Box - Buxus - Shrub

A classic hedging plant used for the most formal of formal hedges, also if you're feeling adventurous, it can be clipped into balls, pyramids. or whatever shape you like.

A dense, evergreen screen of small, rounded, lustrous, dark green leaves. Best with some degree of shade, they will grow in full sun, but this tends to give them a dull foliage color and scorching. The archetypal plant used as a backdrop to traditional herbaceous borders, knot gardens etc. Slow growing, so you'll have to have a lot of patience to get that perfect bright green hedge. 

Larger hedges are the species B. Sempervivens, smaller hedges are a variety B. sempervivens suffruticosa or Buxus microphylla - small-leaved box sometimes sold as Korean box, actually Buxus microphylla var. koreana

Height and spread: 5m x 5m (15ft x 15ft), suffruticosa / microphylla - very slow growing 1m x 1.5m (3ft x 5 ft)

Position: partial shade

Soil: fertile, well-drained soil

Rate of growth: slow-growing

Other features: contact with the sap may cause skin irritation

Hardiness: fully hardy

Garden care: Ensure that the soil or compost is never allowed to dry out. Carefully cut back plants grown as hedges or topiary in mid- or late summer. Carry out rejuvenate pruning in late spring. After pruning apply a top-dressing of a balanced slow-release fertilizer such as blood, fish and bone (organic) or Gromore (inorganic) around the base of the plant.

Planting distance when used for hedging

30cm, 12" - suffruticosa / microphylla

Cut whole plant back to 15-30cm, 6-12" of ground to renovate.  

Sometimes branches take root where they have touched the ground, these should be removed or they will spoil the shape of the plant, and can be planted elsewhere.