Griselinia littoralis

Kapuka

Griselinia littoralis, commonly known as Kapuka or NZ Broadleaf, is a NZ native tree that is fast growing, evergreen, and often grown as a hedge. The glossy foliage is thick, deep green, and held densely. Clusters of small green flowers are produced in spring and result in berries in summer that attract birds. It typically grows to 8 m tall and 4 m wide but is often contained with trimming. Best performance with Kapuka is achieved when it is grown in full sun or partial shade on a well-drained site. It is tolerant of wind, coastal conditions, and frost though will benefit from some protection while establishing. Kapuka makes an excellent hedge and is also commonly included in mixed plantings, used to accentuate other foliage or flowering plants, or grown as a specimen. This Broadleaf is a dependable plant which can tolerate tough conditions and still look great in a garden. For a Griselinia littoralis hedge, space the plants 50 cm apart.

Griselinia littoralis Hedge

Growing an amazing Griselinia littoralis hedge starts with determining the plant spacing. As a general guide, 50 cm between the plants is the ideal spacing for a Griselinia hedge. If you want the hedge to fill in faster, you can shorten the spacing to 40 cm. However, going wider than 50 cm will have two effects. The first is that the gap between the plants at the base will be harder to fill in and this can cause frustration. The second is that the plants will tend to grow wider rather than upward. At a closer spacing the plants compete for light, and in doing so, they push each other upwards. Therefore, The Plant Company recommends a 40-50 cm spacing to achieve an amazing Griselinia littoralis hedge.