Evergreen Box

Evergreen Box (Buxus sempervirens) is the hedge you plant when you want a crisp line that still looks right in twenty years. Left alone it reaches about 3m tall and 2m wide, though almost nobody lets it: the small dense leaves take clipping better than any common hedge plant, which is why box has anchored formal gardens for centuries. It is slow, and that is the point.

Why you'll love it

• It clips to a razor edge. Fine leaves and tight branching give a trimmed face that reads as solid green, not cut stems.
• Slow growth means less work. One or two trims a year hold a low hedge in shape, against four for a fast hedging plant.
• Tough about conditions. Frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, wind tolerant and untroubled by poor soil.
• Excellent in pots. Clipped balls and cones in containers are the classic use, and they hold their shape for years.

Where it works best

Formal hedging and borders. Plant 30cm apart for a low formal hedge. That is closer than most hedges need, and it is what gives box its unbroken face. Above 1m, stretch spacing to 40cm.

Topiary and shaping. Balls, cones, spirals and standards all suit it. Start with a larger pot size, because shaping a tube into a ball takes years.

Pots and feature planting. A matched pair either side of a door never dates, and a 400mm pot holds one for a decade.

Growing Evergreen Box in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun to part shade. It belongs in cool temperate, warm temperate and Mediterranean gardens, and does well through the southern states and the tablelands. Humid subtropical and tropical gardens are harder on it, since warm wet summers encourage leaf problems.

Soil. Well drained and not too acidic. Box handles poor soils happily but resents waterlogging, so raise the bed on clay and work compost through the trench.

Water and feed. Water twice weekly through the first two summers, then only in dry spells. Feed a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring. Yellowing means hunger or wet roots.

Pruning. Trim in late spring after the first flush, and again in late summer. Avoid clipping in the heat of the day, which scorches cut leaves. Neglected box responds to hard renovation pruning, taking two or three seasons to refurnish.

What to expect when it arrives

We grow it across eight sizes, from tube stock through 140mm, 200mm, 250mm, 300mm, 400mm and 500mm pots up to 90L. Tubes and 140mm plants are the value option for a long run. The 250mm and 300mm sizes give a hedge you can shape in the first year, and the 400mm, 500mm and 90L plants arrive as established specimens.

Box is genuinely slow, adding roughly 10cm to 15cm a year, so a tube grown border takes three to four years to close while a 300mm planting closes in one or two. 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

• Read the full buxus care guide.
• Compare alternatives in our best hedging plants collection.
• Browse plants suited to topiary and shaping.
• See the wider hedging and screening range.

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Thirty centimetres apart for a low formal hedge, which creates the solid clipped face. Go to 40cm for a taller hedge, and 60cm for individual shaped plants.

How long until I have a hedge?

From tube stock, three to four years for a knee high border. From 250mm or 300mm plants, one to two. Buying a larger size is the only way to shorten the wait.

Is it safe around cats and dogs?

No. All parts of box are toxic to cats and dogs if eaten, so sweep up clippings after trimming and think twice if your dog chews plants.

Will it grow in a warm humid climate?

It can, but not at its best. Wet subtropical summers bring leaf problems, and a lilly pilly hedge gives a cleaner result for less effort.