Chilean Gum Box Hedge Plants

Escallonia rubra Macrantha Hedging

Escallonia rubra macrantha is a vigorous evergreen shrub with fragrant leaves and relatively big pink-red flowers. It is a great hedging plant, especially on windy coastal sites. It needs plenty of sun and a well drained site is essential.
Escallonia macrantha is good for hedges up to about 4 metres high.
Browse our selection of coastal hedging or our full range of hedging plants.

Escallonia rubra macrantha hedge plants are only delivered pot-grown, year round. We may delay delivery in mid-winter if the weather is too cold.
All our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots & pots aren't measured).

Spacing an Escallonia rubra macrantha hedge:

Plant Escallonia rubra macrantha hedging at 2 plants per metre, 50cms apart.

General description of Escallonia rubra macrantha plants:

This is one of the fastest growing Escallonias that we sell and we really recommend it for hedging by the sea, where it will grow well in strong, salty winds. The shiny green leaves have a spicy scent, reminiscent of Friars Balsam or Allspice.
The bright pink-red flowers are carried through the summer until the first frosts.

History & uses:
Escallonia rubra macrantha is a natural variety of Chilean plant. It was introduced to Britain in the late 1840's. It has won an RHS Award of Garden Merit.

Growing Escallonia rubra macrantha plants:
Escallonia needs good soil drainage and a decent amount of sun: it is not suitable for shady sites or places that are prone to waterlogging. It will grow on any soil type and thrives on clay in dry, raised areas. It is an excellent plant for growing on the coast, but you should improve the soil if your site is very sandy.
Escallonia is quite hardy, but it is not suitable for inland frost pockets. If you live in the North or Scotland, it is best to plant it in a South facing, sheltered location.

Prepare your site before planting:
It is good to dig over the area where you plant a hedge several months in advance, especially if the soil is poor. Destroy the weeds first: nettles, brambles and ground elder are tough and weed-killer is the best way to remove them. Then dig the soil over; remove rocks, roots and other rubbish. Mix in well rotted compost or manure down to the depth of about 2 spades. If your soil is rich, you don't have to dig it over, but killing all the weeds is still necessary.

Watch our video on how to plant a garden hedge for full details.
Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting.

Hedge Planting Accessories:
Prepare your site for planting by killing the weeds and grass with Neudorff WeedFree Plus.
You can buy a hedge planting pack with sheets of mulch fabric and pegs to hold it down.
If your soil quality is poor, we recommend using mycorrhizal "friendly fungi" on the roots of new trees and shrubs.
You can also improve your soil with bonemeal organic fertiliser and Growmore.