a dazzling display of lightly fragranced white bell shaped flowers and dark green, evergreen leaves. Bouquets of flowers are formed in tight clusters at the ends of each branch. These unique white flowers are soft and velvety to the touch and have a trumpet like shape. The striking, scented flowers attract butterflies to your garden.
Growth Habit: Bush, 3-4ft high by 4-5ft spread
Native Origin: Southeast United States
Hardiness Zone: 5-8
Environment Needs: Part Shade, Dappled Sun
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Best Grown in acidic, organically rich soil. Deadheading and pruning are not required. Protection during winter is recommended for colder temperatures.
A fragrant evergreen shrub with glossy green leaves and small, sweetly scented white or orange flowers. Blooms in fall and spring, adding a pleasant aroma to gardens. Grows 10-15 feet tall but can be pruned for hedges or screens. Drought-tolerant after root establishment and low-maintenance.Mosquitoes cant stand the fragrant smell of this tree so it is considered a natural repellent. Tea Tree has been known to be effective for insect bites and allergies as well.
Growth Habit: Shrub, hedge, tree, 10ft high by 6-8ft wide
Native Origin: East Asia
Hardiness Zone: 8-10
Environmental Needs: Full Sun to Part Shade
Growth Rate: Slow to moderate
Maintenance: Apply a complete fertilizer in early spring such as 10-10-10, preferably one with slow-release nitrogen and follow the directions on the packaging. There is no need to prune this shrub unless you want to limit size or shape. If pruning is desired, prune in late winter or early spring. Tea Olives bloom on new growth so keep that in mind when planning your pruning.
An evergreen shrub with striking red, bottlebrush-shaped flowers. Growing to about 3-5 feet tall and 4-6 feet wide, it’s perfect for borders or as a focal point. This plant thrives in full sun and attracts hummingbirds and pollinators.
Growth Habit: Evergreen, shrub, tree. 10-20 ft high to 8-15ft wide
Native Origin: Australia
Hardiness Zone: 8-11
Environmental Needs: Full Sun
Growth Rate: Moderate
Maintenance: Lightly prune after flowering to promote reflowering. Feed in spring with a slow release fertilizer
Mrs. Shillers Delight or Mrs. Shillers Vibernum is a low growing shrub that stays evergreen in the south. It requires light pruning and is compact, growing around 3-6 feet high. It makes a great border or screen for pollinator gardens and is tolerant of drought and deer.
Growth Habit: compact bush,3-6 feet high and 6 to 12 feet wide.
Native Origin: North America
Hardiness Zone: 6-9
Environment Needs: Full sun to Part shade
Drought Tolerant
Hurricane Wind Resistant
Growth Rate: fast
Maintenance: Little shaping is required as it naturally forms a ball shape with its green foliage. You can train it to grow as a small tree if the lower branches are pruned.
Luxury Hedges
Little Gem Southern Magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) is an iconic evergreen tree known for its large, glossy, dark green leaves and fragrant white flowers that bloom in late spring to summer. The tree’s massive, showy blooms are often 8-12 inches wide and stand out against the backdrop of the deep green foliage. It also produces large, cone-like fruit with red seeds in the fall.
While the Little Gem keeps the iconic large white blooms and deep green leaves, it typically grows to a more manageable 15-25 feet in height with a spread of 7-10 feet, (unlike its relative the Southern Magnolia that can reach 60-80ft tall) it has a slow to moderate growth rate and thrives in well-drained, slightly acidic soil. This tree prefers full sun to partial shade and is often used as a statement tree in large landscapes or as a shade tree.
Truly stunning cerise pink semi-double bloom with golden stamens and a slight fragrance. An outstanding cut flower. Dense semi-weeping habit and glossy, dark green foliage produce an exceptional evergreen for foundation planting and backgrounds. A mid-season bloomer, from fall through winter.
Growth Habit: Upright, shrub, tree
Native Origin: Japan and China
Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Environmental Needs: Filtered light/ full shade/Part shade/ Part sun
Non-toxic to cats and dogs
attractive to pollinators
Growth Rate: Moderate, can reach 8 to 10ft tall and wide.
Maintenance: Provide organically rich, well-drained, acidic soil. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system; reduce frequency once established. Prune lightly to shape and feed with an acid fertilizer after flowering.
Looking for a hedge that really stands out to line a living space or driveway? These plants might normally be used on their own in landscaping to create a focal point, but they’re just as beautiful paired together to make a hedge. Using these plants will give you a unique look that few others can claim, while also providing the barrier you’re looking for.
Heavily curled, deep-green leaves give this compact, shrubby cultivar a unique texture. The dense foliage keeps its emerald color through spring and summer, then becomes purple-red with orange-red patterns in fall. Color intensity depends on how many hours of full sun the tree receives. Shishigashira is less likely to sunburn than other varieties, but only 2-4 hours of full afternoon sun is recommended for our local climate, and it tends to grow best in filtered sun. Popular for bonsai, as a container specimen, small gardens, and a prized focal point tree. Highly sculptural form that improves with age.
Growth Habit: Compact, upright, dense, 6-8 feet Width: 3-4 feet
Leaf Type: Palmate, curled
Native Origin: Japan
Hardiness Zone: 5-9
Environment Needs: Part Sun, Morning Sun, can handle small amounts of full afternoon sun
Growth Rate: Slow
Maintenance: Review our Japanese Maple Guide for care instructions
A cold-hardy Camellia known to survive winters as far north as USDA Hardiness Zone 6b, the Pink Icicle Camellia features large, semi-double flowers with icy pink wavy petals that surround a boss of bright golden-yellow stamens at the center. The bright and cheery flowers are produced late winter through early spring and contrast beautifully with the very deep green foliage. The flowers are excellent for cutting and displaying in your favorite vase, or float just one flower in a bowl of water.
Growth Habit: Shrub
Native Origin: Japan and China
Hardiness Zone: 6-9
Environment needs: Part shade.
Camellias prefer morning sun with afternoon shade, or all day filtered sun.
Deer resistant, Heat resistant
Growth Rate:
Maintenance: Japonica camellias love consistently moist, well-drained soil and rich, acidic soil. They are cold hardy but need protection provided from cold, dry winds, and remain evergreen. Will not tolerate afternoon sun. Too much water can lead to fungal diseases and increase susceptibility to pests.
A versatile camellia displaying profuse, pink-edged white blooms with yellow stamens in fall through winter. Dense, glossy evergreen foliage makes a perfect hedge, screen, or espalier specimen. A prized plant for milder regions.
Growth habit: Upright, Shrub
Hardiness Zone: 7-10
Environmental Needs: Filtered sun, Part sun, Part shade
A sasanqua that blooms from fall through winter. Provide organically rich, acidic soil and mulch over roots to keep cool in hotter climates.
Growth Rate: Moderate, can reach 10ft tall to 10ft high
Maintenance: Water regularly as your Camellia establishes itself. Once established, reduce the frequency of watering. Prune to shape and feed with an acidic fertilizer after blooming.