Shrubs are a favourite for New Zealand gardeners, offering year-round structure, colour, and shelter in any landscape. Whether you want native foliage, pollinator-friendly flowers, or simply beautiful borders, shrubs are versatile, hardy, and easy to grow. Discover how shrubs can transform your outdoor space and why they should be part of every well-designed NZ garden.
Abelia 'Francis Mason' is a vibrant and versatile shrub loved for its golden yellow foliage and clusters of soft pink to white flowers in summer and...
Abelia grandiflora, commonly known as Glossy Abelia, produces masses of mauve and white flowers in clusters throughout summer. The foliage comprises...
Abelia 'Snow Showers' is a charming shrub celebrated for its cascading habit and masses of small white flowers that appear from summer through...
Abelia 'Sunshine Daydream' is a vibrant evergreen shrub admired for its golden yellow and green variegated foliage that glows throughout the seasons...
Abutilon megapotamicum, commonly known as Trailing Abutilon or Chinese Lantern, is a graceful shrub with arching stems and distinctive red and yellow...
Acacia 'Fettuccini' is a distinctive evergreen shrub prized for its long, narrow, pendulous foliage that creates a graceful cascading effect...
Acacia 'Limelight' is a striking evergreen shrub renowned for its vibrant lime green foliage and naturally compact growth habit. The colourful...
Artemisia 'Powis Castle' (Common Wormwood) is a popular evergreen shrub admired for its finely divided silver grey foliage and soft aromatic scent...
Azalea 'Asawa' is a stunning evergreen azalea admired for its masses of vibrant flowers and compact growth habit. This attractive shrub produces an...
Azalea 'Fire Tower' is a vibrant evergreen azalea known for its brilliant red flowers that appear in abundance during spring. The vivid blooms...
Azalea 'Garden Party' is a charming evergreen azalea that produces masses of soft pink flowers during spring. The delicate blooms sit above glossy...
Azalea 'Gardenia Supreme' is a stunning evergreen azalea admired for its large elegant blooms and compact rounded growth habit. Flowering generously...
Azalea indica is a stunning evergreen shrub admired for its masses of vibrant blooms and compact growth habit. Flowering generously through spring...
Azalea 'Kosmos' is a stunning evergreen azalea admired for its vibrant pink flowers that appear in abundance during spring. The colourful blooms sit...
Azalea 'Lucy' is a beautiful evergreen azalea admired for its masses of colourful blooms and compact rounded growth habit. Flowering generously...
Azalea 'Paradise Elfin' is a compact evergreen azalea prized for its masses of colourful blooms and tidy rounded growth habit. Flowering generously...
Azalea 'Red Wings' is a striking evergreen azalea admired for its vivid red flowers that appear in abundance during spring. The vibrant blooms sit...
Azalea 'Silver Anniversary' is an elegant evergreen azalea prized for its beautiful white flowers that are often lightly flushed with pink during...
Bambusa 'Golden Goddess' is a beautiful clumping bamboo prized for its lush golden green foliage, upright growth, and non invasive habit. It brings a...
Brachyglottis 'Otari Cloud' is a hardy evergreen shrub valued for its attractive silver grey foliage and naturally compact growth habit. The soft...
Buddleia ‘Lochinch’ (Butterfly Bush) is a fast growing deciduous shrub admired for its long sprays of soft lavender blue flowers and silvery green...
Buddleia ‘Royal Red’ is a bold deciduous shrub celebrated for its rich red crimson flower spikes and sweet summer fragrance. Flowering over an...
Buxus 'Graham Blandy' is a distinctive, upright boxwood cultivar prized in New Zealand for its narrow, columnar form and year-round evergreen...
Buxus 'Green Gem' is a compact, evergreen boxwood plant that is ideal for low hedges, borders, and topiary in New Zealand gardens. It forms a dense...
Shrubs provide some of the most dependable and adaptable plant options for all kinds of New Zealand gardens. With hundreds of varieties available, these woody plants range from compact, evergreen forms to large, flowering species and everything in between. Shrubs offer seasonal interest, screening for privacy, habitat for native birds, and help control weeds by filling garden beds with dense foliage.
One popular example is Leptospermum scoparium (Manuka), which produces attractive flowers and offers benefits for both pollinators and gardeners. There's a shrub to suit every purpose, from striking foundation plantings to informal hedges and colourful feature specimens.
When deciding which shrubs to incorporate into your garden, think about size, growth habit, leaf shape, and flowering season. Many gardeners use shrubs to line pathways, edge borders, or create layered looks in mixed plantings. For added inspiration, check out ideas for landscaping and garden design concepts so you can match your shrub selections with the style and needs of your space.
Shrubs often require minimal maintenance once established—just an annual prune, mulching, and a little feeding. Several species are drought tolerant and cope well with New Zealand's diverse climates. If you are unsure which shrubs are best, try using our interactive plant finder to narrow down the perfect varieties for shade, full sun, or coastal gardens.
To get the best from your shrubs, plant them in well-prepared soil and water well during their first year. Regular mulching keeps roots cool and suppresses weeds, while organic fertilisers promote lush growth and abundant blooms. Many evergreen shrubs will reward you year-round, while deciduous types bring a dramatic structure even when leafless. With the right choices, shrubs will offer enduring beauty and resilience to your garden.
Whether you need assistance finding the plant you’re looking for or you simply want to know more about who we are and what we do, we invite you to get in touch with us today. A member of The Plant Company team will get back in touch as soon as possible.
