Griselinia

griselinia

( griss - ell - IN - ee - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

Griselinia is a genus of evergreen shrubs and trees that need full sun to partial shade and moderate to regular water. These shrubs always have a groomed look to them, with shiny thick green leaves and insignificant flowers and fruit. They are perfect for near swimming pools or as formal hedges, and are hardy to sea spray and wind. Species are native to New Zealand and South Africa. Use these shrubs as fast-growing evergreen foliage or as a background hedge plant.

Griselinia Species and Varietals

Griselinia includes seven species of shrubs and trees, and is the sole genus of the plant family Griseliniaceae. These shrubs grow well in USDA hardiness zones 7-10 or Sunset growing zones 14-17 and 20-24. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Griselinia spp. Hybrids (Hybrid Griselinia, Hybrid New Zealand Privet)
This group of hybrids was created mainly by cross-breeding species Griselinia littoralis and Griselinia lucida. They were developed for their size, structure, and leaf color.

'Ardmore Emerald'
Dense, emerald green foliage. To 10-13 feet tall and 6-13 feet wide.

'Broadway Mint'
Glossy, mint-green leaves and rapid growth. To 10-16 feet tall and 6.5-10 feet wide.

'Brodick Gold'
Variegated foliage with gold-tinted margins. 10-20 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide.

'Canterbury'
Compact variety with smaller leaves on red stems. To 9-16 feet tall; easily kept around 5 feet tall as a small hedge.

'Dixons Cream'
Creamy-white splashes on green leaves. To 5-10 feet tall.

'Gecko Green'
Very thick deep green leaves with a dense upright habit. To 6.5-10 feet tall.

'Green Jewel'
With ruffled foliage with cream-yellow margins. To 10-16 feet tall and 6-13 feet wide.

'Variegata'
With cream and green leaves. To 7-13 feet tall and 6-10 feet wide.

Griselinia jodinifolia (Yemo Chico)
This species forms a shrub and is native to Chile's central coastline. Individual plants in the species reach up to 6.5 feet tall when mature, and typically form shrubs but can also be pruned into small trees. They produce dense, leathery light green foliage and are very adaptable to coastal environments.

Griselinia littoralis (New Zealand Broadleaf, Kapuka, Pāpāuma, New Zealand Privet)
This species forms a 50-foot tall tree in its native habitat, but in gardens usually tops out more around 10 feet tall and just as wide. Use this shrub as a dense screen or windbreak plant, or as a background shrub. These plants do well in coastal beach conditions, and can also be espaliered. Varieties include 'Dixon's Cream' and 'Variegata', which both have foliage with cream markings. This species is considered invasive in coastal areas of Britain and Ireland.

Griselinia lucida (Puka, Akapuka, Shining Broadleaf, Akakōpuka)
This species forms a slow-growing shrub that has a slender, open habit and thrives in shade to partial shade as well as in container cultivation. Leaves are light apple-green, thick, leathery, and intensely glossy, providing a bold, tropical look. Flowers are inconspicuous.

Caring for Griselinia

Plant your Griselinia in spring or fall in a space that gets full sun exposure; ideally, they appreciate between 6 and 8 hours of sun each day for the best blooms. These shrubs are highly adaptable, however, and can grow well in partial shade. In hot, inland areas, provide late afternoon shade to prevent leaves from scorching. Plant shrubs Ensure that soil is well-draining, rich in nutrients, and has a pH of between 6.0 and 7.0 (slightly acidic to neutral). If local soils are particularly poor in nutrients or do not drain well, make sure to amend the planting area with plenty of organic compost before installing. Apply a layer of mulch around the planting area to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water new plantings regularly as they establish a strong root system in their new home (for the first one or two years). At maturity, these plants are considered somewhat drought-tolerant, able to get by for most of the year on rainwater alone. During hot, dry spells, provide weekly deep waterings.

Fertilize yearly in early springtime with an application of 2 inches of compost around the base of plants. Pull mulch back before applying, work the compost gently into the soil a bit, water it in, and then replace mulch. Pruning is simple; remove any damaged, diseased, or dead foliage at any time during the growing season, and deadhead spent flower spikes. These shrubs tend to self-seed; if berries are allowed to drop, volunteer seedlings will emerge around the base of the plant. If you'd like to curb this tendency, cut berry clusters off of plants when they appear. These shrubs have a handsome natural form and do not need much pruning. They can be sheared as hedges, but will have a more handsome overall look if selectively hand-pruned. Griselinia shrubs are fast-growing and long-lived, with a typical lifespan of over 50 years in suitable growing conditions. They reach full maturity in 3-5 years.

