Griselinia littoralis Plants - Outdoor GROW TROPICALS
Griselinia littoralis — 9cm / 0.5L9cm / 0.5L
Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

Griselinia littoralis

£4.99
Hardy in the UKSun-lovingShade-tolerantEvergreenRHS award winner
Pot size
9cm / 0.5L £4.99

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Description

The Griselinia littoralis, known as Kapuka or New Zealand Broadleaf, is one of the most dependable evergreen shrubs for mild and coastal gardens. Its glossy, leathery, apple-green oval leaves form a dense, upright screen that shrugs off salt spray and buffeting wind, which is exactly why it has become a go-to plant for seaside hedging, screening and year-round structure. Where many evergreens scorch in coastal conditions, this tough New Zealander simply thrives.

Rated RHS H5, Griselinia littoralis is fully hardy across most of the UK, holding its fresh green canopy right through winter. The small yellow-green flowers in late spring and summer are insignificant, so this is a plant grown purely for its handsome foliage and reliable, fast-growing form. In the very hardest inland gardens it appreciates free-draining soil and a little shelter from cold drying winds.

Water regularly through the first couple of summers to build a strong root system, after which it becomes impressively resilient. It is a natural choice for a coastal windbreak, a fast evergreen screening plant or clipped structure in an exotic border, and it takes happily to a large container for a season or two beside a patio or courtyard. Explore more salt-tolerant options in our coastal plants range and browse the wider hardy exotics collection for planting partners. For a season-by-season guide to how these plants settle in, see hardy exotics: what to expect.

Every Griselinia littoralis we supply is nursery-grown, selected for a healthy, well-furnished shape and a strong root system, and packed with care to arrive in superb condition.

Live Arrival Guarantee

All plants are covered by our 7-day live arrival guarantee. We pack every order in protective, sustainable packaging designed to keep your plants safe in transit, and every plant is checked before it ships. On the rare occasion something is not right on arrival, we will make it good, provided the plant is still in its original nursery pot.

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What to Expect

Seasonal by nature: what to expect

  • Grown outdoors, the way nature intended. Weather-tested and hardened in real UK conditions, so they thrive in your garden. A few marks on the older leaves are normal, the sign of a tough, real plant rather than a flaw.
  • It follows the seasons. Depending on when you order, your plant may arrive cut back, dormant or leafless. That's healthy: dormancy is the ideal time to plant.
  • Posted, not posed. Big leafy plants like bananas and gingers may be trimmed or gently folded to travel safely. It does the plant no harm, and it powers away again in spring.

Not sure what to expect from yours? Dormant, cut-back or weather-marked plants are all perfectly healthy and normal. Read what to expect through the seasons

Delivery & returns

Order by 1pm Monday to Friday for same day dispatch. Every plant travels in protective, plant-safe packaging with tracked delivery.

Changed your mind? See our Return Policy.

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How to care for Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

Plant me in full sun and I will stand a UK winter outdoors.

In their words

What our customers say

Arrived just like the photos - maybe even fuller. Healthy, well-acclimated, and straight into my collection with no issues.

Emily P.

Flawless leaves, stunning variegation, and clearly cared for by experts. It’s already a talking point in my home office.

James R.

Hard to find rare plants that are pet-safe. Ours arrived in perfect condition and looks amazing without any worry.

Sophie L.
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About Kapuka (New Zealand Broadleaf)

Griselinia littoralis needs full sun or partial shade and moist but well-drained soil. It is hardy to around −15°C and stands a UK winter outdoors.

Good for

Coastal & Exposed Exotic Borders Pots & Containers Screening & Privacy

Hardiness

TenderVery hardy

RHS H5 · Hardy Exotic · down to around −15°C

reliably hardy to about -10 to -15C once established, with a sheltered spot advised in very cold inland gardens.

Position

Full sunPartial shadeSouth-facingWest-facingExposedSheltered

full sun or partial shade, and outstanding in exposed, salt-laden coastal sites where tender evergreens struggle.

