Japanese Box

Japanese Box (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) is what you plant for a hedge with a hard, clean edge that still looks right in ten years. Left alone it settles at about 1.5m tall and wide, but almost nobody lets it get there. Planted 30cm to 40cm apart and clipped twice a year it makes a low formal hedge, and the tiny closely set leaves mean the cut face reads as solid green, not a row of severed twigs.

Why you'll love it

• It takes a hard clip. Small leaves and short internodes let you shear a crisp line without leaving torn foliage on the surface.
• Slow growth means less work. Two trims a year hold a formal shape. Fast hedging plants want four or five, forever.
• A wide climate range. Frost hardy and heat tolerant, from subtropical gardens through warm and cool temperate districts to Mediterranean climates.
• Tough where formal hedges fail. Drought tolerant once established, content in poor soil, and comfortable with salt laden coastal air.
• As good in a pot as in the ground. Low borders, clipped balls, cones and matched pairs at an entry.

Where it works best

Low formal hedges and borders. Plant 30cm to 40cm apart in a single row. Use 30cm for a hedge held under 40cm, and 40cm where you want 60cm to 80cm.

Topiary and shaped plants. The dense habit keeps a ball, cube or cone legible between trims instead of blurring within a fortnight.

Mass planting and pots. Blocks and parterres give a garden its bones, and slow roots let box live for years in one container.

Growing Japanese Box in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun gives the densest growth and the sharpest edge. Part shade works, though the hedge stays more open. In hot inland gardens, afternoon shade protects the foliage through heatwaves. This is not a plant for the wet tropics.

Soil. Undemanding about fertility, firm about drainage. On heavy clay, raise the row into a low mound and work compost through the bed first. Mulch 50mm deep, kept off the stems.

Water and feed. Deep soak twice a week through the first summer, then taper back. Feed with a complete slow release fertiliser in early spring and again after each hard clip.

Pruning and pets. Trim after the spring flush and again in late summer, keeping the base slightly wider than the top so light reaches the bottom. Note that buxus foliage is toxic to cats, dogs and horses if eaten.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in nine sizes. Tube stock and 140mm packs of ten are the economical way to plant a long border, though a slow plant means two to three seasons before a tube run closes up. The 200mm packs of six and 250mm packs of three are the usual compromise, and 300mm to 500mm plants read as a hedge in the first season. The 400mm and 100L topiary arrive already shaped.

Plants travel upright in their pots and are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost. Expect little visible movement for a month, then steady growth. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• How to plant, space and clip a hedge
• Compare hedging and screening plants
• Choosing edging plants for a bed
• Plants that thrive in containers

Common questions

How far apart should I plant it?

Between 30cm and 40cm in a single row. Closer wastes plants, and wider leaves visible gaps for years given how slowly it grows.

How fast does it grow?

Roughly 100mm to 150mm a year. That is why a larger pot size is worth paying for on a hedge you want finished, and why the shape holds once you have it.

Will it go bronze in winter?

Some plants take a bronze cast in cold, exposed positions, particularly in cool temperate gardens. The colour returns in spring, and a feed in early autumn plus shelter reduces it.