How to grow box

What is box?

Common box (Buxus sempervirens) is an evergreen shrub with small, rich green leaves. It is very versatile and grows well in a wide range of situations and soils. Box is native to the UK and has been grown in gardens since Roman times. It has traditionally been used as low formal hedging to edge beds, or as topiary, clipped into a wide range of shapes, from simple balls to more complicated spirals, peacocks and more. 
 

How and what to buy

Common box (Buxus sempervirens) is the most widely available species and has rich green foliage. You may find a few other species or cultivars in specialist nurseries, with smaller or larger leaves, coloured or variegated foliage, compact, upright or spreading growth habits.
 
For topiary and formal hedges, look for plants with dense growth and small leaves.
 
Individual plants may be sold unclipped, ready for you to trim them into whatever shape you wish, or already topiarised into cones, balls or other shapes, for instant impact. See our guide to creating topiary.
 
When buying plants in quantity for hedges, it’s worth considering bare-root or root-balled plants, without containers, which tend to be cheaper than plants in containers. They are available mainly from specialist hedging suppliers online. Bare-root plants are available in winter, for immediate planting. Some suppliers also sell trays of well-rooted cuttings. See our guide to hedging plants.
 
It is advisable to inspect box plants carefully to ensure they are healthy. Box blight is a widespread problem – see our guide to box blight, so you can spot symptoms and avoid buying affected plants.

Where to get ideas and advice

Visiting gardens is a great way to get ideas on how to use box as hedges and topiary. All the RHS Gardens feature box in various forms.

Other gardens renowned for their topiary include Levens Hall (Cumbria), Great Dixter (East Sussex) and Hidcote Manor (Gloucestershire), while you’ll find spectacular parterres in gardens such as Pitmedden (Scotland) and Ham House (Surrey).

In recent years, box has come under attack from box blight fungus and box tree caterpillar, both of which can cause serious damage. These problems can make box impossible to grow successfully in some areas, so you may have to consider alternatives instead.

Box is easy to plant, in a wide range of locations, and should settle in well. You can plant it as a small hedge, or as an individual shrub, in the ground or in a container.
 
You can use the same planting process for both containerised and bare-root plants. Don't let either dry out before planting, and water regularly once in the ground.

Where to plant

Box is tolerant of a wide range of soil types, provided there is adequate drainage and it doesn't dry out completely. A reliably moist soil is especially important if growing in full sun, otherwise the foliage may scorch.
 
You can plant box in sun or shade. It will even tolerate deep shade, so is ideal for planting beneath taller trees.



Box can also be planted in large containers. It can then be clipped into topiary shapes, and positioned as a focal point in the garden, or placed either side of a path or doorway, for example.

When to plant

Box is available all year round, but is best planted in autumn or spring.

Bare-root plants for hedging are available in winter, mainly from mail-order suppliers, and should be planted as soon as they are delivered. See our guide to buying by mail order.
 

How to plant

In the ground

• For hedging – prepare the planting trench by thoroughly digging over the soil to a spade's depth and up to 90cm (3ft) wide. This will help the roots to spread out easily.
• For individual specimens – dig a planting hole to a spade's depth and a diameter of three times the width of the rootball. A wide hole encourages the roots to spread outwards.

If your soil is poor or infertile, spread organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or garden compost, over the prepared area and fork it in well. Don’t simply place a layer in the base of the trench or hole.

Spacing for hedges

Plant common box (Buxus sempervirens) about 30–40cm (12–16in) apart.

Compact cultivars, such as B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ and B. microphylla, can be planted 10–15cm (4–6in) apart.

If well cared for, small plants should form a reasonable hedge or, in the case of B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’, a parterre in three to five years.

See our guide to planting hedges.

Attracting wildlife

Box provides year-round shelter for birds, small mammals and insects, due to its dense evergreen growth.

 
In containers

Box grows well in containers, where it is usually clipped into formal topiary shapes.

Select a container that is at least 45cm (18in) in diameter and use a loam-based compost, such as John Innes No 3.
 
See our container planting guide.

Watering

Box plants growing in the ground shouldn't need watering once they are well established, except in long dry spells.