Caring for Griselinia in Containers
Griselinia shrubs are wonderful in the ground, but can also be grown in containers, providing a great option for gardeners in high-density housing to grow some fast privacy screening. Choose a container that is at least a few inches wider and deeper than the nursery pot or root ball. Ensure that the pot has adequate drainage holes on the bottom to allow for excess water to flow away. Fill with a well-draining potting mix amended with organic material and perlite, and top with a layer of mulch to suppress weed growth, maintain consistent soil temperatures, and to increase soil moisture retention. Water regularly as the plant establishes itself in its new home. Once established, waterings can be lessened. Griselinia plants grown in containers will need more frequent irrigation than those grown in the ground. As a general rule of thumb, water whenever the top inch or two of soil feels dry to the touch. Prune to remove dead, damaged, or diseased foliage at any time during the growing season. Every few years, check the bottom of the pot to ensure that the plant is not outgrowing its root space. If roots are growing through the drainage holes in the bottom of the container, it is a good indication that it needs to be potted up; choose a slightly larger container and repot.

Propagation

Griselinia shrubs can be propagated either by using cuttings or from seed. To ensure that your propagated plant will have the exact same qualities and characteristics as the parent plant, use the cutting method. If you would like to experiment and see what plant you can grow from seed, just keep in mind that it will not necessarily be the same as the parent plant. To propagate your Griselinia, follow the instructions below:

Propagating Griselinia by Cutting

Gather your materials. You'll need a clean, sanitized, sharp pair of garden shears, rooting hormone, a pencil, and a 3-inch pot filled with well-draining compost or other organic material. A good substrate for propagation of cuttings is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
In fall through the middle of springtime, choose the plant that you'd like to propagate. Ensure that this plant has had a good watering the night before, as this will improve the chances your cutting will take root. Cut one or more 3-4 inch semi-hardwood portion(s) of the end of a non-blooming branch and strip all but the top two or three leaves off. Make your cut just below a node. Make a hole in your planting medium by pushing your pencil into the soil. Dip the end of the stem in rooting hormone, and plant it in your pot. Fill in soil around the cutting to support it, but do not pack it down too much.
Moisten with water, and ensure that the pot has good drainage. Your pot should be kept in warm, sunny conditions indoors (and not in direct sunlight). Water whenever your soil is dry under the top layer. After about four to six weeks have passed, your cutting should be rooted. When you notice new growth, you'll know you have roots.
Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring, when you can transplant it to its new home. Ensure that the last frost of the year has occurred before doing this, as it can seriously damage your new shrub.

Propagating Griselinia by Seed

Keep in mind that the plant you get from seed will not necessarily mimic all of the characteristics of the parent plant. To propagate by seed, you will need a paper bag, a pot or tray filled with well-draining compost or other organic material, a spray bottle and a fork. The best potting medium for seed germination is a light blend of 1/3 pasteurized soil or compost, 1/3 sand, vermiculite or perlite, and 1/3 coconut coir or peat moss.
Harvest your seeds. The seeds on Griselinia shrubs are contained inside the berries that the plant produces. These berries will only appear if there is a male and a female plant present. Once these berries have ripened on the shrub, cut them off and bring them to a sink. Rub them against a fine mesh to extract the seeds from the pulp, and then rinse them and set them aside to dry on a paper towel. These shrubs will readily drop their berries and produce volunteer seedlings, so you can also wait for this process to happen naturally.
Water your prepared seed tray or pot filled with soil, and ensure that good drainage is occurring. Place your seeds in your prepared pot or seed tray about a quarter inch to a half-inch under the soil surface. Cover them with soil and water with your spray bottle. Place your tray of seeds in a warm area that receives bright, indirect light. A greenhouse is the most ideal climate, but a planting tray inside a window will do as well. Once you begin to see seedlings sprout and they are able to be handled, transplant them to their own individual 3-inch pots, filled with the same potting medium as described in Step 1. Loosen the seedlings from the potting medium by digging down with the tines of your fork about an inch and a half, gently working the seedling up until it is out. Then, replant the seedling in its individual pot.
Keep the seedling's potting medium moist, but not wet, by spraying the soil with your spray bottle. Keep your new plant in an area with bright light (though not direct sunlight) and temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Ensure that the soil stays moist, but not wet, until the next spring (after the danger of frost has passed), when you can transplant it to its new home.