Keep a low screen dense by tip-pruning two or three times a year. Evergreen, fine-leaved species clip the tightest and recover fastest.
Best Privacy Plants Under 3m
Not every boundary needs a towering hedge. These screening plants top out under 3 metres, making them perfect for courtyards, side passages and suburban fence lines where a big screen would overwhelm.
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Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' · Grevillea 'Robyn Gordon' · from $4.50 One of Australia's most popular garden hybrids — a low-maintenance native shrub producing red toothbrush flowers almost year-round to feed the birds. -
Alphonse Anderson Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Alphonse Anderson' A favourite indica azalea with large rose-pink blooms variably striped and flecked with white, sometimes throwing solid sports. Showy in shaded beds. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Anthony Waterer Spiraea · Spiraea japonica 'Anthony Waterer' A reliable mounding spiraea bearing flat heads of deep carmine-pink flowers through summer, loved by bees. Hardy and easy, with leaves sometimes flecked cream and good autumn tones. -
Apricot Nectar Rose · Rosa 'Apricot Nectar' A classic floribunda bearing big clusters of pinkish-apricot blooms with a fruity, sweet fragrance. Robust and floriferous, an enduring favourite for warm-toned borders. -
Beatrice Emily Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Beatrice Emily' A sasanqua bearing peony-form blooms that open lavender-pink and pale to near-white at the centre, on a neat upright bush. A reliable hedging and feature camellia. -
Bluebell Creeper · Billardiera heterophylla A dainty Western Australian native twiner hung with nodding clusters of bright blue bell flowers through the warmer months, followed by blue berries. Pretty and hardy, but a weed risk outside its native range. -
Blush Pink Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Blush Pink' A dwarf nandina prized for soft pink to coral new growth in the warmer months, deepening to red in winter. A colourful, low-care choice for pots and edging. -
Bonica Rose · Rosa 'Bonica' A landscape floribunda producing arching sprays of soft pink double blooms over a long season, followed by orange hips. The first rose inducted into the Rose Hall of Fame for shrub roses, tough and almost care-free. -
Brilliant Pink Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Brilliant Pink Iceberg' A colourful Iceberg sport with cerise-pink blooms often marbled and streaked with cream. Carries the same reliable, disease-resistant and prolific nature as its parent. -
Burgundy Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Burgundy Iceberg' A sport of Iceberg sharing all its toughness and free-flowering habit, but with rich deep wine-purple blooms that reverse to silvery mauve. Striking massed or as a hedge. -
Burgundy Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Burgundy' A burgundy-leaved fringe flower with deep wine foliage smothered in spidery hot-pink blooms in spring and again in autumn. A bold contrast shrub for hedges and feature planting. -
Captain Cook Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Captain Cook' A compact weeping bottlebrush with bright red brushes in spring and summer and attractive pink new growth. A neat screening and feature native for small gardens. -
Cardinal Tea Tree · Leptospermum 'Cardinal' A medium shrub smothered in deep red flowers in spring against fine green foliage. A hardy, bee-attracting feature and informal screen for low-water gardens. -
Chinese Fringe Flower · Loropetalum chinense 'China Pink' A burgundy-leaved shrub draped in spidery, fringed hot-pink flowers, repeating through the year against rich purple foliage. A striking colour-contrast feature, hedge or container plant. -
Christmas Cheer Rhododendron · Rhododendron 'Christmas Cheer' An early-flowering rhododendron whose pink buds open to blush-pink bells from late winter, an old cottage-garden favourite. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Claret Tops Honey Myrtle · Melaleuca 'Claret Tops' A dense compact melaleuca grown for its claret-red new foliage flushes against fine green leaves. A colourful, hardy low hedge and feature for low-water gardens. -
