Korean Box

Korean Box (Buxus microphylla var. koreana) is the box to plant where winter is genuinely cold. It grows slowly to about 1.2m tall and 1m wide untrimmed, holds small glossy leaves to the ground, and takes clipping as well as any hedging plant sold here. Where English Box bronzes off in hard frost, this one keeps its colour, which makes it the standard choice for formal gardens in cool districts.

Why you'll love it

• It holds a crisp edge. Small dense leaves mean a clipped face reads as a solid green line rather than a row of cut stems.
• Frost hardy where other box struggles. Cool temperate is its home ground, and it also performs in warm temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical districts.
• Slow growth is the feature, not the flaw. Two trims a year hold a formal shape. A faster hedge plant would need four.
• Tolerant of tough ground. Drought tolerant once established, salt tolerant enough for coastal gardens, and content in poor soil.

Where it works best

Low formal hedging. Plant 25cm apart. That tight spacing gives a solid unbroken line, and it is standard practice for box.

Topiary and shaping. Balls, cones, cubes and standards all work. The fine leaf and dense habit mean a shape stays legible between trims.

Borders and pots. Ten metres of parterre edging takes about forty plants, and a clipped ball either side of a doorway is the other classic use.

Growing Korean Box in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade, with full sun giving the densest growth. It suits cool temperate, warm temperate, Mediterranean and subtropical gardens. In the hottest inland positions give it afternoon shade, since sun on a freshly clipped face bronzes the leaves.

Soil. Adaptable and content in poor soil, but it wants drainage. Improve the trench with compost before planting a hedge, and mulch 50mm deep clear of the stems. Box is shallow rooted, so mulch matters.

Water and feed. Water deeply twice a week through the first summer, after which it is drought tolerant. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and mid summer. Yellowing is usually hunger or dryness, not disease.

Pruning. Trim twice a year, in late spring and late summer, with clean tools. Cut on an overcast day so exposed leaves do not burn. Box reshoots from old wood, so an overgrown hedge can be renovated one face at a time.

What to expect when it arrives

Korean Box is grown across seven sizes: tube, 140mm packs of ten, 200mm packs of six, 250mm packs of three, then 300mm, 400mm and 500mm singles. The packs suit a hedge run, because a border priced per plant adds up quickly at 25cm spacing. The 300mm to 500mm sizes arrive with real body, suited to pot displays or topiary.

Box travels well, and some inner leaf drop afterwards is normal. Being slow growing, tubes and 140mm plants take three to four years to close into a low hedge, so buy the size that matches your patience. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to create a great hedge and keep it sharp
• Compare the best hedging plants
• Plants suited to topiary and shaping
• Japanese Box, for warmer humid gardens

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

Twenty five centimetres apart for a low formal hedge. Box is slow and narrow, so this tight spacing closes the line in reasonable time rather than leaving gaps for years.

Is Korean Box safe around cats and dogs?

No. Box foliage is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so it is not one we list as pet friendly. Most pets leave it alone, but if yours chews shrubs, choose something else.

How is it different from English Box?

Korean Box holds its colour through hard frost where English Box tends to bronze off, and it takes heat and humidity a little better. English Box has the finer leaf.