Leah, I'm not so savvy on FL landscape plants, but I would say more generally that if you really do mean "hedge", than, these are frequently (though not necessarily) clipped or "sheared" plantings, and as such, very finely-textured species tend to work well, things that will take to this shearing and not look the poorer for it. If instead what you mean is a "shrub border", then a whole host of other possibilities emerge.

+oM

Good point, wisconsitom. Really, either a formal hedge or a dense shrub border would be acceptable. I am willing to take on the pruning a formal hedge would require. If a shrub border I'd want something that could tolerate pruning to shape.

Most people around here throw in some azaleas and call it a day. They're stunning when they bloom, but the rest of the year they get kind of leggy.

Dwarf Burford Holly will grow like gangbusters if you prepare the soil, break up the root ball at planting, and fertilize at the appropriate time. You'll be shearing back 3 gallon plants twice a year after the first two years.

I think there would be a LOT that would work:

Thinking Burford, Yaupon, Cassine hollies, Myrica cerifera, Osmanthus fragrans, Pineapple guava, Viburnum odoratissimum, Walter viburnum, Callistemon, Michelia figo, Oleander, Hybrid Eleagnus (Silverthorn), Ternstroemia, etc. etc.

Will the Burford tolerate being shaded in the morning? And will it fill out to the ground? Most of the ones I see around here, even pruned well, get bare around the base.

chinese privet that stuff grows in thickets here and it gets the size of crepe myrtle I dont like it but its a good solution for your problem

Chinese Privet is an invasive weed in Florida.

Lots of different privets around here. The Japanese variety stays fairly tame, but it is invasive and I live near some wetland areas that are already clogged with Chinese tallow trees. I'd hate to add to the problem, but you're right it does have most of the features I'm looking for.

In fact, I'm basically looking for alternatives to privet.

yes floral_uk I know that is the whole point it gets HUGE its also invasive here in NC

So if you know it is invasive why recommend it to the OP as a solution?

What's more, most privets are fairly boring. You can do better-much better.

+oM