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All 40 windbreak plants in the catalogue, alphabetical by common name. Each links to a full page with its ratings across the USDA, RHS, Canadian and Australian systems.
- Boobialla Myoporum insulare – Fast, dense coastal shrub or small tree from southern Australia, widely used for screening and windbreaks. USDA zones 9–10
- Buffalo berry — Silver Shepherdia argentea – Thorny silver-leaved shrub of the North American prairies and northern plains. Tart red berries are an Indigenous food source, traditionally sweetened after the first frost. USDA zones 2–7
- Chatham Islands tree daisy Olearia traversiorum – New Zealand daisy-family tree from the wind-blasted Chatham Islands, with glossy leathery dark green leaves and exceptional tolerance of salt wind. Among the most effective coastal windbreaks available for mild maritime climates. USDA zones 8–10
- Coastal rosemary (Westringia) Westringia fruticosa – Compact rounded evergreen Australian native shrub with grey-green rosemary-like leaves and small white or pale lilac flowers throughout the year. The most widely planted Australian native hedge plant. USDA zones 9–11
- Coastal she-oak Casuarina equisetifolia – Tropical and subtropical pioneer she-oak of coastal sands across the Australian, Pacific, and Indian Ocean tropics. Tall, narrow, salt- and wind-tolerant — among the great pioneer beach windbreak species. USDA zones 9–12
- Common box Buxus sempervirens – Slow-growing evergreen native shrub with small dark glossy leaves, exceptional density, and unmatched fineness of clipping detail. The classic European formal-garden topiary, parterre, and low-hedge species. USDA zones 5–8
- Desert lime Citrus glauca – Thorny native Australian citrus of arid inland regions. Small green fruit has exceptionally high vitamin C and a sharp distinctive flavour. USDA zones 8–12
- Douglas fir Pseudotsuga menziesii – Towering conifer of western North America reaching 75 m or more, with strong, stiff, structural timber that is the principal framing lumber of North American house construction (sold as "Douglas-fir" or "Oregon pine"). USDA zones 4–6
- Drooping she-oak Allocasuarina verticillata – Small to medium southeastern Australian native she-oak with strongly drooping weeping foliage and dark furrowed bark. A tough drought- and frost-tolerant inland windbreak across southern Australia. USDA zones 8–11
- Eastern white pine Pinus strobus – Tall northeastern North American native pine, historically the most important timber tree of eastern North America. Soft, easily worked, straight-grained timber for interior carpentry, mast timber, and panelling. USDA zones 3–8
- English holly Ilex aquifolium – Evergreen tree or shrub with glossy spiny leaves and bright red winter berries. The traditional Christmas holly of the British Isles. USDA zones 5–9
- European beech Fagus sylvatica – Tall European native tree with smooth grey bark, copper-coloured autumn leaves that persist on young growth all winter, and pale, hard, even-grained timber that is the standard hardwood for furniture, flooring, and bentwood chairs. USDA zones 4–7
- European hornbeam Carpinus betulus – Native European tree with characteristic muscle-like fluted trunk, fine-toothed leaves, and the hardest, densest, most shock-resistant native European timber. Long used for tool handles, mill cogs, butcher’s blocks, and parquet. USDA zones 4–8
- Gorse Ulex europaeus – Spiny European shrub flowering nearly year-round in mild climates. A working European hedge plant — and one of the most aggressive invasive weeds outside Europe. USDA zones 7–9
- Hawthorn Crataegus monogyna – Thorny hedgerow tree with white spring blossom and red autumn haws. Backbone of British and Irish hedgerow ecology — supports hundreds of insect species. USDA zones 4–8
- Holm oak (Holly oak) Quercus ilex – Mediterranean evergreen oak with small holly-like leaves, dense rounded canopy, and exceptionally dense durable timber once used for cartwheels, charcoal, and pier piling. Excellent coastal evergreen windbreak. USDA zones 7–10
- Kohuhu (Black matipo) Pittosporum tenuifolium – Evergreen New Zealand native tree with small wavy-edged pale green leaves on contrasting black twigs, and small chocolate-scented dark flowers. The standard New Zealand garden hedging plant and a major cut-foliage export crop. USDA zones 8–10
- Kurrajong Brachychiton populneus – Tough dryland Australian native tree reaching 15 m with distinctive lobed leaves, cream-pink bell flowers in summer, and prominent dark seed pods. Among the most drought-tolerant Australian trees. USDA zones 8–11
- Leyland cypress Cupressocyparis leylandii – Fast-growing evergreen conifer hybrid (Monterey cypress × Nootka cypress) widely planted as a screen or windbreak. Capable of 1 m of growth per year in good conditions — both its strength and its principal management problem. USDA zones 6–10
- Manna gum (Ribbon gum) Eucalyptus viminalis – Tall southeastern Australian eucalypt reaching 50 m, with bark that shreds in long ribbons and sweet manna-like sap exudates that solidify on the bark. The principal food tree of the koala across its southern range. USDA zones 7–10
