Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Green Hopseed
Green Hopseed is a fast-growing evergreen and one of the most dependable privacy plants for Valley yards. It fills in quickly into a dense, upright screen, takes full sun and the heat that bounces off hot walls and pavement, and needs little water once established. Space it along a fence line and it forms a solid green wall in a season or two with light pruning.
Best for: privacy hedges, fence lines, pool surrounds, and block wall plantings. A common low-water screen and a popular oleander alternative across the Valley.
Green Hopseed handles the reflected heat off block walls and concrete where a lot of privacy plants struggle. Plant it about 12 to 18 inches off the wall so the roots have room and air can move behind it. It grows upright and fairly tight without grabbing or climbing, so it can fill into a clean, dense screen along a wall or fence.
Green Hopseed is a popular pick around pools and patios. It is thornless, drops little litter, and its roots are not known to be aggressive. Give it about 3 to 4 feet from the pool coping so it has room while still screening. It stays fairly tidy compared with many privacy shrubs. Female plants do drop papery seed capsules in late summer and fall, which you can rake or shear off.
Green Hopseed is one of the common low-water replacements for oleander in Valley xeriscape yards. Once established it needs little extra water; a deep soak every week or two through summer is usually plenty. It pairs well with Texas sage, red yucca, and blue glow agave in decomposed granite beds.
Green Hopseed is commonly allowed in Valley HOA landscaping thanks to its upright habit, clean foliage, and non-aggressive character. Approved plant lists vary by community, so check with your association before you plant. Most accept it without issue, but it is worth confirming.
It wants full sun and thins out in deep shade. A hard freeze into the low 20s can nip the leaves, though established plants recover. The usual mistake is underwatering a brand-new plant in its first year, so give it regular deep water until it roots in.
- Dense privacy screen3-4 ft apart
- Standard privacy hedge4-5 ft apart
- Looser, open screen5-6 ft apart
- Accent or standalone6+ ft apart
Give it regular water the first year so it sizes up. After that, water deeply every 1 to 2 weeks in summer and about monthly in winter. More water makes it bigger.
It needs little pruning overall. If you shape it, do it in spring. It takes shearing as a formal hedge or can be left natural.
The soil must drain well. Warm, wet soil leads to root rot and yellow leaves.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How fast does it grow?
About 2 to 3 feet per year under good Valley conditions. Growth depends on soil prep, watering, and how much sun it gets.
How far apart should I plant for a privacy screen?
3 to 4 feet apart center to center for a solid hedge. Tighter spacing fills in sooner; wider spacing lets each plant show more of its natural form.
How tall does it get?
Left unpruned it can reach about 10 to 15 feet tall. It takes shearing well, so most people keep it at whatever screen height they need.
How wide does it get?
About 6 to 12 feet wide at maturity, depending on pruning. Factor that into your spacing near a wall or walkway.
Which size should I buy?
The 5 gallon is the most popular for a hedge row: good size at delivery and strong first-season growth. Use the size guide above the price for a full breakdown.
Is it HOA approved?
Commonly allowed in Valley HOA landscaping, but approved plant lists vary. Confirm with your specific HOA before planting.
Is it pool safe?
For landscaping, it is a popular poolside choice. It is thornless, drops little litter, and its roots are not known to be aggressive. It is mildly toxic if eaten, so it suits a pool area as a screen, not as a plant anyone should chew on.
Will it grow in caliche?
Yes, if water can drain. Fill the planting hole with water as a test. If water is still standing a day later, break through the caliche or dig a drainage hole beside the root ball. The Care and Planting tab walks through both.
Does it need pruning?
No. It responds well to shearing if you want to control height or form, but left alone it grows into a clean upright hedge on its own.
Does it need fertilizer?
No. Fertilizer pushes fast new growth that needs more water and more trimming, so skip it. Deep, occasional watering is all it needs once it is rooted.
How many do I need for my fence line?
Use the hedge calculator in the Spacing tab. For a standard screen, plan on one plant every 4 to 5 feet.
Does it flower?
It does, but the flowers are small and greenish and easy to miss. They are followed by papery three-winged seed capsules on female plants in late summer and fall, which are more noticeable than the flowers.
Is it safe around pets?
It is far less toxic than oleander or sago palm, but it is not completely non-toxic. It is listed as mildly poisonous, with natural saponins that can cause mild stomach upset if a lot is eaten. Most animals avoid it because it tastes bitter, but watch a pet that tends to chew on plants.
