Buxus sempervirens Care Guide and Tips
Read through our box plant care guide and learn everything you need to know on how to look after Buxus sempervirens.
Box plants (Buxus sempervirens) give structure, symmetry and harmony. They look great as a pair, grouped together or as a large specimen plant. It is a slow growing evergreen shrub and is considered to have medicinal properties.
Also called: Common box, European box, Abassian boxwood
Care tips
- Position: Sun, partial shade or shade. In full sun do not let soil dry out. Dry soil and full sun can cause leaf scorching.
- Watering: Water regularly during growing season. Do not allow soil to dry out completely. Do not overwater.
- Water less during winter, only make sure the root ball does not dry out.
- Hardiness: Fully hardy.
- Pruning: Prune into shape in late spring/summer. Well suited to be clipped into topiary shapes such as Buxus balls. Make sure all garden shears are clean to avoid the fungal disease Box blight (Cylindrocladium buxicola). Clean the shears in a bucket of diluted bleach and dip them again before moving on to the next plant. Remove flowers to encourage healthy and strong foliage.
- Soil: Well-drained. Fertile. Repot every two to three years.
- Feeding: During growing season top dress regularly with organic fertiliser or with slow release fertiliser granules. There is no need for plant feed during the winter period. Avoid high concentration of fast acting liquid fertiliser.
Box Tree Information
- Also called: Common box, European box, Abassian boxwood
- Foliage: Slow growing evergreen shrub. Small smooth leaves.
- Flowers: Small pale yellow in spring.
- Box is considered to have medicinal properties. Very hard wood that is excellent for turnery and wood engraving.
- Award of Garden Merit (AGM): This award indicates that the plant is recommended by The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
