The Fast-Growing Border Plant That Will Bring Year-Round Color To Your Landscape

Picking the ideal border plant can set off your property with the perfect mix of color and function. If you're looking for a tall, narrow border plant with upward growth, Bigfoot Cleyera (Ternstroemia gymnanthera 'Sotall') could be an ideal choice. Grown as a tree or shrub, this plant offers year-round color that can bring your landscape to life. It grows between 15 and 20 feet high with a width of 5 to 6 feet — allowing you to get either the height you might need to create a tall privacy border or the width of aesthetically pleasing shrubs in a front yard.

Bigfoot Cleyera grows in USDA zones 7a to 10b, and doesn't require much pruning. It grows well in partial shade to full sun, with at least 3 hours of direct sunlight each day. It's also low-maintenance due to being drought-tolerant and holding up well against threats like viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Not to mention it's pest resistant meaning your shrubs should stay healthy and strong with proper care. 

You can expect about 18 inches of growth each year from a Bigfoot Cleyera, and because it's fast-growing it can offer you a uniform look quickly. Plus, as an evergreen plant, it will brightens your landscape year-round with changing colors and glossy leaves to match the seasons. New spring growth starts as a light green hue, which deepens into a dark green in the summer. In the fall, the shrub changes again to a reddish-bronze color while winter brings the colorful addition of orange-red fruit resembling holly.

Its versatility means Bigfoot Cleyera can work in several different ways for your yard. When planted 4 to 6 feet apart, the shrubs form a solid hedge you can plant for privacy in your yard. Since it grows dense uniform foliage, it's perfect for blocking unattractive views, slowing strong winds, or reducing noise from neighbors. You can also trim the lower branches to create a small tree or prune the Bigfoot Cleyera into different shapes for a more formal look.

Planting the shrubs 7 feet or more apart allows them to grow individually with space between them. Because of the relatively narrow spread, these tall shrubs are often used as foundation plantings to fit between windows or other architectural features in order to dress up a home's façade. It also works as an accent anywhere along a border if you don't want a solid hedge. Place one of these shrubs in a corner as an anchor to your perimeter or near a backyard feature that you want to accent.

The Bigfoot Cleyera variety can also grow in pots if you live outside of the USDA growing zones where it's winter-hardy. You have more flexibility on where you might place the shrub when you make it a container plant. In the colder winter months, simply move the plant to a warmer indoor location so it can survive until the following spring. Plant it in the container by itself or add smaller accent plants around the base of it.