Cultivation and characteristics of the boxwood shrub (Buxus sempervirens)

We have already talked about the pruning of several species of trees but today we bring you a bush that is well known to all. The Boxwood. A very famous shrub for its adaptation to diverse climates and soils, but above all because it has awakened in many gardeners the most sculptural of pruning. Plant a box, let it grow and discover your vegetable “Michelangelo”.

Grow a box and spark your creativity by pruning

As a beginning we must say that the boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is a shrub native to Europe that withstands the different climatic calamities that the continent offers, from rainy and cold England to Mediterranean latitudes. It is shrubby but free-form it can reach more than 10 meters, considering itself more arboreal.

Has a very very slow growth so it will take patience to make a good boxwood hedge. The advantage is that once formed and pruned, this slowness is excellent, for less maintenance. Another consequence of slow growth is a heavy, very hard and fine wood that cabinetmakers adore for pieces of complicated carving and not so complicated because many of the wooden kitchen utensils are made of this wood because of its fineness.

It has been used as garden hedge from Classical Greece and is one of the favorites to delimit private and public gardens due to its character evergreen or evergreen that allows the formed hedge to remain bushy all year round. It is the main reason along with its low maintenance for the slow growth mentioned above.

Conditions for a box tree to thrive in your garden

Weather

As we have advanced, it can be found in many places in Europe. Despite its adaptation to different climates, it prefers them cool winters and even supporting the cold with the occasional frost, especially if it is planted in the garden. Thanks to its foliage density and its numerous branching it is very wind resistant. Supports high doses of light although it prefers something more semi-shadow. If it is planted as a hedge it is very possible that there is no choice but to place it in full sun. There will be no problems in this regard as long as we have a little more attention to irrigation.

Land

It has a high tolerance to different soil conditions although it prefers slightly limestone or neutral and rich soils. What we should never miss as usual is a good drainage.

Irrigation

If it is in a pot or a planter, you will have to be more vigilant. If it is planted in a garden, in winter it should not be watered too much and in summer, increase the frequency a little more, allowing the land to dry between watering and watering.

The pruning of the box, its main virtue

The reason for its use in hedges is its great resistance to pruning of all kinds. Boxwood allows cuts at all levels and that is its great virtue to create from hedges to the most incredible figures. Does the term “topiary art” sound familiar to you?

It consists of shaping a hedge (boxwood for example) to create concrete figures, creating absolute plant sculptures or gardens with almost fractal geometries. Go ahead and prune your box!