Plant ID card |
|
|---|---|
Botanical name |
Buxus sempervirens. |
Common name |
Boxwood, common boxwood. |
Family |
Buxaceae. |
Origin |
Europe, North Africa, Türkiye. |
Dimensions |
Boxwood can reach 5 m in height but generally measures between 50 cm and 2 m. |
Foliage |
It is for its very dense and evergreen foliage that boxwood is so prized by lovers of topiary art and beautiful hedges. It is made up of small leathery leaves that measure between 2 and 4 cm long. They are rounded, shiny and give off a characteristic odor. |
Bloom |
It is during the month of March that the foliage of the boxwood is adorned with small cream-colored flowers. They are grouped in glomeruli and are located in the leaf axils. |
Exposure |
If the boxwood prefers to be placed in the sun, it can easily adapt to a location in partial shade or even shade. |
Ground |
Boxwood thrives in all types of soil as long as it is neither too dry nor too humid. |
Rusticity |
-20°C. Boxwood does not fear frost. |
A symbol of eternity, the boxwood is a beautiful shrub that can live for several centuries as long as it is not targeted by the boxwood moth, a devastating caterpillar. It allows you to create magnificent hedges and topiaries.
Where to plant boxwood in your garden?
If boxwood is easy to live with, planting it in a location that optimally meets its needs is the best way to allow it to flourish in your garden.
Location:
undemanding in terms of location, the boxwood thrives in the sun as well as in partial shade, or even in the shade. Although boxwood is particularly recommended for making trimmed hedges and topiaries, it can also be planted in isolation. Planted in a pot, it will look great on a terrace;
Soil:
if boxwood tolerates all types of soil, even limestone, it particularly appreciates well-drained silico-clay soils.
What maintenance for boxwood?
Boxwood is a hardy, undemanding plant that requires little care to grow well. Here, however, are the right actions to adopt:
Watering:
if boxwood can withstand temporary episodes of drought, do not hesitate to generously mulch its base to help it stay cool. You can also water it in summer, making sure that the soil dries between two waterings since it does not tolerate stagnant water well;
Fertilizer:
to help the boxwood grow in ideal conditions, provide it with a complete fertilizer in spring. This will help make its foliage dense and very green;
Repotting:
boxwood does not need to be changed pot often but if it has dry branches, it is probably time to repot it.
Does boxwood grow quickly?
Boxwood is a shrub characterized by its very slow growth. This is why it is so appreciated by topiary art lovers.
When should boxwood be pruned?
It is necessary to prune boxwood regularly, at least twice a year, in spring and summer. Copyright (c) 2021 Radovan1/Shutterstock. No use without permission.
To allow it to keep a nice shape and density, it is necessary to prune the boxwood regularly, at least twice a year,
in spring and summer
. In fact, it is advisable to prune boxwoods as soon as the shoots measure around 5 cm, in particular to maintain the shape of the topiaries.
Also readVIDEO. Boxwood pruning: sculpt your boxwood to have beautiful hedges or original topiaries
Is boxwood toxic?
All parts of boxwood are
toxic
, both for humans and animals. Indeed, they contain alkaloids, substances with a paralyzing action which also cause digestive disorders at lower doses.
What are boxwood diseases?
Boxwood can be affected by
cryptogamic diseases
, especially when planted in poorly drained soil. The best known mushroom is
Cylindrocladium buxicola
. It destroys young shoots and causes spots to appear on the leaves.
However, the boxwood's worst enemy is the boxwood moth (
Diaphania perspectalis
), a nocturnal butterfly whose larvae nibble the leaves of the shrub. As the boxwood moth has no predators in France and is difficult to eradicate using natural products, it is preferable to observe your boxwood every week then remove any eggs by hand and caterpillars that nest there. If your boxwood is heavily attacked by the boxwood moth, it is best to uproot it and plant a species of shrubs resistant to this parasite instead.
Boxwood: a perfect shrub for creating superb topiaries!
Boxwood, thanks to its dense growth and ease of pruning, is ideal for creating topiaries in your garden.
Boxwood, thanks to its dense growth and ease of pruning, is ideal for creating topiaries in your garden. The forms it can take are numerous. Do for example:
Artistic sculptures:
complex and original shapes are possible with boxwood, such as animals, people or abstract objects;
Strict hedges and borders:
create dense, low hedges to obtain elegant borders, perfect for demarcating different spaces in your garden or paths;
More classic topiaries:
ball boxwood is trendy, as are conical shapes or pyramids;
Geometric patterns:
in a large garden, do not hesitate to create geometric patterns with boxwood, taking inspiration from “French” gardens, for example labyrinths or boxwood beds;
Pots and containers:
they are perfect for decorating your balcony or terrace, where they can be cut into mini-topiaries.