Coastal Rosemary · Westringia fruticosa A soft grey-green coastal shrub that clips beautifully into hedges and balls. Salt-proof, drought-proof and flowering most of the year — the native answer to box and lavender. -
Copper Glow Tea Tree · Leptospermum 'Copper Glow' A medium tea tree grown for its rich copper-bronze foliage and white spring flowers. A colourful, hardy feature and informal screen for low-water gardens. -
Cosmic White Indian Hawthorn · Rhaphiolepis indica 'Cosmic White' A spreading Indian hawthorn with leathery dark leaves and abundant pink-budded white flowers in spring. Tough, drought- and coastal-tolerant, ideal for low hedges and mass planting. -
Double Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Double Knock Out' A fuller-flowered form of the Knock Out shrub rose, with double cherry-red blooms over a long season. Shares the same exceptional disease resistance and low-care, self-cleaning habit. -
Dwarf Japanese Barberry · Berberis thunbergii 'Atropurpurea Nana' A compact thorny deciduous shrub with rich burgundy-purple foliage that intensifies to fiery red in autumn. Its dense prickly growth makes a low barrier hedge or colour accent. -
Dwarf Mock Orange · Pittosporum tobira 'Miss Muffet' A naturally compact, dome-shaped form of Japanese mock orange with whorls of leathery dark green leaves. Clusters of creamy flowers carry a rich orange-blossom scent in spring; excellent coastal low hedge. -
Dwarf River Wattle · Acacia cognata A compact, weeping wattle grown for its fountain of fine lime-green foliage rather than its flowers — a soft, mounding feature for pots, borders and low screens. -
Dwarf Sacred Bamboo · Nandina domestica 'Nana' A compact mounding shrub grown for fine ferny foliage that turns brilliant red and burgundy in cold weather. Tough and low, it makes a colourful mass planting or low border. Berries are toxic to pets. -
Edward Goucher Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Edward Goucher' An arching, semi-evergreen abelia smothered in lilac-pink trumpet flowers from summer into autumn, much loved by bees. Hardy, adaptable and good for informal hedges. -
Elephant Bush · Portulacaria afra A bushy succulent with reddish-brown stems and small round glossy green leaves, edible and tangy, favoured for bonsai and hedging in warm climates and grazed by elephants in its native South Africa. -
Endeavour Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Endeavour' An upright medium bottlebrush bearing large vivid red brushes through spring and summer. A robust, bird-attracting screen and feature shrub. -
English Box · Buxus sempervirens The definitive formal hedge and topiary plant — dense, fine-leaved and endlessly clippable. Slow-growing but unmatched for crisp evergreen structure and parterres. -
English Lavender · Lavandula angustifolia Silvery, fragrant and alive with bees all summer — the classic low hedge for a sunny, free-draining spot. Cut the flowers for drying or the kitchen. -
Escallonia · Escallonia 'Apple Blossom' A glossy-leaved evergreen covered in dainty pink-and-white apple-blossom flowers through the warmer months. Wind- and salt-tolerant, it makes an excellent flowering coastal hedge. -
Eve Price Laurustinus · Viburnum tinus 'Eve Price' A compact, dense laurustinus with deep pink buds opening to white winter flowers, followed by metallic-blue berries. An RHS Award of Garden Merit shrub making a reliable, drought-tolerant evergreen hedge for sun or shade. -
Evergreen Giant Lilyturf · Liriope muscari 'Evergreen Giant' A large, robust lilyturf forming upright clumps of broad dark-green strappy leaves with tall spikes of pale violet flowers. Excellent as a low informal hedge, border or mass planting in sun or shade. -
Faulkner Box · Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' A Japanese box selection with rounded, deep-green leaves that hold colour well in winter and resist bronzing. Dense and slow, making it a top choice for clipped low hedges and topiary. -
Fireworks Grevillea · Grevillea 'Fireworks' An upright medium shrub with needle foliage and bright red and yellow spider flowers that explode across the bush like fireworks. Hardy and very bird-attracting. -
Flirt Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Flirt' A very dwarf, dense nandina with deep red new growth that holds rich burgundy and crimson tones year-round. Sterile and tidy, perfect for edging and pots. -
