Photinia Hedges: Why Pittosporum Could Replace Them by 2026

In countless new-build developments, bright-red Photinia hedges have been the default choice along fences and property boundaries in recent years. That picture is now changing: fungal diseases are taking a heavy toll on these shrubs, leaving entire rows bare. Garden designers expect a different shrub with colourful, resilient foliage to take their place in many gardens by 2026 – while requiring far less maintenance.

From Thuja screens to the standard red hedge

For a long time, Thuja was the undisputed standard when a plot needed to be screened off quickly and cheaply. These evergreen arborvitae grew densely, creating tall, dark barriers that reliably blocked prying eyes. At the same time, they depleted soil nutrients, offered insects very little food and made streetscapes look monotonous.

Problems emerged from the 2000s onwards. Fungi including Pestalotiopsis and Phytophthora severely affected many Thuja hedges. Entire runs failed, turned brown or died back in patches. Many garden owners did not want to expose themselves to the same risk again.

Photinia, usually the ‘Red Robin’ variety, filled this gap. The principle was similar: a clipped, enclosed hedge, but with added visual appeal. Its new shoots emerge in vivid red before turning dark green later on – an effect that was especially sought after in spring.

“Photinia was considered the perfect all-purpose hedge: evergreen, fast-growing, easy to find and with spectacular red new growth.”

Many garden centres switched their hedge sections almost entirely to this shrub. Few people anticipated that the climate would change – and that disease risks would change with it.

Why Photinia hedges are now failing in large numbers

Milder winters and wet springs provide ideal conditions for one particular fungus: Entomosporium maculatum, which causes the leaf spot disease found on Photinia. Plant-disease specialists have observed this pathogen spreading rapidly over recent years.

The fungus begins as tiny reddish dots on the leaves. They expand into brown spots, the tissue dies and leaves can no longer photosynthesise. Soon afterwards, they turn yellow and drop.

In dense hedge planting, a single wet season can be enough to lose between 15 and 30 per cent of the leaf cover. If this happens repeatedly for two or three years, all that often remains is a framework of bare branches.

• small red dots – the first signs of fungal infection
• brown, sunken spots – dead leaf tissue
• heavy leaf drop – gaps in the hedge and loss of privacy
• high maintenance – frequent cutting, leaf collection and spraying required

Garden experts now consider the decline of many Photinia hedges virtually irreversible, at least in particularly mild and damp regions. Anyone planting anew is looking for alternatives.

A new favourite: why Pittosporum is replacing Photinia

Pittosporum, often sold as pittosporum or simply under its botanical name, has long been familiar in mild areas. Until now, it has mainly appeared in coastal gardens or sheltered urban spaces. As the climate changes, its suitable growing range is increasingly moving inland.

“Pittosporum combines consistently dense foliage with far fewer disease problems than Photinia – making it the favourite of many designers.”

Its key benefits include:

• evergreen, dense foliage – ideal for privacy screening
• moderate growth of around 20–30 centimetres per year – easy to manage, without becoming unruly
• many varieties with variegated or glossy leaves – providing more visual variety
• relatively low demands for water and soil – provided it is not permanently waterlogged
• noticeable resilience against the leaf fungi that affect Photinia so severely

In practical terms, a Pittosporum hedge generally needs only a light shaping cut each year to remain dense enough for privacy. Where Photinia owners struggle with fungicides, bags of fallen leaves and repeated remedial pruning, this hedge is more likely to need no more than a trim with hedge shears and occasional organic fertiliser.

Example from a terraced-house garden

The experience of many homeowners is typical: a woman had a 20-metre Photinia hedge planted several years ago. After three mild, wet winters, large sections of the row were almost leafless, allowing neighbours to see straight into the garden. Rebuilding it entirely with the same species would mean renewed work and significant expense – with no guarantee of success.

The answer is to replace the old plants gradually with Pittosporum. After only two to three years, a continuous privacy screen forms again and remains considerably easier to maintain. For many garden owners, that sounds far more appealing than the ongoing stress of unhealthy Photinia rows.

Why single-species hedges are becoming outdated

Even in places where Pittosporum grows well, many professionals now advise against hedges made up of a single species. Thuja, cherry laurel and Photinia all followed the same pattern for decades: one shrub becomes fashionable, spreads through entire residential areas, then a disease or new pest arrives and affects whole streets.

Landscape architects now place greater emphasis on mixed hedges. The reason is straightforward: the greater the diversity of species, the lower the chance that one fungus or insect will ruin the entire planting.

“Anyone combining different shrubs gets a more attractive, more resilient and less stressful hedge in the long term.”

What a resilient mixed hedge can look like

Typical combinations for gardens in central Europe include:

• Pittosporum as an evergreen base with decorative foliage
• Elaeagnus ebbingei (Ebbing’s silverberry) with silvery leaves and high tolerance
• hazel as a classic native shrub that provides food
• Cornus sanguinea (common dogwood) for colourful stems in winter

The result is a hedge that looks different in every season: flowers in spring, fruiting clusters in late summer and colourful bark in winter. It also attracts considerably more birds and insects than a uniform, tightly clipped wall.

Practical advice for moving away from Photinia

Anyone with badly damaged hedge rows should not simply put new plants of the same species into the gaps. Fungal spores persist in fallen leaves, soil and woody debris.

• Remove severely infected plants completely, including the root ball.
• Do not compost diseased leaves and prunings; dispose of them with general waste or via local authority collection points.
• Leave the soil to rest for several months and avoid watering it continually where possible.
• Plan new planting with a varied mix of species – using Pittosporum as the core, but not as the only species.

Anyone unsure which varieties will cope with winter conditions in their area should speak to a local nursery. Pittosporum tolerates light frosts well, but in severe frosts and at higher elevations it needs a sheltered position or winter protection.

What garden owners can expect by 2026

Many specialist firms expect a noticeable change across German and Austrian terraced-house gardens over the next two or three years. Remaining Thuja plants will disappear, weakened Photinia hedges will fail, and more varied hedges with new leading shrubs will replace them.

Pittosporum is likely to play a central role, especially in warmer regions and cities. In cooler locations, other hardy shrubs with similarly low-maintenance requirements are suitable. The major trend is clearly towards mixed, climate-resilient hedges that provide both privacy and habitat.

Anyone redesigning their planting today should look beyond the next season and consider the coming ten to fifteen years. A hedge that grows more slowly but remains healthier saves considerable work, stress and money. It also makes the garden more lively, with more birds, more flowers and more colour through the year.