Landscape Hedges in Central Florida

Formal Evergreen Hedges

• If you're looking for a formal hedge that you can shear to create hard, crisp lines, nearly nothing beats the functional boxwood (Buxus spp.). Green Beauty (Buxus microphylla japonica "Green Beauty") grows in USDA zones 5 through 9 and reaches 4 to 6 feet tall and wide. Unpruned, this variety has a natural rounded habit. For a shorter border hedge, consider the 1- to 2-foot tall dwarf English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens "Suffruticosa"), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 8. Other boxwood species are also superior hedge shrubs, as well as some holly species and cultivars (Ilex spp.), which grow in USDA zones 5 through 11, depending on species.

Flowering Hedges

• There is no shortage of possibilities for an informal flowering hedge in central Florida. Sweetspire (Itea virginica cvs.), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 9, is a U.S. native and is adaptable to a wide range of soils and light. Little Henry (Itea virginica "Sprich") reaches only around 3 feet tall and wide. Like its larger cousin, Henry's Garnet (Itea virginica "Henry's Garnet"), fragrant, white, conical flower clusters appear in late spring and early summer. Bottlebrush (Callistemon spp.), which grows in USDA zones 8 through 11, comes in several different heights and shapes and has characteristic bottlebrush flowers. Other choices include Camellia (Camellia spp.), which typically grow in USDA zones 6 through 9; the 5-foot tall "Frostproof" gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides "Frostproof"), which grows in USDA zones 7 through 11; and the many cultivars of Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus and cvs.), which grow in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Grasses

• Taller ornamental grasses can make either informal or formal hedges, depending on which you choose. For a stiff, more formal look, Karl Foerster's feather reed grass (Calamagrostis x acutiflora "Karl Foerster"), which grows in USDA zones 4 through 10, can create a 3- to 6-feet tall hedge with tall, feathery plumes that sway in the breeze. For a more colorful approach, consider the 3- to 6-foot tall Shenandoah red switchgrass (Panicum virgatum "Shenandoah"), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 9.

Screens and Taller Hedges

• Several plants make ideal privacy screens for the landscape and offer dense foliage that protects your privacy while acting as a tall, living fence. Arborvitaes (Thuja occidentalis and cvs.) come in slender, tall varieties and pyramidal varieties. Pyramidal arborvitae (Thuja occientalis "Pyramidalis") grows in USDA zones 3 through 8 and reaches 12 to 25 feet tall and 3 to 6 feet wide. Taylor juniper (Juniperus virginiana "Taylor"), which grows in USDA zones 3 through 9, is another skinny, tall evergreen screen; this variety reaches 30 feet tall but only 3 feet wide. Several bamboos will also do the trick, although some are hardier than others, such as Bissett bamboo (Phyllostachys bisetti), which grows in USDA zones 5 through 11. Bissett grows quickly to 20 feet and spreads.