Florida Gardenia · Gardenia augusta 'Florida' A compact rounded gardenia carrying intensely perfumed, waxy double white flowers above glossy emerald foliage from spring into summer. One of the most popular fragrant shrubs for warm gardens and pots. -
Francis Mason Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Francis Mason' A golden-leaved abelia with yellow-margined foliage flushing orange in cold, topped by pink-white bells through the warmer months. Brings warm colour to hedges and borders. -
French Lavender · Lavandula dentata The toughest lavender for warm Australian gardens, with grey toothed leaves and an exceptionally long flowering season. Tolerates humidity better than English types. -
Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides Intensely perfumed white blooms against dark glossy leaves — the scent of a subtropical summer. Give it warmth, acidic soil and steady moisture and it flowers for months. -
Geisha Girl Duranta · Duranta erecta 'Geisha Girl' A fast warm-climate shrub bearing sprays of two-tone purple-and-white flowers followed by golden berry clusters. Popular as a colourful clipped hedge; the berries and leaves are toxic if eaten. -
Glossy Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Grandiflora' The classic vigorous glossy abelia, with arching canes carrying masses of fragrant white-flushed-pink bells over a long season. An easy, drought-tolerant screening shrub. -
Gold Bunny Rose · Rosa 'Gold Bunny' A compact floribunda producing a long, generous display of bright unfading golden-yellow blooms. Reliable, healthy and available in both bush and climbing forms. -
Golf Ball Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Golf Ball' A dense, naturally ball-shaped pittosporum with tiny wavy bright-green leaves needing little pruning to stay rounded. A tidy low hedge and topiary plant tolerant of wind and coastal sites. -
Grandiflora Star Gardenia · Gardenia jasminoides 'Grandiflora Star' A free-flowering gardenia with glossy dark leaves and large, intensely perfumed double white blooms from spring through summer. A favourite for pots, low hedges and fragrant feature planting. -
Great Balls of Fire Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Great Balls of Fire' A dense rounded bottlebrush grown chiefly for its brilliant red and pink new foliage flushes, with occasional red brushes. A colourful, hardy low hedge. -
Green Gem Box · Buxus sempervirens 'Green Gem' A very hardy, naturally globe-shaped box forming a tight green ball with minimal clipping. Excellent for cold-climate low hedges, knot gardens and formal balls. -
Green Globe Honey Myrtle · Melaleuca 'Green Globe' A naturally rounded dwarf melaleuca with dense bright green foliage forming a tidy ball without pruning. Ideal for low formal hedges, balls and container feature plantings. -
Grey Box Coastal Rosemary · Westringia fruticosa 'Grey Box' A dense compact coastal rosemary with silver-grey foliage and white flowers, naturally forming a tidy ball. Ideal for low clipped hedges and coastal borders. -
Gulf Stream Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Gulf Stream' A compact, non-invasive nandina with finely divided foliage emerging coppery-red, turning blue-green in summer and flushing brilliant scarlet through cold weather. Rarely fruits, so safe around birds. -
Hibiscus · Hibiscus rosa-sinensis The quintessential tropical flowering shrub, producing a non-stop succession of huge, flamboyant trumpet flowers in every warm colour. Loves heat and sun; frost-tender but spectacular in warm gardens. -
Hino Crimson Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Hino Crimson' A compact kurume azalea smothered in small, single brilliant crimson-red flowers in spring on a dense, low bush. Superb for low hedges and pots. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Hiryu Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Hiryu' A compact sasanqua densely covered with small, vivid crimson-red semi-double flowers through the cooler months. Its tight, slightly weeping habit suits low hedges, espaliers and large pots. -
Iceberg Rose · Rosa 'Iceberg' The world's most popular floribunda, producing masses of lightly fragrant pure-white blooms almost continuously. Tough, disease-resistant and nearly thornless, it is the backbone of countless Australian gardens. -
