Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
📖 About this plant
A classic, slow-growing evergreen shrub prized for its dense, small-leaved foliage and formal appearance. Boxwood has been used in garden design for centuries, from knot gardens to topiary and formal hedges. Its compact growth habit responds well to pruning and shaping. Available in many cultivars with varying sizes, leaf colors, and growth habits.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
Full sun to partial shade (4-6 hrs)
Every 1-2 weeks
Moderate (40-60%)
5-28°C
Well-draining loam or clay-loam; tolerates alkaline soil better than most plants; pH 6.5-7.5
Balanced slow-release fertilizer in early spring; avoid heavy nitrogen which promotes dense, disease-prone growth; top-dress with compost annually
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Southern Europe, western Asia, North Africa
- 📏 Max height
- 1.5-5 m (slow growing, 10-15 cm per year)
- 📐 Spread
- 60-150 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Spring
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Yellow-Green
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Dark Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Slow
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Toxic — all parts contain alkaloids (buxine) that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory distress if ingested; leaves are especially toxic to livestock, dogs, and cats
- 🌱 Propagation
- Take semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer to early fall; rooting hormone improves success rate (3-6 months to root); or purchase established nursery plants
🛡️ Health & Safety
Toxic — all parts contain alkaloids (buxine) that can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and respiratory distress if ingested; leaves are especially toxic to livestock, dogs, and cats
Common issues
- Boxwood leafminer causing blistered leaves, Boxwood blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola) — devastating fungal disease, Winter burn on exposed foliage, Psyllid infestations causing cupped leaves
💡 Care tips
- Prune in late spring after new growth hardens,Shape hedges narrower at the top than the base,Good air circulation prevents boxwood blight disease,Mulch to keep roots cool in hot climates
