English edging boxwood

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; afternoon shade is helpful in hot climates. Shelter from drying winter winds and strong winter sun in cold regions.

Water

Keep evenly moist but never waterlogged while establishing. Established plants tolerate short dry spells, but need deep watering during prolonged drought; containers need more frequent checks.

Soil

Well-drained loam, clay or sandy soil with organic matter; neutral to alkaline soil is ideal, though mildly acidic soil is tolerated. Avoid wet ground and planting too deeply.

Height

2-3 ft (0.6-0.9 m), eventually taller if left unclipped for many years

Spread

2-4 ft (0.6-1.2 m)

Foliage

Evergreen. Small, opposite, rounded to oval leaves, usually glossy dark green. Foliage may bronze in winter, particularly in exposed positions.

Growth

Very slow

Care needed

High

• Pollinators
• Deer resistant
• Wildlife
• Low allergen

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Hard

Toughness

Needs looking after

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   1.6 ft (0.5 m)

2. After 1 year

   1.7 ft (0.53 m)

3. After 2 years

   1.8 ft (0.56 m)

4. After 3 years

   1.9 ft (0.59 m)

5. After 5 years

   2.2 ft (0.66 m)

About 8 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Toxic

Native to

the UK

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level and leave enough room for air to move between plants.
• Water at soil level during dry weather; avoid routinely wetting the foliage.
• Apply 2 in (5 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, keeping it clear of the stems.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or a soil test indicates a deficiency; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Check regularly for leaf spotting, bare patches and caterpillars, and remove fallen infected leaves promptly.

Pruning. Clip lightly after the main spring flush has firmed, usually in late spring or early summer, choosing dry, mild weather. Keep hedge bases slightly wider than their tops, thin congested growth selectively, and clean tools between plants; avoid late-season clipping that encourages frost-sensitive shoots.

Late winter

Check for wind scorch, frost damage and broken branches; wait until growth resumes before deciding how much browned growth is dead.

Spring

Refresh mulch and feed lightly if needed, keeping mulch away from the stems.

Spring

Inspect new growth for box tree moth caterpillars where this pest occurs.

Late spring

Clip once the new flush has firmed, working in dry weather and collecting the clippings.

Summer

Water deeply during dry spells and inspect for blight, mites and further caterpillar activity.

Early autumn

Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy plants and clear fallen leaves from beneath hedges.

Late autumn

Water before the ground freezes if conditions are dry, and shelter exposed container plants from winter wind.

• Clip into low edging around formal beds to give planting a clear, year-round outline.
• Use in knot gardens and parterres, where its small leaves suit intricate patterns.
• Plant as a restrained evergreen border around roses or herbaceous flowers, allowing space for airflow.
• Grow as small clipped balls in well-drained containers beside entrances or along terraces.

Garden styles it suits: Formal, English country, French parterre, Tudor knot garden, Topiary garden and Herb parterre.

Plant it with: Roses, Peonies, Hardy geraniums, Catmint, Tulips and Snowdrops.

Wildlife: Small spring flowers provide pollen and nectar for visiting insects, although flowering is reduced by frequent clipping. Dense foliage offers shelter for small birds and invertebrates; this is not a native habitat plant in most regions where it is grown.

• Box blight: brown leaf spots, black stem streaks and rapid leaf loss are warning signs. Remove affected material and fallen leaves, disinfect tools, improve airflow and avoid overhead watering; replace repeatedly affected plants with a non-box alternative.
• Box tree moth: caterpillars strip leaves and leave webbing. Inspect inside shrubs, hand-pick small infestations, or use a locally approved caterpillar treatment while larvae are young.
• Boxwood leafminer: blistered leaves may contain larvae, especially in North America. Remove affected shoots before adults emerge and seek local guidance if damage is extensive.
• Root rot and winter injury: wet soil can cause root decline, while frozen roots and drying winds cause bronzing or scorch. Improve drainage, avoid deep planting and shelter exposed plants; prune dead growth after spring recovery becomes clear.

All parts are toxic if eaten by people, cats, dogs and horses. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain; large amounts can cause serious poisoning, and horses are particularly at risk. Sap may irritate sensitive skin.

• Common box (Buxus sempervirens)

  The typical species grows faster and becomes a much larger shrub or small tree, usually with larger leaves and longer shoots. 'Suffruticosa' has notably short growth and a dense, dwarf habit.

• Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica)

  Usually faster-growing, with somewhat broader, often lighter green leaves. Cultivars overlap in appearance, so a reliable label is more useful than leaf colour alone.

• Japanese holly (Ilex crenata)

  Its leaves alternate along the stems rather than growing in opposite pairs, and their edges have fine rounded teeth. Female plants can carry black berries.

Buxus is the Latin name for box, sempervirens means evergreen, and 'Suffruticosa' means somewhat shrubby, referring to its low-growing habit.

Propagation. Take semi-ripe cuttings from healthy, disease-free shoots in late summer or early autumn and root them in a free-draining medium. Cuttings preserve the cultivar; seed does not reliably produce the same plant.

Accepted botanical name

Buxus sempervirens

In the US and Canada

Introduced in the lower 48 states.

Native range

Albania, Algeria, Austria, Belgium, Corse, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Iran, Italy and Libya.

Measured

Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 338 cm.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.