Soil

ChalkClayLoamSandMoist but well-drainedWell-drainedAcid pHAlkaline pHNeutral pH

any fertile, free-draining soil, from chalk to clay, loam or sand, across the full pH range, with good drainage the priority.

Watering

Water regularly through the first two summers to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it is notably resilient and drought-tolerant. Clip in late spring or summer to shape as a hedge, and apply an annual spring mulch with a balanced feed to keep the foliage glossy. Read moreShow less

Water regularly through the first two summers to settle the roots, keeping the soil moist but never sodden. Once established it is notably resilient and drought-tolerant. Clip in late spring or summer to shape as a hedge, and apply an annual spring mulch with a balanced feed to keep the foliage glossy.

Mature size

Height4-8 m
Spread2.5-4 m

Reaches full size in 10-20 years

Growth habit

Bushy

Flowering

May-Jul · Green

Seasonal colour

Foliage

Evergreen

Pruning

Grown for foliage and hedging. Trim to shape in summer; clip hedges once or twice over the growing season to keep them dense.

Toxicity

No toxic effects reported. Griselinia littoralis is not known to be harmful to people, dogs, cats or other pets.

Native range

New Zealand

Family

Griseliniaceae

Also known as

Griselinia littoralis

Genus

Griselinia
Good to know

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Griselinia littoralis fully hardy in the UK?

Yes. Griselinia littoralis is rated RHS H5 and is fully hardy across most of the UK, staying evergreen through winter and tolerating roughly -10 to -15C once established. The bigger risk is cold, wet winters and cold drying winds rather than cold alone, so plant it in free-draining soil and give young plants a sheltered spot in very cold inland gardens. Browse the full hardy exotics range for hardy planting partners.

How fast does Griselinia littoralis grow?

It is fast-growing for an evergreen, putting on roughly 20 to 40 cm a year once settled, which makes it one of the quickest ways to create a dense, wind-tolerant screening hedge. Regular clipping keeps it neat at any height from about 1 to 3 m.

Is Griselinia good for coastal and seaside gardens?

Outstandingly so. Its glossy, leathery leaves shrug off salt spray and strong wind, making it one of the finest evergreens for seaside and exposed gardens where tender plants scorch. Discover more salt-tolerant choices in our coastal plants range.

How far apart should I plant a Griselinia hedge?

For a solid evergreen hedge, plant Griselinia littoralis around 45 to 60 cm apart in a single row. Closer spacing knits together into a dense screen more quickly, while wider spacing suits a looser, informal windbreak.

When and how should I prune Griselinia littoralis?

Trim in late spring or summer, once the risk of hard frost has passed. It responds very well to clipping and can even be cut back hard to rejuvenate an old or leggy plant, so it is easy to keep as a formal hedge, a clipped shape or a relaxed border shrub.

Is Griselinia littoralis toxic to dogs, cats or people?

Griselinia littoralis has no toxic effects reported and is not known to be harmful to people, dogs, cats or other pets, which makes it a reassuring choice for family and wildlife gardens. It is also happy in a large patio container for a season or two.

Does my plant come with a pot?
Your plant will arrive in its nursery grow pot — the plastic pot it's been growing in. We don't include a decorative pot as standard, and there's a good reason for that: it means you get to choose one that fits your space and style, rather than being stuck with something that doesn't suit your home.

It also means you're not paying extra for a pot you might not want. The nursery pot is perfectly fine to keep your plant in for a while, just pop it inside a decorative cover pot or cache pot and you're good to go. When you're ready to repot (usually after a growing season or when roots start poking out the bottom), you can move it into something more permanent with fresh soil.

If you're not sure what size cover pot to go for, check the pot selector tool listed above, you'll want a decorative pot that's a centimetre or two wider than that to give it a comfortable fit.
How big will my plant be when it arrives?
Every plant on our site includes the pot size (e.g. 12cm) and, where possible, an approximate height. That's the most reliable way to set your expectations, photos can sometimes make a plant look larger or smaller than it really is.

