🟩 Boxwood
Buxus sempervirens
The shrub equivalent of a perfectly tailored suit.
Sun
Partial shade to full sun
Days to harvest
N/A — ornamental; slow-growing
Spacing
2–3 ft for hedges
Soil pH
6.5–7.5
How to grow
Plant in well-drained soil with the top of the root ball slightly above grade — boxwoods suffocate in wet soil. They're the marathon runners of the shrub world: slow, steady, and built to last decades. Mulch lightly and avoid piling it against stems. Florida gardeners should pick heat-tolerant varieties and give afternoon shade.
Water & feeding
Regular water the first year; established plants are fairly drought tolerant. Winter watering matters in cold zones where frozen ground plus wind desiccates the foliage.
Common problems
- Boxwood blight (a serious fungal disease — buy resistant varieties, avoid overhead watering)
- Box tree moth caterpillars (defoliate fast; handpick or use Bt)
- Winter burn in exposed northern sites
- Root rot in poorly drained soil
Harvest
No fruit — shear in late spring after new growth hardens off. Thin the interior occasionally so light and air reach the center; a hollow boxwood is a sad boxwood.
Nerdy fact: Boxwood is so dense it sinks in water, and it was once the wood of choice for rulers, chess pieces, and engraving blocks. Your hedge is made of the same stuff as museum artifacts — no pressure on the pruning.