Indian Hawthorn · Rhaphiolepis indica 'Oriental Pearl' A tough, compact rounded shrub with leathery dark leaves and clusters of starry white-to-pink flowers in spring, followed by blue-black berries. A reliable low coastal hedge needing little care. -
Indica Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Alba Magna' A large evergreen Indica azalea that blankets itself in big single white trumpet flowers in spring. Loves dappled shade and acid soil; all parts are toxic if eaten. -
Japanese Box · Buxus microphylla var. japonica The classic clipped formal-hedge and topiary plant, with small glossy rounded leaves on dense slow growth. More heat-tolerant than English box and the standard low border edge in Australian gardens. -
Jennifer Susan Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Jennifer Susan' A graceful sasanqua with soft rose-pink, peony-form blooms whose petals curl and twist prettily. Its slightly weeping habit suits informal hedges, espaliers and containers. -
Jervis Gem Coastal Rosemary · Westringia 'Jervis Gem' A compact low-growing coastal rosemary with fine foliage and abundant mauve-blue flowers over a long season. Hardy and tidy for low hedging and coastal borders. -
Kaleidoscope Abelia · Abelia x grandiflora 'Kaleidoscope' A low, spreading abelia grown for kaleidoscopic foliage that shifts from gold-and-green in spring to fiery orange-red in cold weather, set off by white tubular flowers. Tough, sun-loving and bee-friendly. -
Katie Belles Lomandra · Lomandra longifolia 'Katie Belles' A tall upright lomandra with broad green strappy leaves and tall scented yellow flower spikes. Architectural and hardy, excellent for screening and feature plantings. -
Kirin Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Kirin' A dainty kurume azalea with masses of small, hose-in-hose deep rose-pink blooms with paler centres on a neat, twiggy bush. Lovely in pots and low edging. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Knock Out' The landmark landscape shrub rose that revolutionised low-care roses, with cherry-red single blooms produced continuously. Outstanding disease resistance and self-cleaning, needing almost no spraying or deadheading. -
Kurume Christmas Cheer Azalea · Rhododendron kurume 'Christmas Cheer' A compact kurume azalea smothered in small, double hose-in-hose blooms of bright rose-red on a dense, low bush. Excellent for pots and low hedges. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Large Wild Iris · Dietes grandiflora Strappy evergreen iris from southern Africa with elegant white flowers marked yellow and violet, opening in fortnightly flushes. Almost indestructible, though it can naturalise. -
Little John Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'Little John' A dense dwarf bottlebrush with blue-green foliage and deep blood-red brushes through spring and intermittently year round. Ideal for low hedging and containers. -
Lorraine Lee Rose · Rosa 'Lorraine Lee' A beloved Alister Clark Australian-bred rose flowering through autumn and winter when few others bloom, with warm rosy-pink blooms and a tea fragrance. Tough, heat-tolerant and near-evergreen in mild climates. -
Magnifica Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Magnifica' A tall, vigorous indica azalea with large single blooms of rosy mauve-purple in spring, useful for screening and informal hedges. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Marian's Marvel Correa · Correa 'Marian's Marvel' An upright shrub with long pink and yellow-green bell flowers through autumn and winter that draw honeyeaters. A hardy, shade-tolerant feature and informal screen. -
Mary Rose · Rosa 'Mary Rose' A reliable, bushy English rose bearing loose rose-pink rosettes almost continuously, with a light old-rose fragrance. One of the most dependable and free-flowering of all Austin shrubs. -
May Bush · Spiraea cantoniensis An arching deciduous shrub whose bare-then-leafy stems become wands of pure white pompom flower clusters in spring. A nostalgic cottage 'May bush' and lovely cut flower. -
Mexican Orange Blossom · Choisya ternata A rounded evergreen with glossy aromatic three-part leaves and clusters of fragrant white star flowers in spring and again in autumn. Aromatic when crushed; a tidy, hardy informal hedge. -
