The Best Plants for Hedges in Northwest Florida

Choosing shrubs or small trees to create hedges can be daunting, especially when choosing plants for an area with varying growing conditions like that the Florida Panhandle. Along the Gulf Coast, the soil is sandy and stripped of nutrients, while, less than 40 miles inland, one will find healthy cotton fields and acre after acre of rich farmland where vegetables are grown. This mix of growing conditions presents some challenges to those choosing hedging plants.

Native azaleas are quintessentially southern. As a testament to the southern gardeners' love of these bright flowering shrubs, one only needs to drive across the panhandle of Florida during their spring bloom season. Azaleas in this area are at their best when planted in fertile garden soil with a pH reading of 4.5 to 5.5, which tips to the acidic end on the scale. A moist, well-drained soil is best. Azalea plants should be located in partial shade rather than full sun. Trim azalea shrubs into a neatly hewn hedge or plant them close together, where their limbs commingle as they mature, creating an informal hedge growing 6 feet high.

Glossy, dark-green leaves and winter blooms set this shrub apart from all others. Camellia grows best when planted in areas that have well-drained, fertile soil and afternoon shade. This shrub grows up to 12 feet tall if not pruned. Used as a privacy hedge on property lines in many northwest Florida yards, the camellia brightens dreary winter days with single and double (depending on cultivar) blooms in varying shades of white, pink and red.

Native to the region, the Florida yew is a perfect choice for gardeners who would like a hedge that easily adapts to the growing conditions in northwest Florida. Florida yew planted close together and allowed to grow unchecked will form a tall, informal hedge. Generally, this slow-growing shrub/small tree only reaches between 8 and 10 feet tall with a spreading habit and airy top that can be sheared back creating a dense hedge, over time. Florida yew prefers to grow in partial to full-shade locations in fertile, well-drained soil.

Oleander shrub has long, loose limbs that grow 15 feet tall. Vivid shades of pink and red as well as bright white, and soft cream-colored flowers cover the limbs in summer. Oleander is a good choice for those living near the Gulf because it is tolerant of the harsh conditions such as full sun, poor soil, salt spray and wind. Oleander is a favorite of fiction authors for its historical use as a poison. Due to high toxicity levels of the oleander plant, do not grow where young children play.

Yaupon holly grows wild in forests all over northwest Florida. It is a very tough plant, allowing it to be aggressively sheared into tight shapes or long, very neatly kept hedgerows. Leaves are small, glossy and dark green all year. This shrub tolerates nutrient-poor sandy soil, drought and seaside conditions. Allowed to grow to full height, it can reach 15 feet tall with the spread of a small tree.