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.
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.
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.
What do you need from your box alternative? You may find it useful to consider the following points as you make your choice:
Yew is a top choice for its neatness when clipped and its ability to regrow well when cut into old wood.
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.
Teucrium is under-used as a box alternative. The flowers produced when the hedge is allowed to grow a little between clippings make it not only a very attractive option, but also a great choice for pollinators.
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The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.
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