buxus sempervirens

Description: Box in its familiar dwarfed state is merely a shrub, but when left to grow naturally it will become a small tree 12 to 15 feet in height, rarely exceeding 20 feet, with a trunk about 6 inches in diameter covered with a rugged, greyish bark, that of the branches being yellowish. It belongs to the family Buxacece, a very small family of only six genera and about thirty species, closely related to the Spurge family - Euphorbiaceae. Only this evergreen
species has been utilized in medicine.

Botanical Name: Buxus Sempervirens

Common Name: Common Box Family: N.O. Buxaceae

Height: 40cm to 50cm tall with equal spread,

Foliage: Box has opposite leaves, leathery. They are elliptical, 0.5" to 1" long half as wide. Leaves broadest below the middle with dark green above, lighter yellow green below. The foliage gives off a distinct fragrance/odor. The underside of leaves has a white line from apex to base

Flower: Blooms in April to May, with male and female flowers. The flowers are fragrant, but not showy which also attract bees

Growth Habits: Evergreen shrub, dense and multi-branched, most often develops a gumdrop shaped form

Prune: Clip the plant to keep the shape. This should be done before there is too much growth as it will be harder to reshape the plant.Clipping should be done in the growing season, from May and no later than the end of August.

Watering Needs: Water regularly at least twice a week in dry times.

Feeding: Feed the plant every two weeks during the summer, a liquid feed is a good idea but buy one that does not encourage flowering. If you see the small pale yellow flowers in the early spring remove them from the plant by nipping them out. If the plant flowers too much it takes the nutrients from the leaves.

Treatment: Treat the plant for vine weevil the last week in June or the first week in July. You can use a brand name solution from your local garden centre for this. Ensure it is one which you mix with water and pour into the planter to saturate the root system Treat the plant for red spider mite, box is susceptible to this and needs spraying in mid May to prevent infestation over dry summer months. Again use a mix with water and spray onto the leaves of the plant. The plant will need re-spraying about 10 days after the first spray. You can buy the brand name for this from your local garden centre. If you see small white to cream scratch marks on the leaves of your plant spray for spider mite again. The spider mite eats its way around the leaf by following the vein lines.

Planters: Box is a very forgiving plant and does well in most situations. It can get tired if left in planters for too long, and we suggest that if it is looking yellow/orange then it would be advisable to increase the size of the planter, or to root trim the plant. Root trimming should be done in the dormant season, not in the height of the summer months. To root trim remove the plant from the planter and cut around the outer fringes of the root to make the rootball smaller, then replant with some fresh compost and food. Finally, if the plant is in full sunlight in a planter, turn the whole thing around once a fortnight to prevent the root system from scorching.