Shrub
Common box
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flowers | Flowers in March | Flowers in April | ||||||||||
| Plant | Plant in March | Plant in April | Plant in October | Plant in November | ||||||||
| Prune | Prune in June | Prune in August | ||||||||||
| Looks good | Looks good in January | Looks good in February | Looks good in March | Looks good in April | Looks good in May | Looks good in June | Looks good in July | Looks good in August | Looks good in September | Looks good in October | Looks good in November | Looks good in December |
Overview
Buxus sempervirens has tiny, dense, deep green leaves that take clipping better than almost any other shrub, which is why it has edged formal gardens and herb beds for centuries. 'Suffruticosa' is the slow dwarf form for knot gardens, and 'Elegantissima' has creamy-edged leaves. Insignificant spring flowers have a faint, sweet scent.
Where to grow common box
Box grows in sun or shade on most soils, including chalk, but dislikes waterlogging. Because pests and disease are now common, consider using it in pots or as individual specimens rather than long hedges, where one outbreak can spread along the whole row.
Planting
Plant bare-root or rootballed hedging in autumn or early spring, and container plants any time the soil is workable. Space dwarf edging about 15–20 cm apart and standard hedging about 30 cm apart. Water well until established.
Care through the year
Spring
Feed with a balanced fertiliser and mulch; start checking inside plants for caterpillar webbing.
Summer
Keep pots watered, as dry stress makes box bronze and weakens it.
Autumn
Rake out fallen leaves from under and around hedges to reduce blight spores.
Winter
Bronze or orange tints in cold weather are normal and fade in spring.
Pruning
Clip once in early summer after the risk of frost, and again in late summer if needed for crisp shapes. Choose a dry, overcast day so cuts heal quickly and the leaves do not scorch. Clean shears between plants to avoid spreading disease.
Propagation
Semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer root readily in a shaded cold frame. Only take cuttings from healthy, blight-free plants.
Common problems
Box blight causes brown leaf patches, black streaks on stems and bare areas; remove and bin affected growth and improve airflow. Box tree caterpillar, green-and-black larvae spinning webs, strips plants fast: pick them off, use pheromone traps to monitor moths, and encourage birds. Box sucker and box leaf miner are minor.
Guides to the problems most likely to affect common box:
Something else wrong? Diagnose it by symptom.
Month-by-month reminders
Jobs for this plant come round in March, April, June, August, October and November. Each month page lists everything else worth doing in the garden at the same time.
Related plants
Sources
Botanical names follow Kew's Plants of the World Online; growing attributes were checked against the references below. Text is our own. See our editorial policy.