- Mediterranean cypress (Italian cypress) Cupressus sempervirens – Slender column-shaped evergreen conifer of the Mediterranean basin, reaching 30 m, with dark green narrow upright form. The defining tree of Tuscan and Provençal landscape and a classic exclamation-point windbreak. USDA zones 7–10
- Monterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa – Coastal Californian endemic cypress, reaching 25 m, with bright green feathery foliage and exceptional tolerance of salt wind, sea spray, and exposure. The principal coastal windbreak species across the temperate Pacific. USDA zones 7–10
- Ngaio Myoporum laetum – New Zealand native evergreen coastal tree with thick glossy bright green leaves and small white-and-purple star flowers throughout the warm months. The classic NZ coastal hedge and shelter species. USDA zones 9–10
- Osage orange Maclura pomifera – Tough North American native tree with thorny branches, glossy leaves, and inedible grapefruit-sized green fruits. Heartwood produces a clear yellow dye and the timber is the historic plains windbreak species. USDA zones 4–9
- Oval-leaved privet Ligustrum ovalifolium – Japanese semi-evergreen shrub with broad oval leaves and a vigorous upright habit. The standard garden privet hedge of late 19th and 20th century British and North American suburbia. USDA zones 5–8
- Red robin photinia Photinia × fraseri ‘Red Robin’ – Vigorous evergreen hybrid shrub with brilliant scarlet new growth that lasts for weeks before maturing to glossy dark green. Widely planted in mild climates as a tall flowering screen and windbreak. USDA zones 7–10
- River she-oak Casuarina cunninghamiana – Tall evergreen Australian native of riparian zones. Casuarinas resemble pines but are flowering plants — cone-like fruit, drooping needle-like branchlets that whisper in the wind. USDA zones 8–11
- Rosehip (Dog rose) Rosa canina – Wild European hedgerow rose. Bright red autumn hips carry exceptionally high vitamin C and were the basis of wartime UK rosehip syrup. USDA zones 3–8
- Russian olive Elaeagnus angustifolia – Silver-leaved Eurasian small tree historically planted as windbreak across the North American Great Plains. Cold and drought hardy, but invasive in much of its introduced range. USDA zones 2–8
- Sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides – Thorny silver-leaved shrub bearing dense clusters of tart bright-orange berries. Berries have exceptional vitamin C and E content; growing commercial bushfood interest. USDA zones 3–8
- Siberian pea shrub Caragana arborescens – Extremely cold-hardy Mongolian and Siberian shrub. One of the toughest nitrogen-fixers for prairie shelterbelts; edible seeds and yellow pea-flowers. USDA zones 2–7
- Sitka spruce Picea sitchensis – Tall conifer of the Pacific Northwest coastal fog belt, reaching 60 m, with timber that combines high strength-to-weight with exceptional resonance — the principal premium tonewood for acoustic guitar and piano soundboards. USDA zones 6–8
- Sloe (Blackthorn) Prunus spinosa – Suckering thorny shrub of European hedgerows. White flowers smother the bare branches before leaves emerge — a reliable late-winter signal. USDA zones 4–8
- Sticky hop bush Dodonaea viscosa – Tough sticky-leaved shrub of the Australian and global tropical and subtropical dry country, with papery winged seed capsules that look like clusters of pink, red, or purple paper lanterns. An exceptional dry-climate coastal and inland windbreak. USDA zones 8–11
- Sunflower Helianthus annuus – Tall annual with massive single yellow flower heads tracking the sun. The seeds feed bees, songbirds and humans alike. USDA zones 2–11
- Sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus – Vigorous European maple with five-lobed leaves and pale, hard, fine-grained timber prized for joinery, kitchen utensils, dance floors, and violin backs. Tolerates exposure, salt wind, and pollution exceptionally well. USDA zones 4–7
- Tamarisk Tamarix gallica – Mediterranean and western European feathery-leaved tree or large shrub with pink summer flower plumes, exceptional tolerance of salt-laden coastal wind, and a long history of seaside windbreak planting around the Mediterranean basin. USDA zones 6–9
- Taupata (Mirror plant) Coprosma repens – New Zealand native coastal evergreen shrub with exceptionally glossy thick leathery leaves that mirror sunlight beautifully. Tough, salt-tolerant, wind-tolerant — among the great coastal hedge plants of the southern temperate world. USDA zones 9–11
- Western red cedar Thuja plicata – Tall conifer of Pacific Northwest temperate rainforest, reaching 65 m, with the principal lightweight rot-resistant timber of the region. Used for weatherboarding, shingles, and the carved cedar of Pacific Northwest First Nations. USDA zones 5–7
- White cypress pine Callitris columellaris – Slender narrow Australian native conifer with fine grey-green scale foliage, naturally pyramidal habit, and termite-resistant scented timber. A reliable narrow windbreak across inland Australia. USDA zones 8–11