When it comes to hedges, there's a whole world beyond Boxwood. Hedges can be grown from many different plants. Steve Lorton, Sunset garden editor, says one of his favorite hedge plants is Escallonia. Escallonia is an evergreen shrub that has glossy leaves growing closely on the outer stems. Flower clusters bloom at branch ends in the summer and fall and are long lasting.
Bees find the flowers attractive.
This plant is native to Chile in South America and well adapted to coastal climates, wind, and sun. They can tolerate partly shady conditions in warmer inland regions. For hedge pruning, remove one third of the old wood each year after the flowers fade. Tip-pinching will keep the plants compact. These plants grow quickly in a wide variety of soil conditions.