The Murraya hedge is one of the most popular ornamental hedges in Australia. It is best known for being low maintenance, fast growing and densely leaved, and it is a favourite of many home gardeners for its abundance of fragrant white flowers. Here is everything you need to know about growing your own perfect Murraya hedge.
The Basics of the Murraya Hedge
Murraya is also known as "mock orange" or "orange jessamine". It makes an excellent boundary hedge because it grows thick, and because it grows quickly it can be cut back to suit any garden. Murraya flowers in spring and summer, and it is one of the easiest hedging plants to grow well. If you want something low maintenance and fast growing, a Murraya hedge is an excellent option.
A freshly planted Murraya hedge takes three to four years to reach full size. Pruning it regularly creates a dense hedge that works beautifully as a screen. Murraya can reach three metres, though there are dwarf varieties that only reach about one metre. It earns the name mock orange from its lovely citrus scent, which fills the garden when the blossoms open.
Murraya grows best in warm climates, where it is extremely hardy and difficult to get wrong. It suits everyone from the beginner to the experienced gardener, and because it grows so dense it is ideal for privacy hedges.
Planting Your Murraya Hedge
Plant Murraya about 30 to 50 centimetres apart, depending on the density you want. For a fast, solid screen, 30 centimetres is best.
Murraya should go into a sunny spot with well-draining soil. If you have clay or other water-retaining soil, enrich and open it up before planting; a quality soil amendment improves drainage and gives young roots the best start.
You can buy Murraya potted or bare-rooted. Either way, dig a hole twice as wide as the root ball and about 1.5 times as deep, then backfill with loosely packed soil. A bare-root plant may take some time to wake from dormancy, but either way your hedge will begin to grow.
The first few months after planting are the most critical. Water regularly, and fertilise once the hedge has started to take root. While young plants establish, a soft plant or tree tie keeps stems steady against wind without cutting into the bark. The best times to plant are autumn and spring, though Murraya can also go in during summer. Planted in autumn, hedges take root just before winter dormancy and emerge much hardier in spring.
Taking Care of Your Murraya Hedge
Prune Murraya in autumn and spring, and fertilise in spring. After pruning, water and fertilise to encourage fresh growth. The hedge flowers through spring and summer, when it is at its showiest. A small amount of pruning once a month keeps it tidy.
Most Murraya hedges are best trimmed to 1.5 to 2 metres rather than left to reach the full three metres, which keeps them attractive and dense. Many are shaped, including into spheres.
When fertilising, avoid nitrogen-rich feeds. Too much nitrogen pushes the plant to grow too quickly, and the soft new leaves it produces are weaker than they should be.
Like all shrubs, inspect your Murraya regularly for general health. If a plant fails to transplant you may need to replace it, which can happen with young shrubs. If part of a shrub starts to die back, the roots may not have taken, or the plant may need more nutrients or water. The leaves are your best guide to its health: they should be a deep, glossy green, with white to cream flowers. Discolouring can point to too much heat, too much water, or pests. Regular pruning keeps the shape, keeps the plant healthy, and gives you the chance to check for pests and remove any damaged growth.
Common Problems With Murraya Hedges
Murraya does not do well in cold climates or harsh winters. In frosty areas, a frost-hardy plant such as Choisya is a better choice. Dwarf Murraya can be grown in large ornamental pots and protected through the cold season, but because it needs plenty of sun and grows fast, this is usually not ideal.
As mentioned, Murraya needs well-draining soil. Many problems come down to too much moisture: when the soil stays wet, it cannot deliver enough oxygen to the roots. In high-rainfall areas Murraya may not be the right pick. It rarely needs watering beyond natural rainfall, except just after heavy pruning when it may want a little more water and feed. Yellowing, dropping leaves are a sign of too much water.
Murraya can also attract the usual garden pests. Brown spots, eaten patches on the leaves, and small soft sacs around the plant all suggest pests that will need treating. In exposed sites, or where animals browse young plants, a tree guard protects new hedges while they establish.
Getting Started With Your Murraya Hedge
All up, the Murraya hedge is one of the easiest hedges to plant and maintain, and it makes an excellent privacy screen or ornamental feature. Given the right spot (warm, with well-drained soil), you can plant one and grow it without much effort, and within three to four years you will have a shrub that blooms every season.
Because Murraya does not cope with cold, keep it in a sunny, warm position, prune it lightly every month, and give it a thorough prune during its fast growth seasons. With a Murraya hedge, it is hard to go wrong.
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