Boxwood Plant Care

Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) belongs to the Buxaceae family within the Buxus genus. Boxwood is native to Western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco, and east through the northern Mediterranean region to Turkey. Boxwood is also known as Common Boxwood, European Boxwood.

Boxwood displays a compact, dense growth habit, reaching up to 10 ft tall with a spread of approximately 10 ft. Boxwood produces non-showy, creamy yellow.

Leaf size: approximately 1 inches.

Water a young or newly planted Boxwood every 7–14 days, soaking the whole root zone, until it is established — usually one to two growing seasons. Established trees mainly need water during long dry spells. In a container, water whenever the top few centimetres of soil are dry.

Boxwood thrives in full sun.

Buxus sempervirens tolerates temperatures of 30–90°F. Boxwood prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.

Well-draining soil mix. Good drainage is essential for Boxwood to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.

Feed Boxwood every month during the growing season with a balanced, slow-release fertilizer at the rate on the label. Established trees in good soil often need little extra feeding, so let weak growth or pale foliage guide you.

Stop feeding by late summer so new growth can harden before winter.

The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.

Choose a spot with full sun and well-draining soil mix. Avoid low spots where water collects after rain.

Boxwood is suited to USDA Zone 5a – 8b.

Plant container-grown or balled-and-burlapped trees in spring or early autumn, setting the root flare at soil level, and water well after planting.

Boxwood can spread to about 10 ft (3 m) and reach about 10 ft (3 m) tall. Space plants about 10 ft (3 m) apart so mature crowns don't crowd each other, and plant at least half that distance from buildings, fences and paths.

Planning a row or hedge? Try the tree spacing calculator.

Prune Boxwood while it is dormant in late winter: first remove dead, damaged and crossing branches, then thin lightly for shape.

If it flowers in spring, prune right after flowering instead so you don't remove next year's buds. Never take off more than about a quarter of the tree in one year.

Boxwood is hardy down to USDA zone 5a, so once established it can stay outdoors through winter in that zone and warmer ones.

Water deeply in late autumn before the ground freezes, and spread a 5–8 cm (2–3 in) layer of mulch over the root zone, keeping it away from the trunk.

Young and container-grown trees need extra protection: roots in a pot freeze much more easily than roots in the ground.

Boxwood can be propagated through stem cuttings. Similar propagation techniques also apply to harland boxwood plant care, which shares the same genus.

See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.

Boxwood is susceptible to boxwood leafminer, boxwood mite, boxwood psyllid. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.

Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.

Boxwood grows outdoors in USDA Zone 5a – 8b. It survives winters down to planting zone 5a. Boxwood is native to Western and southern Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia, from southern England south to northern Morocco, and east through the northern Mediterranean region to Turkey.