Griselinia littoralis Green Horizon

Griselinia littoralis Green Horizon is a new selection of Griselinia that is interesting for its more compact habit and improved cold resistance. It also has slightly larger, rounder leaves that are a vibrant, glossy green. With its beautiful, evergreen foliage, this slender bush is elegant and makes an excellent windbreak or privacy hedge, hardy down to -8°C (17.6 °F), suitable for temperate regions and coastal areas. Perfect for coastal regions, its discreet elegance will also make a big impact in a large container on a terrace.

Griselinia littoralis is a bush in the dogwood family, just like the cornus. It is endemic to New Zealand, where it grows in coastal forests up to 900m (2952 ft 10 in) altitude. While it can grow into a true tree with multiple trunks reaching 12m (39 ft 5 in) in height in its natural environment, it will not exceed 3m (9 ft 10 in) in height in our climates, and will remain even smaller when grown in pots.

The 'Green Horizon' cultivar distinguishes itself with its denser growth and increased hardiness (down to -9 or -10°C (15.8 or 14 °F) for an established plant). It has an upright, bushy and dense habit, reaching approximately 3 to 4m (9 ft 10 in to 13 ft 1 in) in height at maturity and 2m (6 ft 7 in) in width if left unpruned. Its growth rate is rapid in slightly acidic, moist and deep soil, averaging 30cm (11.8 in) per year. In a highly alkaline soil, its growth will be significantly reduced. Its fleible trunk and branches are covered in a smooth, yellow-green bark when young, becoming greyish-ochre and fissured over time. The foliage, which can be more or less evergreen depending on the severity of the winter, is composed of erect, rounded to oval, incurved leaves measuring 5 to 12cm (2 to 4.7 in) in length. The texture of the young leaves is fine and flexible, then becomes thick, almost succulent, leathery and very glossy at maturity. Their colour is a deep, shiny emerald green. The May-June flowering, is more abundant in the sun, but still not very noticeable: it takes the form of small axillary panicles composed of about a hundred small, petal-less green-yellow flowers. While it may often go unnoticed by our eyes, it attracts a large number of pollinating insects that gather a bountiful harvest of pollen from it. As this bush is dioecious, only the female plants will bear fruit, provided a male plant is planted nearby. These clusters of fruit are composed of small ovoid, acid-green berries which turn black when ripe and contain only one seed.

Well-suited for coastal areas, the Griselinia littoralis Green Horizon is often used to create hedges along garden boundaries, reaching a height of 2 to 3 metres (6 feet 7 inches to 9 feet 10 inches), to protect from wind and prying eyes. It also adapts well to container cultivation, placed on a terrace or balcony. This cultivation method allows gardeners in colder regions to protect it from severe cold in an unheated greenhouse or conservatory during winter. Its height will be less significant in pots, but the plant will quickly fill the available space by spreading out. In the ground, it can also be used in a grove, alone or combined with other evergreen shrubs such as purple laurel, Photinia Pink Marble, Elaeagnus, evergreen Ceanothus or Pittosporum. It will also be very useful for creating a dense screen along a terrace, facing prevailing winds.