Shrub
Common box
Buxus sempervirens
A dense evergreen shrub used for edging, hedges and clipped forms. It tolerates shade and pruning, but regular shaping and serious box pests or diseases can make it more demanding than it first appears.
- Size
- 4–8 m high · 4–8 m wideVaries by cultivar
- Light
- Full sun / Partial shade / Full shade
- Water
- Moderate
- Winter
- Hardy
- Seasonal form
- Evergreen
- Maintenance
- High
Before planting
- Choose the cultivar by mature size; the species is not naturally a tiny edging plant.
- Box tree caterpillar and box blight can require repeated monitoring and may justify choosing an alternative.
Why choose it
- Provides year-round structure and responds well to precise clipping.
- Performs in partial or full shade where many formal evergreen shrubs struggle.
Care
- Clip in summer and thin dense growth to improve light and air movement.
- Mulch the shallow root zone and water during prolonged dry weather.
- Inspect foliage regularly for caterpillars, webbing, dieback and leaf spots.