English Box

English Box (Buxus sempervirens) is the plant behind almost every formal hedge, parterre and clipped ball in Australian gardens. Left alone it becomes a shrub of about 3m tall and 2m wide, but nobody does that. The point of box is that it holds whatever height you cut it to, from a 30cm bed edge to above head height, and small dark leaves with slow growth make it easy to shape. Planted 30cm apart it closes into a tight, solid hedge.

Why you'll love it

• It holds the line you cut. Fine leaves and short internodes mean a clipped face stays crisp for months.
• Slow growth is the feature. Two trims a year is enough for a formal hedge. A faster plant would mean more work, not less.
• Genuinely long lived. Box hedges outlast the gardens they were planted for. Structure you plant once.
• Frost hardy and undemanding. Comfortable with cold winters, poor soil and dry spells once the roots are down.
• Evergreen all year. The bones of the garden stay visible through winter, which is what a formal layout needs.

Where it works best

Formal hedging. Plant 30cm apart in a single row. At that spacing the hedge reads as one continuous face within two to three seasons and never shows gaps at the base.

Topiary and low borders. Balls, cones and standards all start with box, and held at 30cm to 40cm it defines a rose bed or a path.

Pots and small gardens. A clipped pair in matching pots at a doorway is the classic use, and box lives happily in a container for years.

Growing English Box in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the tightest growth, though in hot inland gardens afternoon shade stops the foliage bronzing. This is a plant for cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and it enjoys a cold winter. In humid tropical and subtropical gardens it struggles, so up north choose a hardier hedge.

Soil. Tolerant of poor soil, but drainage is not negotiable. On clay, raise the bed 200mm and work compost and gypsum through it. Mulch 50mm deep over the shallow roots.

Water and feed. Deep water twice a week through the first summer, then weekly in dry spells. Established plants tolerate drought, but feed in early spring and after the first trim for deep colour.

Pruning. Trim after the first flush in late spring and again in late summer, stopping before hard frosts. Cut the hedge narrower at the top than the base so light reaches the lower foliage.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown from tube through to 90L. Tube, 140mm and 200mm plants come in multipacks and are the value option for a long run, though box is slow: expect three to four seasons before a tube hedge looks established. The 250mm to 400mm sizes are the practical middle ground, and 500mm and 90L plants arrive dense enough to look finished this season.

One honest note: box foliage is toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so it is not the hedge for a yard with a dog that chews plants. Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the full hedging and screening range
• See our best hedging plants
• How to prepare a garden bed before planting
• Low maintenance plants to grow alongside it

Common questions

How far apart should I plant English Box?

Thirty centimetres apart in a single row for a formal clipped hedge. Planting tighter costs more without closing the hedge any sooner.

How fast does it grow?

Slowly, and deliberately so. Expect 100mm to 150mm a year in good conditions. Buy close to the height you want rather than expecting small plants to catch up.

Is English Box safe around pets?

No. The leaves and stems are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten. Most pets ignore it, but if yours grazes on shrubs, choose a different hedge rather than take the risk.