Plants Suitable for Topiary and Hedges
The following is a suggestion of plants that you may like to use. As well as these, any plant that is generally small leaved, close foliated with short internodes, shade or semi-shade tolerant, and that regenerates well from pruned shoots could be tried. Plants need not be evergreen. Close branching can define the shape of deciduous plants, such as Carpinus, Fagus and Ligustrum.
Plants (listed alphabetically with common name in square brackets). 

Azalea (compact varieties)
Buxus [Box]
Carpinus [Hornbeam]
Chamaecyparis [Cypress]
Cupressocyparis [Cypress]
Cupressus [Cypress]
Fagus [Beech]
Hebe [Veronica] (especially mound forming close-foliated varieties)
Ilex [Holly]
Ligustrum [Privet]
Osmanthus
Prunus (lusitanica) [Portugal Laurel]
Pyracantha [Firethorn]
Pyrus (salicifolia pendula) [Willow-leafed Ornamental Pear]
Rhamnus (alaterna variegata)
Taxus [Yew]
Thuja [Arborvitae]
Viburnum (tinus)

N.B. All plants can be inhibited by pruning and clipping, but the rate of growth can vary greatly between species or varieties of any one genus. This means that some plants would require more clipping than others and due account should be taken of this when choosing a plant for a particular application. As a general rule, choose a plant that needs the least amount of trimming to keep it to a particular height or width.
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