Griselinia ‘Twilight’ – Red Stemmed Broadleaf Hedge

Common Names: Red Stemmed Broadleaf, Twilight Broadleaf
Family: Griseliniaceae
Origin: New Zealand
Plant Type: Evergreen native shrub / hedging plant

Overview

Griselinia ‘Twilight’ is an attractive form of New Zealand broadleaf distinguished by its rich red-brown stems contrasting against fresh, glossy green foliage. When grown as a hedge, the coloured stems remain visible amongst the foliage, giving the hedge warmer bronze and red-brown tones and making it particularly attractive throughout the year.

Dense, vigorous and highly responsive to trimming, ‘Twilight’ makes an excellent medium-height evergreen hedge. It can be maintained at approximately 1–1.5 m high, providing good screening and structure without becoming excessively large. It is particularly suited to boundaries, driveways, contemporary landscapes, coastal gardens and situations where a conventional green hedge would benefit from additional colour and character.

Key Features

Foliage: Fresh, glossy green evergreen leaves carried densely along the stems, providing excellent year-round colour and screening.

Hedging Habit: Dense and bushy with strong branching. Responds very well to clipping and can be maintained as either a tidy formal hedge or a slightly softer, more natural screen.

Form & Habit: Upright, densely branched and naturally suitable for hedging. The distinctive red-brown stems provide an attractive contrast throughout the green foliage.

Growth Rate: Moderate to fast under good growing conditions, allowing plants to establish and knit together relatively quickly.

Hardiness: Hardy and adaptable once established, with particularly good tolerance of wind and coastal exposure.

Recommended Hedge Spacing

For a dense Red Stemmed Broadleaf hedge, plant approximately 50–75 cm apart.

Closer spacing is recommended where a lower, tightly maintained hedge or faster initial coverage is wanted. Wider spacing works well for a taller or slightly more informal hedge where the individual plants are allowed to develop more fully.

50-Plant Hedge Pack

Spacing is general guidance only. Final spacing can be adjusted depending on how quickly you want the hedge to fill, the desired finished height and how tightly you intend to maintain it.

Mature Size

Ideal Growing Conditions

Landscaping & Garden Uses

• Evergreen boundary hedging

• Long driveway hedges

• Screening and privacy

• Coastal gardens

• Wind-exposed sites

• Contemporary landscapes

• Native gardens

• Urban and residential properties

• Formal or naturally clipped hedging

• Larger properties and extensive boundary planting

• Year-round foliage and stem colour

Care & Maintenance

Pruning: Begin light trimming while plants are young to encourage branching from low down. Once the desired hedge height has been reached, trim as required to maintain density and shape. Regular light pruning generally produces a better hedge than occasional severe cutting.

Watering: Water regularly during establishment and through prolonged dry periods. Once established, plants become considerably more resilient.

Feeding: Apply a general-purpose slow-release fertiliser in spring if required. Mulching around the base will help conserve moisture and suppress weeds.

Pests & Diseases: Generally robust and trouble-free when grown in suitable conditions.

Additional Tips

For the densest hedge, avoid allowing young plants to grow rapidly upwards without trimming. Lightly clipping the growing tips encourages additional side branching and helps the plants join together from the base upwards.

The red-brown stem colour is one of the major advantages of ‘Twilight’. A hedge that is maintained neatly but not excessively tightly clipped allows some younger stem growth to remain visible amongst the foliage, enhancing its distinctive colouring.

Fun Fact / Botanical Insight

Griselinia is commonly known as Broadleaf in New Zealand. ‘Twilight’ offers the familiar toughness, dense growth and glossy foliage associated with Griselinia while adding distinctive red-brown stems, giving this selection considerably more colour than a conventional green Broadleaf hedge.

Why Choose a Red Stemmed Broadleaf Hedge?

Red Stemmed Broadleaf combines the practical qualities that make Griselinia such a successful New Zealand hedging plant with a more distinctive ornamental appearance. Its glossy green foliage and contrasting red-brown stems create an attractive evergreen screen that works equally well with traditional homes and ultra-modern architecture.

The 50-plant pack is particularly well suited to longer boundaries, driveways and larger landscaping projects, covering approximately 25–37.5 metres depending on spacing.

It is a particularly good choice where you want a fast-establishing, hardy and easily maintained native hedge, but want something with more visual interest than an ordinary green hedge.

Pot Size

This pack contains 50 plants.

These are our standard size in 7cm square pots.