A lighted animal topiary is the same welded, galvanized frame wrapped with LEDs so the piece reads after dark as well as in daylight. We build them mains-powered or solar, depending on whether there is a feed where the piece will stand. They are used for winter and holiday displays, event installations and public art, and the lighting is specified with the piece rather than added over it afterwards.
The same animals, wrapped in light.
A lit topiary works both shifts: sculpture by day, landmark after dark. These are the same welded frames and mossed animals as the rest of the menagerie, wrapped in clear mini lights — unpack, plug in, done. A replacement bulb and a flashing bulb come in the box.
The dog breeds lead here too — a lit dachshund at the front door, lit terriers down a holiday table — alongside deer and the seasonal favorites. Our lighted work scales all the way up: the forty-foot NBC Peacock at Rockefeller Center carried 11,000 LEDs.
The NBC Peacock story · All topiary animals · Mossed animals
Which animals come lighted?
The dog breeds lead, as everywhere: lit Yorkies, Westies, Scotties, Schnauzers, Pugs, Poodles, Jack Russells and Corgis, plus deer, rabbits and the seasonal cast. Each is a wire or mossed animal wrapped in clear mini lights — unpack, plug in, done, with a spare and a flashing bulb in the box.
Where does a lit animal work best?
- Front doors and paths — a lit dachshund greeting visitors earns its spot twice a day
- Event tables — a run of small lit dogs down a long table carries a winter party
- Business frontage — visible day and night, which is more than a sign manages
- The holidays — from Halloween through New Year, one plug at a time
How big does lighted work get?
As big as it needs to. The same wrapping that lights a 15-inch Yorkie scaled up to the 40-foot NBC Peacock — 11,000 LEDs at Rockefeller Center. Large outdoor commissions can run on solar. Anything in the menagerie can be built lit: ask for the animal and the size.
Wire-lit or moss-lit?
A lit bare frame reads as a line drawing after dark — crisp, modern, all silhouette. A lit mossed animal reads as a glowing creature, softer and fuller. Same animal, two different nights: choose by whether the daytime piece should be sculpture or topiary. Several breeds come both ways — the Poodle, pom-pom tail included, is available mossed, as a lit black frame, or plain.
How big are the lit animals, and how much light do they carry?
These are real dimensions, not gift-shop miniatures. The Yorkie frame runs 15 × 17 × 9 inches with 15 inches of lights woven through it; the Corgi, 17 × 28 × 9 inches with 17 inches of lighting over sphagnum moss; the Poodle, 17 × 18 × 9 inches in clear miniature whites. Every lit piece ships with a replacement bulb and a flashing bulb, and sets up in the time it takes to find the outlet.
How do you build a lit yard scene?
Start with the dogs — a pair of lit terriers reads as a moment, not an ornament — then give the scene structure: a birdhouse or small tree behind them, a run of topiary balls marking the bed, a lit cone for height. The pieces are light enough to rearrange until the composition works, and to store flat-out easily in January.
Why do businesses buy lit topiary?
Because a lit animal at an entrance works day and night for the price of one plug — unlike signage, it is as charming at noon as at nine. Schools and businesses order their mascots; the scaling limit is generous, since the same wrapping technique built the 40-foot, 11,000-LED NBC Peacock.
Animal Topiary - Lighted — common questions
Mains or solar?
Both. Solar suits a site with no power feed — sixteen solar-lit animals ran through a downtown installation for a whole summer. Mains is brighter and more predictable where a feed exists.
Are they weatherproof?
The lighting is specified for outdoor use and the frame is galvanized including the welds. Anything permanent is anchored rather than spiked.
Can an existing piece be lit?
Usually yes. Send us photographs of what you have and where it stands.
How far ahead should I order for Christmas?
Build time is four to ten weeks, so a seasonal piece needs ordering well before the season.
