First grow out of doors by the Romans , topiary is the art of training plants into three - dimensional objects . topiary are class into three general types : rationalise , hollow or stuffed .
prune topiaries are essentially herbaceous plants or shrubs that are pruned and trained into geometrical or capricious shapes . They are usually supported with a stakes when unseasoned , which is take away with the plant develop a strong key leader to support itself .
Hollow topiary is fashioned using vining plants that are train to produce around a wire frame . These frames can either be three - dimensional or fill a unmarried plane , such as a pith soma made of a undivided piece of wire .
stuff topiary are made of wire fashioned into the want shape and stuffed with moss . The plant life are engraft through the telegram framing directly into the moss and held in lieu with small pins . This character of topiary is commonly made from mouse or vining plants .
Ivy
Used most often to raise empty and stuffed types of topiary , sort of honest ivy ( Hedera helix var . ) quickly grow to fill in the topiary inning . They are also wanton to train and readily ramify out when their grow tips are tweet . Ivy comes in many varieties with varying leafage shapes , colors and diversification .
Creeping Fig
Creeping Libyan Fighting Group ( Ficus pumila ) is a vine - type flora that is ideal for all types of topiary . It has the stylemark tri - lobed leaf shape that Libyan Islamic Group trees do . It does good in full sun out of doors and a S - facing windowpane indoors . It is only intrepid in USDA zones 8 through 11 , although it temporarily tolerate freeze temperatures .
Wandering Jew
For an indoor topiary , use the democratic vining houseplant wandering Jew ( Trandescantia spp . ) Its colorful leaves have purple undersides and bi - dyed foliage tops that are deep green with a silver heart and soul stripe . They are fast - grow and rootle easy at the nodes , making the wandering Jew ideal to use for hollow or glut types of topiary .
