Boxwood , a crushed - maintenance evergreen plant shrub , cater a sculpturesque element to the garden . The elegant plant has been a timeless landscape staple for millennium .
Boxwood can easily be shaped into different formal structure , which make it an extremely appealingevergreen shrub . From ornamental topiary to perfectly manicured hedges , Turkish boxwood is known for its elegance , versatility , and downhearted - maintenance disposition once established . The flora offers small , ovular - mold , lustrous green leaves that grow on dumbly packed branches , and away from a single major flush of growth in the spring , Turkish boxwood typically does n’t outgrow its shape .
Though it ’s normally spotted in landscape gardening today , boxwood has been used in gardens for K of geezerhood . The plant was incorporate into sprawl ancient Egyptianlandscapes and the lush garden of ancient Greeceand Rome . you could achieve the timeless ravisher of these famed landscapes in your own G by strategically implement a fewboxwood shrubs .
Ernie Braun.
Though box is easy to care for , the flora is toxic to animalsand can cause mild skin irritation in humans .
Where to Plant Boxwood
broadly speaking , boxwood grows full in a full - sun localization but not in uttermost hotness . In tender mood , a little mottled shade helps box thrive . The bush requires evenly moist soil that drains well . Because of these factors , it ’s well to avoid planting most boxwood varieties in southwest exposures . to boot , boxwood benefits from some protection against in high spirits winds due to its shallow origin .
evaluate the plan site and intention of your Turkish boxwood before choosing a variety . There are hundreds of cultivar on the marketplace , and they have varying growth habits and internet site requirements . Boxwood is frequently used to createhedges , but the bush can also be go through as a specimen plant or trimmed as atopiary . box also do work well in aggregated planting or when used to butt against bed and borders in formal gardens .
How and When to Plant Boxwood
plant life boxwood in spring or summer to give it fourth dimension to become set up during the cool winter month . take a planting area andtest the soil . box requires a pH between 6.0 and 7.0 . If necessary , amend the ground to flow within this pH range .
drudge a mess no greater than the depth of the boxwood radical ball and two or three clock time as spacious . Slide the plant out of the nursery container and gently loosen the root before putting the boxwood in the mess with the crown of the industrial plant sitting more or less above dirt level . Backfill the hole with garden grease , compact down thinly with your hands to compress it and remove air pocket . Water the works exhaustively . give a 2 - inch level of mulch around the Turkish boxwood to help oneself the plant retain moisture and modulate drainage , but avoid invest mulch near the torso of the plant .
When plant multiple boxwood shrubs , the spatial arrangement calculate on both the assortment and its planned use . In oecumenical , plant gnome or minuscule Turkish boxwood about 2 to 3 feet apart for hedging orfoundation plantings ; somewhat larger cultivars should be spaced about 3 to 4 feet apart . The largest boxwood can develop up to 20 base wide-cut , but it take them year to do so . If the boxwood are planted as ornamental specimen , 5- to 8 - animal foot spacing is usually sufficient .
Credit: Peter Krumhardt
Boxwood Care Tips
box is generally a forgiving industrial plant that does n’t require much caution after it ’s established .
Light
Many box varieties are versatile in their sunshine needs and can takefull sunto full nicety , while others suffer burning and bronze in too much sun and thrive in more wraith . confer with your Turkish boxwood ’s entropy tag end before purchasing and planting to ensure you ’re choosing an appropriate land site .
Soil and Water
Turkish boxwood likesgood drainageand does n’t value stand water . Plant the shrub slightly above soil level and mound spare soil so water system does not pool at the poll . While establishing the plant , pee about once a week , allowing the soil to dry before watering again . Once found , Turkish boxwood can handle drought well , but the plant savor a little piss now and then to forbid longsighted - term problems .
It ’s also essential that boxwood is well - watered as winter approaches . Watering the plant before a hard freeze helps fill any air place around the root and acts as insulation .
Temperature and Humidity
Boxwood works are dauntless inZones 4 - 8 , although this varies by variety . For example , comparatively few varieties can handle the frigid temperatures in Zone 4 .
In the hot climates , boxwood requires extra body of water and some shade . In general , the plant put up a wide chain of mountains of humidness . In inhuman climates , stem tips may give out back unless the box is protected by loosely wrap burlap tied with twine . Snow serves as an insulator , but the weightiness of too much C can damage boxwood shrub , so sweep it off on a regular basis .
Fertilizer
Use an all - role fertilizer once each bound , follow the manufacturer ’s direction .
Pruning
Regular annual trimming allows you to sustain a shaped box plant with small fuss . Trimmingis substantially done during late wintertime or early spring , just before the heavy one-year flush of raw development . This prevents too much tender growth in the drop that may sunburn come up winter and advance serious ramification of the fresh growth for a full shrub .
When pick out boxwood for topiary purposes , the special diversity dictates the plant life ’s shape , so check the development habit of your specific type . For example , some boxwood shrubs are of course rounded , some are humbled and spreading , some are more conical , and some are upright . The growth pace is also crucial to view . Many dwarf varieties are slow - originate , so if you plan on defecate a hedge , you ’ll want to space the starter plants consequently . Other box types may be tight - growing , and if you design on making intricate - shape topiary , they may outgrow their chassis promptly and require extra maintenance .