If you're thinking "that sounds quite small for the price," here's something worth knowing: younger, smaller plants almost always adapt better to your home than larger ones. They adjust faster to your light and humidity, put out new growth more quickly, and tend to establish stronger root systems long-term. A plant that grows into your space will usually outperform one that was already big when it arrived.

That said, every plant is an individual. The one you receive may vary slightly in height, shape, or fullness compared to the photo, that's the nature of living things, not a quality issue. We select healthy, well-established specimens, and if you ever feel your plant doesn't match what you were expecting, just get in touch and we'll take a look.
What makes your plants different from the supermarket or garden centre?
There's a big difference between a plant that's been sitting under on a retail shelf and one that's been looked after and cared for by people who specialise in exactly this.

Our plants are grown in house or sourced from specialist nurseries, many of them varieties you simply won't find at your local garden centre or supermarket. Before anything leaves us, it's checked over by our horticultural team to make sure it's healthy, well-rooted, and ready to thrive in your home. We're not shifting volume off a pallet, we're choosing plants we'd want to keep ourselves.

When you buy from a supermarket, you get a plant and a generic care label. When you buy from us, you get the knowledge that comes with it, detailed care guidance, a team you can actually contact if something isn't going right, and the confidence that what's arriving has been looked after properly from the moment it was grown to the moment it reaches your door.

We're a specialist nursery first, not a retailer that happens to sell plants. That's the difference, and you'll see it the moment you open the box.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
First things first, unbox it as soon as you can. Plants don't love being in dark boxes any more than you would, and the sooner yours is out and breathing, the better.

Remove all the packaging carefully, give the soil a check with your finger, and water lightly if it feels dry. Then find it a spot with appropriate light, but avoid putting it straight into harsh direct sun or next to a radiator. Think of it like arriving somewhere new after a long journey: it needs a moment to adjust.

It's completely normal for your plant to look a little tired or droopy after transit. This is called transit stress, and most plants bounce back within a week or two. You might see a yellow leaf or some drooping, don't panic, and resist the urge to overwater or start repotting straight away.

Our advice for the first couple of weeks: leave it in its nursery pot, water it only when the top layer of soil feels dry, and let it acclimatise to your home's light, temperature, and humidity. Once it's settled in and showing signs of new growth, you can think about repotting or moving it to its permanent spot.

Every plant we sell comes with a care guide on the product page so you'll know exactly what it needs going forward. And if anything doesn't look right, get in touch with our team, we're always happy to help.
Will my plant survive being shipped?
Yes! and we go to serious lengths to make sure of it. Every plant is hand-packed by our team with protective wrapping and secure, custom-designed boxes to keep it stable and safe in transit. We've shipped hundreds of thousands of plants across the UK and our packaging methods have been refined over years to handle the bumps and jolts of delivery.

During colder months, we monitor weather forecasts and offer heat packs where needed to protect against frost. In extreme conditions, we may hold your order for a day or two rather than risk sending it out, we'd rather you wait an extra day than receive a stressed plant.

That said, plants are living things, and the occasional transit wobble can happen. If your plant arrives damaged or isn't in the condition you'd expect, just get in touch within 48 hours with a photo, and we'll make it right, whether that's a replacement or a full refund. No fuss.

The short version: we treat every box like it's going to someone who really cares about what's inside, because it is.
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Packaged with Care

Every order is hand-packed in eco-friendly, protective packaging - refined through thousands of deliveries to ensure your plant arrives healthy, hydrated, and looking its best.

Backed by our Live Arrival Guarantee.

Perfect for Gifting

Perfect for Gifting

From rare collector’s pieces to easy-care favourites, our plants arrive fully potted and ready to enjoy. Add a personalised note at checkout for a thoughtful finishing touch.

Delivered fresh, beautiful, and gift-ready.

Sustainability at Heart

Sustainability at Heart

All plants are ethically sourced from trusted growers, never wild-collected. Every order ships carbon-neutral in minimal-waste packaging.

Good for your home - and the planet.

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£4.99