Box Hedge

The finest finish of any hedge

No other hedging plant gives quite the same crisp, fine-textured finish. Box's small leaves and dense branching mean it can be cut very low and very tight without looking thin, which is why it has edged formal gardens, parterres and kitchen gardens for centuries.

Evergreen structure all year

Box keeps its leaves through winter, giving borders and paths a clean green outline when everything else has died back. It grows in full sun or shade, so it suits north-facing beds and shaded paths where many low hedges struggle.

Box compared with the closest alternatives

If Box has failed in your garden before, Euonymus Green Spire is the closest like-for-like replacement, and Box Leaf Honeysuckle is the quickest and cheapest. See all our Box hedge alternatives.

Yes, where you can keep an eye on it. Healthy, well-grown Box still makes a superb hedge, but two problems have become common in the UK and it is better to know about them before you buy.

Box blight

A fungal disease that causes brown patches and leaf drop, spreading in warm, humid weather. You can reduce the risk by planting with good airflow, watering the soil rather than the leaves, and trimming only in dry weather.

Box tree caterpillar

The green-and-black caterpillar of the box moth can strip a hedge in a few weeks between spring and autumn. Check inside the hedge regularly, especially from April, and act quickly if you see webbing or eaten leaves.

Our Box hedge problems, pests and diseases guide covers both in detail. If they are widespread in your area, choose an alternative instead.

Soil and position

Box grows on most soils, including chalk, as long as they drain freely. It does not like ground that stays waterlogged. It is happy in full sun or shade, though very dry, hot spots will stress it.

Planting

Plant bare-root Box between November and March when the ground is not frozen, and root-balled Box through autumn, winter and early spring. Dig a trench, set the plants at the same depth they were growing, firm in well and water through the first spring and summer.

Trimming

Give an established Box hedge its main trim in August, with a light touch-up earlier in summer if you want a very sharp finish. Young plants can be shortened by about a third in May to make them bushy. Trim in dry, mild weather. Our Box hedging care guide covers spacing, feeding and pruning in more detail.