How to choose box alternatives
Box (Buxus sempervirens) was once a trouble-free stalwart of cottage gardens, castles and everywhere in between. In recent years, box blight and box tree caterpillar have ravaged this plant. At the RHS, we’ve been investigating shrubs that look as good and perform as well as box.
Quick facts
- No box alternative has all its attributes
- Be adventurous and consider shrubs that do not look like box – try colour or variegation
- Consider flowering shrubs to bring more biodiversity into the garden
- Research is underway into blight-resistant box cultivars, and biological and other organic controls for box caterpillar
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What are the problems with box?
The arrival of box blight in 1994, and more recently box tree caterpillar, has made growing box challenging in many areas throughout the UK. Control measures are time-consuming, expensive, and negatively impact wildlife – even biological controls can impact non-target invertebrates. Treating these two problems is simply not sustainable on an ongoing basis.
Finding the best alternatives to box
Box (Buxus sempervirens) is one of the most versatile evergreen shrubs. It tolerates a wide range of soil conditions, light levels and temperatures. It is amenable to being trimmed and regenerates well when cut back into old wood. It only needs trimming once a year, and is cheap and easy to propagate.
We asked professional gardeners, our advisors, RHS garden staff, the gardening public and members of the RHS which evergreen box alternatives they have been planting and how they have been performing. The results have helped inform our list of suggested alternatives.
We also carried out a ballot in the Walled Garden at RHS Garden Wisley. Here, there is an ongoing trial of a selection of box alternatives, which changes over the years as certain plants become unsuitable or fail to thrive. Visitors voted for their favourites. Shrubs with golden, purple and variegated foliage such as privets (Ligustrum) and Pittosporum proved popular.
Ligustrum sinense ‘Sunshine’ shows that box alternatives don’t have to be green
Rhododendron Bloombux offers pale pink flowers for further interest
How to choose box alternatives
What do you need from your box alternative? You may find it useful to consider the following points as you make your choice:
- Does your box alternative have to look like box?
- Hardiness – plant for your climate. Widely planted, popular shrubs such as hebes and Pittosporum died at around -8°C in many UK locations in winter 2022/23
- Is it suitable for clipping to the height or shape you need? Some shrubs dislike being kept short
- Does it regenerate well when cut back into old wood?
- Is it easily available, and can you easily propagate it if you’d like more?
- Which plant is right for your soil conditions?
- Does it tolerate shade?
- Maintenance demands – all will need clipping between one and three times a growing season, and some will always have a ‘looser’ look
- Formal or informal? A flowering shrub can offer attractive informality
- Pests and diseases – your choice may have specific problems associated with it
Advantages and disadvantages of popular box alternatives
The list includes recommendations from professional gardeners, including RHS and National Trust garden staff, as well as the Professional Gardeners’ Guild, the RHS Woody Committee, RHS members and RHS advisors. The shrubs are all chosen with practical experience of having grown them.
The following are general guidelines for each genus. Please see our box alternatives: selection webpage for specific species or cultivars. This is important, as some cultivars (varieties) are more suitable for low hedging than other close relatives.
Baccharis patagonica (Patagonian sea myrtle) – for sheltered areas of the UK. Makes wide and low mounds. Sun and well-drained soil.
Corokia (wire-netting bush) – for sheltered areas above -5°C. Small-leaved and responds well to clipping, keeping tight shape. Not usually susceptible to pest and diseases. Well-drained, sunny position
Cotoneaster – tolerant of cold and most soil types. Not usually susceptible to pest and diseases. Sun or partially shaded position. Responds well to clipping, producing well-covered stems
Euonymus (spindletree) – looks neat and tidy; very box-like. Can suffer from dieback in cold winds. Euonymus scale and powdery mildew can be possible issues
Ilex crenata (Japanese holly) – although Ilex crenata was thought to be an obvious alternative in the years following the arrival of box blight and box tree caterpillar, it was not long before the RHS Advisory department was receiving samples of poorly growing Japanese holly. They particularly dislike winter wet and hot, dry summers. The optimum conditions are cool, damp summers and a well-drained neutral to acidic soil. In our survey, it was the most widely planted alternative, but also the least successful
Ligustrum (privet) – several species are suitable, being tolerant of most soils and some shade, and generally resistant to pest and disease. Clips well once established. New growth can suffer frost damage. Yellow forms thrive better in part shade to prevent sun scorch
Lonicera (boxleaf honeysuckle) – mainly hardy, although new growth on ‘Baggessen’s Gold’ and ‘Maigrun’ suffered frost damage in Wisley’s demonstration area. Pest- and disease-resistant, tolerant of most soil types and clips well
Myrsine africana (Cape myrtle) – for sheltered areas of the UK, above -5°C, in a sunny position and well-drained soil. Pest- and disease-resistant
Myrtus (myrtle) – for sheltered areas of the UK, in a sunny position and well-drained soil. Pest- and disease-resistant.
Osmanthus (sweet olive) – hardy, good for topiary, has the benefit of scented white flowers in spring, and is tolerant of most soil types and both sun and shade. Resistant to pests and diseases and clips well
Phillyrea (green olive) – hardy. Responds well to clipping and is bushy from the base. Not usually susceptible to pests, but avoid growing in areas where ash dieback is a problem as it could be affected
Pittosporum – for sheltered areas of the UK over -8°C, in a sunny position and well-drained soil. Some cultivars can become bare at the base when kept as a low hedge
Podocarpus (yellowwood) – good variety of foliage colours. Hardy and pest- and disease-resistant. A little slow to establish, but responds well to clipping and tolerates most soils and part shade as well as sun
Rhododendron Bloombux – a cultivar bred specifically as a flowering box alternative. A little slow to form a clippable shape, but responds well once established and flowers in June. Thrives in a neutral to slightly alkaline soil as well as acidic
Sarcococca (winter box) – hardy, pest- and disease-resistant and responds well to clipping. Tolerates most soils, and part-shade as well as sun. May send out suckers when well-established
Taxus (yew) – a classic hedging and topiary plant. Tolerates all but waterlogged soil, in sun or shade. Pest- and disease-resistant and responds well to hard pruning if necessary
Teucrium (germander) – informal hedging plant for a sheltered sunny position with well-drained soil. Has the benefit of attracting bees and butterflies when in flower
Veronica (shrubby hebe) – for sheltered areas of the UK, in a sunny position and well-drained soil. Usually pest and disease-free, although occasionally downy mildew can affect plants
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