Image: Native Currant – Carrisa ovata the perfect prickly rainforest hedge edge.
Spencer Shaw,
Forest Heart Local Native Plant Nursery, 20 Coral Street, Maleny, 5435 2193
What we tend to think of as a traditional Hedge is a one species planting of the same tough, readily pruned, bushy to the ground species that is basically a living fence and not much more than that. However this is a relatively recent invention of our production line landscaping and the Hedges of old contained a diverse range of species and resources for both humans and wildlife.
So moving forward by looking backward, there’s a lot to be learnt from the hedges of old and if planted with local native plants they can provide the visual amenity and screening that we require on property and paddock boundaries and provide valuable habitat for our local wildlife.
Some of the great local plants for creating hedges include most of our Lillypilly’s and Myrtles such as Creek Lillypilly – Acmena smithii, Blue Lillypilly – Syzygium oleosum, Silky Myrtle – Decaspermum humile, Dotted Myrtle – Gossia punctata, Plum Myrtle – Pilidiostigma glabrum and Scrub Cherry – Syzygium australe, however there are so many more! Common Aspen Acronychia oblongifolia, Muttonwood Myrsine variabilis, White Alder – Callicoma serratifolia, Blueberry Ash –Elaeocarpus reticulatus, Velvet Leaf – Callicarpa pedunculata, Sweet Pittosporum – Pittosporum undulatum just for starters. If you want prickles too to keep things in or out, then you just can’t go past Orange Boxthorn Pittosporum minutiflorum, but also try Native Holly Alchornea ilicifolia, Native Capers – Capparis spp. and Native Currant – Carissa ovata.
All the plants listed above are great for a single line hedge, but what if we double or treble the width of the hedge, that’s when we can really start to make some magic happen and create a wide enough strip of habitat for wildlife to not only move through but also to live in! Planting a line of Lomandra – Lomandra spp., Bamboo Grass – Austrostipa ramosissimum or Raspberries – Rubus spp. on the outside of your hedge helps seal your planting all the way to the ground and provide shade, wind and soil protection, habitat complexity and in the case of the Raspberry – tasty fruit.
Throw in a few of the smaller vines such as Richmond Birdwing Vine – Pararistolochia praevenosa, Clematis – Clematis glycinoides, Smilax – Smilax australis, Jasmine – Jasminum singuliflorum and our hedge structure is becoming very diverse and has a range of additional resources for fauna such as the Richmond Birdwing Butterfly.
To return to my original pun, I bet you didn’t realize just how interesting and important hedges can and should be in our landscape. So don’t beat around the bush and invest in your local hedges now.