However, you should water the following regularly:

• Young plants and newly planted specimens. Keep the soil moist, but don't let it become waterlogged, particularly in winter.

• Plants in containers – these need watering on an ongoing basis, even in winter, as they have less access to water.

Feeding

In the ground

To keep box plants growing strongly, producing lots of new dense growth, especially in poor soil, feed in spring. Apply a general-purpose fertiliser such as Growmore, at 70g per sq m (2oz per sq yd). Then cover the soil with a thick mulch of well-rotted organic matter.

In containers

• Feed plants with a general-purpose liquid feed monthly during summer.
• Top-dress established plants in spring – scrape off the top 5cm (2in) of compost and replace with fresh compost and a little slow-release fertiliser, such as Vitax Q4 or blood, fish and bone.
• See our guide to container maintenance.

Mulching

Caring for older plants

• Young plants – cut back stems by up to one-third in May to encourage bushy growth. Further trimming can be carried out between May and August, as required.
• Mature plants – these are best trimmed into shape in August, once new shoots have hardened off and growth has slowed. This will help to minimise leaf damage due to weather conditions or disease, and the hedge or topiary should remain neat through the winter. Avoid trimming earlier in summer, as this results in a flush of soft growth that is vulnerable to weather damage, such as leaf scorch, drying winds, hot sun or even late frost, and, additionally, diseases such as box blight.
• Old, neglected plants – these usually respond well to hard pruning in late spring (May) and can be cut back to within 15–30cm (6–12 in) of the ground.
• Clipping shapes, straight sides and other forms - see our advice on topiary.

By cuttings

Box is very easy to propagate by cuttings taken in early to mid-summer, when the new growth is beginning to become firm. See our guide to taking semi-ripe cuttings.

• In a heated propagator, box cuttings will root fast, taking about eight weeks.
• In a coldframe or unheated greenhouse, cuttings should be well-rooted in about eight months.
• Cuttings will also root in open ground, as long as the soil is moist and there is some shade.

Once the cuttings start to sprout, pinch out the shoot tips regularly to encourage bushy growth.

In autumn, plant them out into a spare patch of ground in a sheltered spot to grow on, spacing them 30–45cm (1ft–18in) apart. After three or four years, they will be large enough to plant into their final position.

By seed

Sow seeds in autumn or early spring, into small pots or seedtrays, and place in a coldframe to germinate and grow. Don't let them dry out.  

It may take four to five years for the plants to grow large enough to transplant into the garden.

Box can suffer from a range of problems, including box blight and box tree caterpillar, which have become particularly prevalent in recent years in many parts of the UK. Both can seriously damage and disfigure box plants.

In seriously affected gardens, it may be almost impossible to grow neat, healthy hedges, in which case it’s worth considering alternative plants for a hedge or topiary. Read our guide to choosing box alternatives, and then browse our box alternatives selection page to find a plant that works for you. 

Guide to choosing box alternatives

Guide to choosing box alternatives

Read the guide? Choose your box alternative

Read the guide? Choose your box alternative

Pest and diseases

Box is susceptible to a wide range of pests and diseases, including:

• Box blight

• Box tree caterpillar

• Box sucker

• Plant establishment problems

• Red spider mite

• Scale insects

Other problems

Harsh weather and poor growing conditions can cause discoloured foliage and weaken the plants. Apply fertiliser in spring to encourage fresh growth and clip to improve overall appearance.

However, if you can’t improve the growing conditions, you may need to move the plant to a more suitable position.

Look out for the following symptoms:

• New shoots turn pale brown and papery in spring – probably frost damage, as young growth is particularly vulnerable.

• Discoloration and sun-scald to leaves – may be due to excessive sunlight.

• Bronze or orange colouring of foliage – often caused by environmental stress, usually hot, dry spells in summer. Root damage, due to winter waterlogging, may also be a factor.

• General yellowing of foliage – may be a sign of waterlogging, especially if you have heavy clay soil. Remove rotting or dead roots, trim back the affected top growth, then re-plant into fresh compost or a new site.

• Leaf tips and margins turn yellow in winter – usually due to low temperatures.

• Leaf discoloration – is more common on exposed sites.​