Potting and Repotting Boxwood
flora boxwood in a ceramic or terra - cotta container that ’s as wide as the plant is improbable and put up excellent drain . An 18 - inch container is the right-hand size of it for many dwarf boxwood miscellanea . Boxwoods grown in container — specially those in terra - cotta containers — dry out more quickly than Turkish boxwood plant in garden soil , so monitor potted works close .
The root system of boxwood is shallow , and the plant is slow growing , so it wo n’t necessitate repotting for two or three years . If you point out your boxwood has stop growing , it ’s sentence to repot . When it ’s ready for transplanting , choose a young container that ’s one size larger than the former pot and fill it with fresh ground that has been amended to be well - draining and in the favored pH range of 6.0 - 7.0 .
Pests and Problems
Bronzing is the most common problem seen in Turkish boxwood and is in general due to too much sun and wind picture during winter . Some Turkish boxwood varieties are resistant to bronzing , so by choosing the correct type for your climate from the showtime , you’re able to prevent the trouble from take place .
to boot , boxwood may modernise leaf spot and root rot , two conditions make bypoor drain . Boxwood can also become infested with leafminer , boxwood mite , and box psyllid . Treat plant with horticultural oil toeliminate pests .
How to Propagate Boxwood
box can be propagated with prow cut or seed , but either method take patience .
How to Propagate Boxwood from Cuttings
Propagate Turkish boxwood fromstem cuttingsin outpouring . Take 4- to 6 - in cutting off from fresh , lite - green growth . slay all foliage from the bottom half of the cuttings and dip them intorooting hormone . Fill a 4 - in pot with good - quality potting grease , and practice a pencil or standardized target to poke hole in the ground to make infinite for each thinning . Insert one clipping into each hole , trying not to rub off the root hormone . This size pot can root up to four cuttings when spaced equally asunder .
Water the cuttings and then envelop the entire pot inside a clear shaping bag and place it in a ardent , bright expanse ( not full sun ) . start the bag occasionally to verify the potting medium remains moist . The cuttings should root in four to six weeks . To test whether root has occurred , tug gently on a leaf at the top of the cut . Resistance indicates rooting . When rooting has started , remove the plastic bag permanently and hold back a few weeks for the cuttings to further break tooth root system . Finally , transplant each rooted cutting to its own great deal , where it can continue to get until springtime planting .
How to Propagate Boxwood from Seed
Turkish boxwood can also be propagated from seed , but it takes up to six calendar month for the seeds to germinate . take a minuscule container with moist germ - starting mix . Press two or three seeds into each container at a depth of twice the longest side of the seed . compensate the seeds with the seed - starting commixture and put a eyelid on the container or place it inside a sealed charge card bag . range the container in the refrigerator for two months forstratification . condition the seed - start mix weekly to insure it is still dampish .
After a distich of month , take the container out of the refrigerator and uncover it . Put it in a coolheaded area , not a sunny window — the ideal temperature is about 60 ° degree Fahrenheit — until the seeds germinate . As soon as a seedling appears , move the container to an area with bright sunshine . When the seedling is 4 in tall and has a rich origin system , it is ready to move to the garden .
Types of Boxwood
‘Greenmound’ Boxwood
Buxus‘Greenmound ’ retains its burnished greenish color through the dour winter days . It ’s compact to 3 feet marvelous and 4 feet wide , slow - grow , and extra cold intrepid . This boxwood variety thrives in Zones 4 - 8 .
‘Morris Midget’ Boxwood
Buxus‘Morris Midget ’ is a lilliputian cultivar , only growing about half an inch each year . This motley may bronze in full Sunday during the wintertime , but it will typically raise out of it . zone 6 - 8 are ideal for this eccentric of box .
‘Northern Beauty’ English Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens‘Northern Beauty ’ is among the hardiest English Turkish boxwood variety . It grows 5 foot marvellous and wide in Zones 5 - 8 .
Garden Plans for Boxwood
Front-Yard Rose Garden Plan
coif up your front yard — and front door — with this garden plan full of beautiful roses , accent with low - turn box border .
Summer Cottage Garden Plan
noble delphinium are the backbone of this colored bungalow garden plan that incorporates box for some social organization .
Foundation Garden Plan
A colorful choice to the standard all - gullible landscape painting , this foundation planting mixes broad - leafed evergreen plant shrubs and a sculpturesque Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree with flowering perennials and ground cover .
Fence-Obscuring Garden Plan
The exciting plants included in this design will provide long - live gloss , fragrance , and grain that will leave you sound out , “ What fence ? ”
Frequently Asked Questions
Dwarf box plants can be mould and keep modest , so they make good indoor plants as long as they ’re given proper sunshine and water .
Boxwood is a strong and slow type of Sir Henry Joseph Wood . Historically , it ’s been used to make chess game pieces , woodblock prints , and musical instruments , among other item .
When you produce boxwoods in optimum atmospheric condition , expect them to live 20 to 30 years , although some varieties can live 40 years or more .
Credit: Denny Schrock
Boxwoods — A Landscape Essential . Kansas State University Research and Extension .
Boxwood . National Records of Scotland .
Gardening in Ancient Rome . West Dean .
Credit: Carol Freeman
Boxwood . ASPCA .
How Safe are Boxwood Plants?Poison Control .
Boxwood as timbre . European Boxwood & Topiary Society .
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
Credit: Illustration by Mavis Augustine Torke
