New Zealand natives for hedging and screening^©

INTRODUCTION
It has become very obvious that many of the selections of hedge plants introduced to New Zealand have become environmental disasters. Examples of this include gorse (Ulex europaeus), privet (Ligustrum spp.), Acmena spp. (lillypilly), and Berberis spp. to name a few.
Others such as Buxus spp. have a dreadful smell and are susceptible to rust while various species and cultivars of conifers are susceptible to fungal diseases resulting in large areas of die back. It appears that this is spread by hedge trimmers while poor pruning methods are also to blame.