Min-a-min Murraya · Murraya paniculata 'Min-a-min' A compact, fine-leaved orange jessamine bred for tidy low hedges, bearing flushes of intensely fragrant white flowers after warm rain. Glossy and dense, thriving in warm frost-free gardens. -
Mine-no-yuki Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Mine-no-yuki' A spreading sasanqua whose name means 'snow on the mountain', bearing masses of white peony-form blooms in autumn. Its low, arching habit makes it excellent for espalier and cascading over walls. -
Miss Muffet Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Miss Muffet' A compact dwarf pittosporum forming a tight, low mound of small dark-green leaves on near-black stems. Ideal for tidy low borders, edging and small clipped balls. -
Mojo Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Mojo' A compact, naturally rounded pittosporum with green leaves neatly margined in cream. Dense and ball-shaped with little pruning, ideal for low hedging and containers. -
Moon Bay Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Moon Bay' A dwarf mounding nandina with lime-green spring growth that deepens to fiery red in winter cold. Neat and dense, ideal for low borders and mass planting. -
Ned Kelly Grevillea · Grevillea 'Ned Kelly' A spreading medium shrub bearing large orange-red comb flowers nearly all year. Hardy, bird-attracting and useful as a low informal screen. -
Obsession Nandina · Nandina domestica 'Obsession' A compact nandina with intense ruby-red new foliage contrasting against deep green older leaves, intensifying again in winter. Bushy and uniform for low hedges and borders. -
Paradise Little Liane Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Paradise Little Liane' A naturally compact, upright sasanqua from the Australian Paradise series, with small glossy leaves and dainty white rose-form blooms. Its slim, dense habit makes it ideal for narrow hedges and formal pots. -
Peaches and Cream Grevillea · Grevillea 'Peaches and Cream' A rounded medium shrub with large bicoloured cream and peach comb flowers held above the foliage for much of the year. Showy and very attractive to honeyeaters. -
Pink Knock Out Rose · Rosa 'Pink Knock Out' A pink-flowered member of the Knock Out family, bearing single bright pink blooms continuously through the warm months. Robust, disease-resistant and undemanding in the landscape. -
Pinky Winky Hydrangea · Hydrangea paniculata 'Pinky Winky' A vigorous panicle hydrangea whose two-tone conical heads open white at the tip while the base ages to deep pink, giving a striking bicolour effect. Tough, sun-tolerant and flowering on new wood. -
Plum Gorgeous Loropetalum · Loropetalum chinense 'Plum Gorgeous' A robust fringe flower with rich plum-purple foliage and abundant pink tassel blooms, holding leaf colour strongly in full sun. Excellent for screening and bold colour blocks. -
Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata A sprawling, scrambling shrub awash with phlox-like sky-blue flower clusters from summer to autumn. Drought-hardy and butterfly-friendly, it makes a soft informal hedge or bank cover in warm climates. -
Poorinda Ballerina Mint Bush · Prostanthera 'Poorinda Ballerina' A bushy aromatic mint bush smothered in white flowers flushed mauve in spring. Fast-growing and bee-attracting, ideal as a feature or informal screen in cooler gardens. -
Queen Elizabeth Rose · Rosa 'Queen Elizabeth' The original grandiflora, a tall, upright rose with high-centred clear pink blooms on long stems. A Rose Hall of Fame inductee, robust and excellent at the back of a border or as a flowering hedge. -
Rabbiteye Blueberry · Vaccinium ashei A low-chill, heat-tolerant blueberry suited to warmer gardens, with white spring bells and fiery autumn foliage. Plant two varieties for the heaviest crop in acidic soil. -
Red Wing Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Red Wing' An indica azalea with large, frilled bright red blooms making a bold spring display in shaded gardens. Excellent as a feature or low hedge. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Rose Glow Barberry · Berberis thunbergii 'Rose Glow' A purple-leaved barberry whose new growth is mottled rose-pink and silvery-white over a deep wine base, deepening to scarlet in autumn. Thorny and colourful for hedging, though it can self-seed and is a weed risk in some regions. -