Green Hopseed for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Green Hopseed (Dodonaea viscosa) is one of the most planted privacy shrubs in the Valley, and for good reason. It is fast, evergreen, tough in full desert sun, and low-water once established. That makes it a go-to for screening fence lines, softening block walls, and adding quick green height without a big water bill. This page covers what to expect from it in an Arizona yard, from spacing and growth to cold hardiness, pool use, and how it compares to Purple Hopseed.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
Green Hopseed as a privacy hedge
Green Hopseed is most often planted as a privacy screen. Its dense, upright, evergreen growth fills a fence line or tops a block wall and holds its leaves year round, so it does not thin out in winter. It reads softer and more natural than a clipped formal hedge and fits both modern desert and traditional Southwestern yards.
How far apart do you plant Green Hopseed?
Space plants about 4 feet apart for a solid privacy screen, or 5 feet for a looser one. At 4 feet, a 40 foot fence line takes about 10 plants. For a single accent, give it 6 to 8 feet to fill out. The hedge calculator on this page will do the count for your fence length.
How fast does Green Hopseed grow?
It is a fast grower. With sun and regular water through its first year, it can put on roughly 2 to 3 feet of height a year while getting established. It then slows as it matures and the water is backed off. Actual speed depends on soil, sun, and steady early watering.
How big does Green Hopseed get?
Left unpruned it can reach about 10 to 15 feet tall and nearly as wide, growing as a large shrub or small multi-trunk tree. Most people keep it well below that as a hedge, trimming to hold it at fence or wall height. It takes shaping well and stays dense without heavy pruning.
How much water does Green Hopseed need?
It needs little water once established. Through the first year it wants regular deep watering to build strong roots. After that it becomes truly drought tolerant and gets by on infrequent deep soaks, and it is commonly used in xeriscape. The usual mistake is underwatering a brand-new plant in its first year.
Does Green Hopseed handle full sun and reflected heat?
Yes. It is a desert native built for full sun, including the reflected heat that comes off hot walls and pavement where many screens burn. It takes light shade but thins out in deep shade. This is why it shows up so often along hot sides of the house and in commercial plantings around Phoenix.
Is Green Hopseed evergreen and cold hardy in the Valley?
Yes. It stays evergreen through Valley winters and is cold hardy to about 15 degrees F. A hard freeze into the low 20s can nip the foliage, but established plants recover. It is comfortable across the low and mid desert.
Is Green Hopseed pool-friendly?
It is a popular pool-area privacy plant. Its roots are not known to be aggressive, it holds its leaves rather than dropping heavy litter, and it stays green year round. As a general best practice, keep it a few feet back from the pool edge and hardscape to give the roots room and keep trimming easy.
Is Green Hopseed HOA-approved?
Green Hopseed is commonly found on approved plant lists for Valley HOAs and master-planned communities because it is desert-adapted, low-water, and tidy. That said, approved lists vary by community and change over time, so check your specific HOA's current palette before planting.
Green Hopseed vs Purple Hopseed
Both are the same species, Dodonaea viscosa. Green Hopseed has classic green foliage and blends into a natural-looking hedge. Purple Hopseed is the Purpurea selection, with burgundy-purple foliage that deepens in sun for a bolder look. They grow and water the same, so the choice is a quiet green screen versus a color statement. Many yards use green for the hedge and purple as an accent.
Green Hopseed, soil, and Arizona caliche
It is not fussy about soil and tolerates the lean, alkaline ground common across the Valley, but it wants drainage. In heavy clay or a caliche layer that holds water, dig the hole wider and loosen the sides. Make sure water moves through rather than pooling at the roots. Good drainage plus deep, infrequent watering keeps it healthy long term.
Is Green Hopseed a good oleander replacement?
Many Valley yards use Green Hopseed in place of oleander for a fast, low-water privacy screen. It gives a similar dense, evergreen wall with a softer look, and it is far less toxic than oleander. It is one of the common oleander alternatives recommended for Arizona hedges.
What to expect: seed pods and wildlife
In late summer into fall, Green Hopseed produces small papery, hop-like seed capsules that give it seasonal texture, which is where the name comes from. The flowers are small and not showy. As a desert-adapted native it provides cover for birds and fits low-water, wildlife-friendly yards.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.