Yesterday a reader left a comment about Grevillea Rosmarinifolia on my article, Grevillea, How to grow.

“I want to plant a fence line with the Grevillea Rosmarinifolia as I believe they are hardy and also have spiky leaves which will provide a barrier from unwanted people climbing the fence. I will require about 100 plants and would like to know the best place to get them We are in the central west of NSW Thanks”, Leighton.

When I read it I thought straight away, what a fantastic comment. Hedges aren’t necessarily the easiest things to grow, especially if it is to consist of 100 plants. I think I could actually write several articles about this comment but first it’s important to address the question.

So my first thoughts are that there probably won’t be many retail nurseries that will actually have 100 plants that are the same, let alone 100 Grevillea Rosmarinifolias. The best thing to do here is to contact some wholesale nurseries and see what they have in stock. Some wholesale nurseries actually retail as well or if they don’t once you’ve found what you want get your local retail nursery to contact them and do the deal.

The next point I want to make is, Leighton has also made a pretty good selection here with Grevillea Rosmarinifolia. This Grevillea is very hardy. It is drought tolerant, frost tolerant and also adapts to different soil types. Picking hardy plants is always important when growing a hedge as there’s nothing worse than a hedge that has dead plants in it. Your initial selection will go a long way in avoiding this.

Another great thing about Grevillea Rosmarinifolia is that it can grow into a hedge that forms a formidable barrier. The secret is to not plant the plants too far apart and to also prune the side branches to increase branching to form the hedge that you are after. I’ve seen examples of Grevillea Rosmarinifolia growing in gardens as single specimens that have been left unpruned and as a result they send out long branches that make the plant look sparse. In my opinion this look is unattractive, so if you want a nice thick barrier then make sure you don’t plant too far apart and prune early.

One of the other traits about Grevillea Rosmarinifolia is that it is a very variable plant. In nature it grows naturally over a varied group of areas so in cultivation you also get variation as well. The variation not only consists of leaf and flower variation but also the size and growth rate of the plant. So having said that, you really need to be selective so you can ensure the Grevillea Rosmarinifolia that you select does fit your requirements.

Another great trait of Grevillea Rosmarinifolia, just as with most Grevilleas, is that it does hybridise and as a result there are cultivars in the nurseries that would also be worth considering. Grevillea Pink Pearl is one and Grevillea Canberra Gem may also be worth looking at.

At the end of the day you may not be able to find your first choice but there will be something that will be available. If you look hard enough and talk to qualified nursery people that specialise in Australian Native Plants then I’m sure they will give you plenty of options. Quite often your second or third choice could turn out to be better than your first.

Grevillea Rosmarinifolia is a great choice as a hedge. I suppose it will just come down to what’s available.

Best of luck.

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