Rose Queen Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Rose Queen' An indica azalea bearing large, hose-in-hose deep rose-pink blooms with a delicate ruffled edge in spring. A long-popular feature and hedging azalea. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Rosemary · Salvia rosmarinus A culinary herb that doubles as a tough, drought-proof, clip-able hedge. Aromatic, bee-friendly and evergreen — earns its place in the kitchen garden and the border alike. -
Rosemary Grevillea · Grevillea rosmarinifolia A hardy prickly-foliaged shrub resembling rosemary, flushing red-and-cream spider flowers through autumn, winter and spring. Excellent dense habitat and screening for small birds. -
Royal Cape Plumbago · Plumbago auriculata 'Royal Cape' A deeper-blue selection of cape plumbago, smothered in phlox-like sky-blue flowers from summer well into autumn. Fast, drought-hardy and coastal-tolerant, good as an informal hedge or scrambler. -
Scarlet Sprite Grevillea · Grevillea 'Scarlet Sprite' A prickly-leaved rounded shrub smothered in red and cream spider flowers through winter and spring. A dense, bird-friendly habitat and screening plant. -
Sexy Rexy Rose · Rosa 'Sexy Rexy' A New Zealand-bred floribunda carrying large trusses of camellia-like soft pink blooms in such profusion they almost hide the foliage. A multi-award winner valued for its sheer flower power. -
Silver Magic Pittosporum · Pittosporum tenuifolium 'Silver Magic' A variegated pittosporum with grey-green leaves edged creamy white, often flushing pink in cold weather. A soft, luminous foliage shrub for hedges and pots. -
Smokey Coastal Rosemary · Westringia fruticosa 'Smokey' A hardy coastal rosemary with variegated grey-green and cream foliage and white flowers most of the year. Colourful and salt-tolerant for clipped hedges and coastal borders. -
Snow in Summer · Melaleuca linariifolia 'Claret Tops' · from $17.95 A compact form of the popular paperbark with striking burgundy new growth maturing to green, and fluffy white summer flowers. Hardy and adaptable for hedges, screens and feature planting. -
Snow Maiden Indian Hawthorn · Rhaphiolepis indica 'Snow Maiden' An Indian hawthorn smothered in pure white spring flowers above neat evergreen foliage, followed by blue-black berries. Hardy, low-care and well-suited to coastal hedging. -
Splendens Azalea · Rhododendron indica 'Splendens' A vigorous indica azalea covered in large single blooms of glowing mauve-pink in spring. Reliable and showy for shaded hedges and feature beds. All parts contain grayanotoxins and are toxic to pets and people. -
Sweet Pea Bush · Polygala myrtifolia A fast, hardy shrub almost permanently dotted with purple-pink pea-shaped flowers brushed with a fringed keel. Excellent in dry coastal gardens, though it can self-seed and naturalise. -
Tea Camellia · Camellia sinensis The plant from which black, green and white tea are made, with glossy evergreen leaves and small, nodding single white flowers in autumn. Clip and harvest the young leaf tips for home-grown tea. -
Weeping Tea Tree · Leptospermum 'Cardwell' · from $16.95 A graceful weeping tea tree smothered in masses of small white flowers in late winter and spring above fine arching foliage. A reliable, hardy feature and informal screen for native gardens. -
White Anzac Bottlebrush · Callistemon 'White Anzac' A low spreading bottlebrush with soft white brushes through spring and summer. A hardy, bird-attracting groundcovering screen useful for banks and coastal sites. -
Wynyabbie Gem Coastal Rosemary · Westringia 'Wynyabbie Gem' A dense rounded shrub with fine grey-green foliage and mauve flowers through most of the year. Hardier and showier than the species, it clips superbly into hedges and balls. -
Yellow Spotted Emu Bush · Eremophila maculata 'Aurea' A rounded emu bush with bright green foliage and yellow tubular flowers through winter and spring that draw honeyeaters. Extremely drought-hardy for arid and coastal gardens. -
Yuletide Camellia · Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' A compact, upright sasanqua bearing single fiery red flowers with a bright cluster of golden stamens, peaking around mid-winter. Its dense habit and festive timing make it a sought-after Christmas-flowering camellia.