How big do boxwood shrubs get?

How big do boxwoods get? Varieties range from 1 to 20 feet tall, 2 to 8 feet wide.

They can be kept short and are easily kept from overgrowing onto the walkway. When planting boxwoods along a walkway divide the mature width in half and plant the shrub that far from the edge of the walkway. Most smaller varieties can be kept as small as one foot to 2 feet wide.

The dwarf English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens “Suffruticosa”), an evergreen shrub, gets to around 3 feet tall. The small leaves are dark green on the top and light green on the underside. This shrub grows well in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones of 6 through 8 in sandy loam.

Common Boxwood Lifespan: 20-30 Years.

Aside from watering and mulching, growing boxwood is a low maintenance task, unless you wish to keep them as a sheared hedge. Shearing, or pruning of boxwood, is the most time-consuming part of boxwood care when they are grown as a hedge, but you will be rewarded with a healthy, long-lasting hedge.

American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) tends to be larger and grows faster than English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’).

Boxwoods suffer badly in winter because they’re native to areas where winters are very mild. … The primary symptom of winter burn is a discoloration of exposed areas of the plant, especially on the south side. Leaves may bleach to a tannish color, or they may necrotize and turn brown to black.

Place the plants 2 feet apart. Those dwarf varieties that should be 2 to 3 feet apart for a grouping or row of individual plants should be squeezed to more like 15 or 18 inches apart for a low hedge. Use a tape measure and string or spray paint to mark the line of your hedge.

A small, rounded evergreen shrub that forms tufts of growth resembling a cloud if left unpruned. The slow growing, dwarf form is ideal for edging and borders along pathways or around flower beds. Well-suited for topiary and containers. Considered to be the most resistant to the boxwood leaf miner.

Small-Leaved Boxwood The ‘Compacta’ cultivar, also sometimes called ‘Kingsville Dwarf,’ is the smallest boxwood variety. It grows very slowly, adding about 1/2 inch in height each year, and reaches a mature height of about a foot.

Boxwood is naturally a slow-growing shrub and generally add less than 12 inches per year. But the boxwood requires proper care to thrive as a vigorous shrub and grow at its expected rate.

All varieties of boxwood are evergreen and if you prefer a low-maintenance splash of green there is probably a boxwood cultivar that will meet your size requirements for a shrub. … Boxwood wintergreen grows 3 to 4 feet high with dark green leaves that hold their bold color all year.

How fast do boxwood grow? Overall, boxwood has a very slow growth rate that’s typically 6 inches or less per year. Boxwoods can be broken down into growth rates of slow, medium and fast — although keep in mind that even the fast growth rate of boxwood varieties is quite slow in comparison to other landscape shrubs.

Boxwood decline is a condition that causes weak growth, discoloring of leaves, and branch dieback in boxwood shrubs. This condition usually involves several factors, including poor planting conditions and improper cultural practices, as well as stem and root diseases.

The common boxwood reaches 8 to 20 feet tall, but is generally 6 to 8 feet tall at maturity. You can safely remove 2 to 3 feet of height at one time on taller specimens when the length doesn’t represent more than one-third of its height; if it does, make the cuts over several seasons.

The boxwood can be grown as a standalone plant, in groups or as a hedge. Furthermore, the boxwood has been used in containers, topiaries and for bonsai purposes. They can thrive in light shade as well as full sun.

Yes, boxwoods do have a scent; it’s caused when the sun heats the oil in their leaves. I particularly love the smell — it reminds me of happy hours spent in wonderful European gardens, surrounded by brilliant flowers, the hum of bees and the redolence of boxwood.

Boxwoods are generally easy-care shrubs that can be grown in either full sun or shade and are predominantly used for small to medium-sized hedges. Despite their ease of care, many insects thrive on boxwood bushes.

Place a potted boxwood on either side of the front door for a welcoming entrance display that takes far less effort to maintain than seasonal annuals. Plant the boxwoods in a well-drained potting mix and keep the soil moist but not too damp.

• 1. Box Honeysuckle (Lonicera Nitida) This plant is listed among the best boxwood alternatives with extremely similar leaf shape and size. …
• Hicks Yew (Taxus x media ‘Hicksii’) …
• Little Simon Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) …
• Teton Firethorn (Pyracantha ‘Teton’)

Evergreens such as boxwoods may lose moisture from their leaves in winter faster than their roots can replace it from frozen soil. They are especially vulnerable to drying out in freezing temperatures and cold winds. … It is generally not necessary to protect boxwoods with burlap except in certain circumstances.

Boxwoods can be trimmed at any time of year, but, for plant health, it’s best to avoid shearing in the late fall. … The best time to trim boxwoods to shape is during the first few years. This will encourage branching and new growth, which will result in denser growth and defined shape. But, don’t overdo it.

Use proper planting techniques to ensure boxwoods are not planted too deeply or covered at the base with mulch. Apply mulch around the shrubs in the fall to help insulated moisture throughout the winter. Apply lime to alkalize the soil around boxwood shrubs. Apply 1 inch of compost around the shrubs once a year.

Shrubs planted around a house are called foundation shrubs because they mask the foundation and soften the transition from the soil to the structure. Placing boxwood shrubs too close to your home can damage its structure and compromise the shrubs’ health. Also, don’t plant the shrubs near downspouts.

Boxwood roots are shallow and invasive. Because they compete vigorously with neighboring plants for the nutrition in the soil, do not plant ground cover plants nearby.

Most of the shrub’s roots will be in the top 12 inches of soil, but roots may extend out several times the width of the shrub. It may help to make downward cuts a foot deep into the soil about 18 inches from the main stem one year before you want to transplant them.

Boxwood plants are the quintessential hedge plants. They are evergreen, have small leaves, and tolerate heavy shearing and pruning. Boxwoods have a slow growth rate, have few pests and diseases, and are ignored by deer and rabbits.

Provide a two- to three-inch layer of mulch to keep roots cool and conserve soil moisture. Extend the layer of mulch at least one foot beyond the canopy of the plant. In fall and spring, rake away any fallen leaf material to control disease organisms and replenish mulch as needed to maintain good cover.

The boxwood’s growth rate is slow, gaining no more than 12 inches of new growth per year, but in some ways this makes it easier to train as a landscape plant. If left untended it will grow to a broad shrub or small tree formation and can reach heights of 5 to 15 feet and an equal spread.

Winter Injury Winter winds, frost and bright winter sun can cause foliage to yellow or turn a sickly shade of bronze or orange. This is especially common on Japanese boxwoods (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) during the winter and may also affect plants that are in an exposed location.

To maintain a compact, healthy boxwood, you need to remove the flush of new growth for the first couple seasons after planting—this encourages branch development. Use loppers for the thicker growth and hand-pruners for close-up trimming. Remember that when shaping, less is more.