January Shrub of the Month-Boxwood
I once met someone who said she hated “Shrubs.”. Turns out she just hated boxwoods, Buxus spp.. I’ve met quite a few boxwood haters over the years, and it seems that most people, be they plant-geeks or not, either love them or hate, hate, HATE them. Why? The argument is they are boring, over-used, and, well, sometimes smell like cat urine. They are high-maintenance, requiring regular trimming, or worse, are trimmed into … TOPIARY-the 6th level of hell for non-plant geeks, who fear pruners and hedge trimmers more than grizzlies, taxes, or losing their smart phones.
However, if you step back, take a breath, and count to ten, instead of a dull, overused green blob, you’ll see a true workhorse in the garden that’s been used for centuries. Can you picture an English Garden without boxwoods? How about a French parterre? What would Leven’s Hall do without its topiary garden? Levens Hall :: Home
Boxwood is one of the most used ornamental plants in history, dating back to the Ancient Egyptians, who trimmed boxwoods into hedges and topiaries in 4000 BC. The easily carved wood has been used for musical instruments or boxes (hence the common name.), and everything from bark to leaves has been used for medicinal or cosmetic benefits worldwide.
On that note, I should disclose here that I am a boxwood LOVER. That’s right, those boring green blobs with no showy flowers make me happy. How could I love such a high-maintenance, boring plant? Well, over the years in the landscape industry, I’ve learned a thing or two about the different species and cultivars of boxwoods.
The high-maintenance aspect can be blamed on platinum-level plant-geeks who love boxwood for, yes, topiary, the OCD neighbor who MUST have either perfectly square or round shrubbery and the big-box stores that sell boxwoods by the truckload to house flippers wanting to note ‘new landscaping’ on their project’s description.
Boxwood aficionados know the difference between the different boxwood species and the unique cultivars and match them to what purpose they want the boxwood for. Think dog breeds-you probably wouldn’t expect a Yorkshire terrier to do the same tasks as a Doberman or Greyhound. It’s the same with plants, and especially with cultivars of plants. With heights ranging from 18″ to 8′, you need to really double check your cultivar names and RESEARCH before you purchase.
The three most common boxwood species in the US are the common or English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), Japanese boxwood (B. microphylla var. japonica), and Korean boxwood (B. sinica var. insularis).
Japanese boxwood (B. microphylla var. japonica) is the type of boxwood that you see in many commercial plantings, new home construction, and rehab projects since builders or landscapers can get them for a song at big box stores in bulk for “instant curb appeal” year-round. They grow in leaps and bounds and, if left untrimmed, become the shaggy poster child for boxwood haters.
The common or English boxwood (B. sempervirens) has dense foliage and grows taller rather than wider. However, it is not as cold hardy and is prone to developing fungal diseases. The unpleasant smell attributed to boxwoods is mostly associated with this species.
And then we have the Koren boxwood, B. sinica var. insularis. The Korean boxwoods offer the best cold hardiness and lower maintenance, minus the unpleasant scent. They have a fine, beautiful texture and are slow growers, so they don’t require as much maintenance to keep size or shape in check. They are great for bonsai, containers, or low hedges like in a knot garden or parterre.
Under these main species are 3 zillion cultivars that vary in size, habit, shape, color, etc. Some cultivars are hybrids between species with one or more traits from each parent. (Back to that dog breed comparison: Labradoodle=poodle and Labrador retriever mix!) Once again, RESEARCH before you buy. Always use the plant’s full botanical name to look up your info.
Overall, most boxwoods will grow in sun or shade, but will be fuller and happier in sun, more open in shade. Shallow roots benefit from a good, organic mulch. Trimming by hand is best, but if you must shear with hedge trimmers, don’t wait too late in the season or the new growth will be susceptible to winter burn. I like to trim around Memorial Say Weekend after the first flush in spring has slowed down. Any drastic trimming after August is risky.
But wait, just when you think boxwood isn’t so bad and it’s safe to put in that topiary garden this spring, there’s something you should know…something wicked this way comes, and it’s called boxwood blight. The Blight has been rampant in Europe since the 1990s. It crossed the pond about 10 years ago, causing nightmares for boxwood lovers and botanical gardens here in the States. But there is hope in the form of some new hybrids that are resistant to not only the Blight but also leaf miner, another pest boxwood is prone to.
The Better Boxwood Series was developed by the Belgian plant breeder Didier Herman of Herplant BV. After selecting 200 species and cultivars for testing and cross-breeding, the results were four varieties that range in size from 1-2’ with RENAISSANCE to up to 8’ with SKYLIGHT. The NewGen boxwood series stems (pun totally intended!) from the Saunders Brothers collaboration with Kelly Ivors at North Carolina State University with similar trials resulting in NewGen FREEDOM, INDEPENDENCE, and LIBERTY BELLE that range from 1.5’ to 5’ in height.
These new disease-resistant hybrids have just become available, and as soon as this boxwood lover nabs a few, I will certainly offer more details on their performance in our area.
As to existing cultivars and resistance, according to NC State University, B. sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ cultivar of t had the worst resistance to the blight, while B. microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’ had good resistance. (Thanks to Claire Weiss of St. Louis Boxwood for the great information below! About Us | STL Boxwood
What I like about this plant;
-Long history in gardens for ornamental, medicinal, and cosmetic uses.
-Evergreen color to help hide unsightly foundations, AC units, and nosy neighbors.
-Great background plant for other showy perennials or shrubs.
-Easily trimmed into any desired shape, from hedges to Mickey Mouse.
-Great habit variety for design purposes.
-Can be low-maintenance.
-Deer resistant.
What’s not so great;
-Can be high maintenance, depending on the species.
-Can have an unpleasant odor depending on the species.
-Foliage can turn a bronze color in harsh winters.
-Suspectable to winter burn, especially if trimmed too late in the season.
-Is not resistant to dog urine. Pick your placement carefully.
-Prone to other pests and diseases like leaf minor, mites, moths, fungal diseases, and root rot in poorly drained soils.
-Boxwood Blight! Try the newly developed series like NewGen or Better Boxwood.
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Words and photos by Jo Batzer
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