Green All Winter With The Boxwood

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boxwood

To know how to get and keep boxwood in good health, a little natural history does not hurt. We often forget that this shrub has Mediterranean origins. It was the Romans who introduced it to Gaul, like the vine, during their conquests. Dry air and full sun are therefore familiar to him, and where the air is humid and the light too weak, boxwood will not be at its best (lack of vigor, sensitivity...).

A multiform shrub

In the wild, it is a very variable shrub, which has allowed the creation of a profusion of varieties selected for their port, their color, or their vigor. Often, these varieties, more refined than wild boxwood, require a little more care. Few efforts, however, are enough to obtain magnificent boxwood: they must be regularly inspected for signs of disease and pruned at the right time.

The boxwood? No! the boxwood...

There are hundreds of varieties of boxwood. And they are not alike at all, some taking themselves for giants, others for bonsais and others for columns. Make your choice among the best below!

varieties of boxwood

1 - Buxus microphylla 'Korean compacta'
Miniature reaching barely 30 cm high in 10 years. Very small leaves, dense and well-supplied. We can make a bonsai! Takes a bronze hue in winter.
The plus: do not get stuck.

2 - Buxus sempervirens 'Vardar Valley'
Compact and very branchy, wider than high, growing 5 cm per year. Blue reflections on the foliage, especially in the partial shade. Fear the wet soils. The plus: more resistant than the average to the borer.

3 - Buxus sempervirens 'West Ridgeway'
Another super dwarf, with rounded elongated leaves. The plus: it is distinguished by the brightness of its beautiful bright green shoots in spring.

4 - Buxus sempervirens 'Variegata'
Classic variety with leaves edged with white. Wear loose and supple, falling with the years. Illuminates a corner in the shade.
Plus: disease resistant.

5 - Buxus sempervirens 'Pinnacle'
Small shrub naturally taking the form of a sugar loaf. Dark green foliage and elongated. Plus: a great companion for spring flower bulbs.

6 - Buxus sempervirens 'Handsworthensis'
Port erect but somewhat broad, with well-ordered round leaves along the stems. It grows quickly and is very vigorous.
Plus: one of the best for low hedges.

7 - Buxus sempervirens 'Graham Blandy'
Our favorite! This box naturally forms a narrow column, thin and tall of more than 1.50 m. It only grows once a year, has thick and rather healthy foliage. Most: replaces the cypress of Provence pot in cold region.

8 - Buxus sinica 'Tide Hill'
Miniature box growing slightly, 2.5 to 5 cm per year. Its leaves are rather elongated and it keeps a spreading port, wider than high, well supplied at the base. The plus: can behave like a bonsai.

9 - Buxus sempervirens 'Myrtifolia'
It does not steal its name from boxwood with myrtle leaves, because its foliage is elongated and pointed, reminiscent of a real myrtle according to the branches.
Plus: ideal for medium hedges.

10 - Buxus sempervirens 'Aureovariegata'
Leaves irregularly variegated with yellow. Becomes tall (3 m and over), but not very colorful from a distance.
Plus: very vigorous variety.

11 - Buxus sempervirens 'Salicifolia Elata'
Nicknamed "boxwood willow" because of its drooping branches like those of a willow, in adulthood. He becomes tall with age. To plant in isolated.
Most: one of the most resistant boxwood.

12 - Buxus 'Fiesta'
Variety with loose port, small (less than 1 m in 10 years). It has very sharp leaves. The plus: its foliage is naturally dense thanks to multiple shoots during the year.

The actions to be known for a boxwood in good health

boxwood fertilizer

The vitality of the boxwood is based on only a few points: pay attention to the state of the roots and the choice of the moment of the size!

Strong roots

The clump of a box is usually dense and voluminous, the shrub having a very branched root hair. The soil must be nutritious, and contain a little clay. Boxwood hates stagnant moisture in the roots, so the soil must be well drained. These two conditions together, the underground part of this green iceberg will be robust.

A fine size

Pass shears or forces (the name given to shears that are held with one hand) often, as soon as the regrowth has reached a few centimeters. Operate in cool, wet weather, so that the cut leaves do not dry, which would be unsightly. This is valid only in the south. If your boxwood is in a place where the air circulates little (in a weakly luminous court for example), you should carve them in dry weather, to limit the risk of diseases.

boxwood size

Fertilizer, not too much

Boxwoods are greedy plants. In pots, you must feed them with an annual supply of fertilizer, especially since the size is an export of nutrients that must be offset by an external contribution. A complete fertilizer is necessary: ​​do not just bring in nitrogen, which would also encourage disease.

Did you know?

the fruit of boxwood


The boxwood forms fruits that resemble small rounded capsules, surmounted by three horns. Some varieties produce them spontaneously, others do not. This is not of course a disease but a completely natural process. Because boxwood is willing to reseed at the foot!

Signs to identify: watch the leaves

boxwood signs monitor

The boxwood is solid but undergoes some affections, some recent, like the attacks of the borer. Learn to spot them before acting.

The leaves fall

Too much moisture, especially after rainy seasons, and one of the pathogenic fungi of boxwood is unleashed, causing the leaves to fall. Take preventive action (see opposite) by spraying. Once cleared, the affected stems will not replenish. Cut flush and wait for regrowth.

Brown leaves (1)

Do not confuse the disease of the boxwood leaves with a caterpillar, the boxworm, appeared in France in 2008. In this case, the leaves turn brown before drying out and falling. Large caterpillars and cocoons are clearly visible. The stems shed by the caterpillars will gladly revive, with a helping hand (watering in dry weather and a lot of compost on the foot.

The yellow margin (2)

In winter or in summer, the edge of the leaves becomes ivory. This is a sign of stress, such as excess or lack of water, in varieties of Buxus microphylla. Water more often if the soil is dry or improve drainage if the soil is wet!

The orange leaves (3)

This is also a sign of stress, often due to lack of water. As long as the leaves do not fall, nothing is lost. Water quickly and they will become green again.

Did you know?

boxwood


The leaves "in spoons" form at the end of twigs on boxwood growing in a dry atmosphere. It is a deformation caused by tiny mites, phytoptes, benign for the shrub. No treatment is necessary. In wet weather, young leaves are normal.

The right gesture: Against mushrooms, use the gentle method

boxwood mushrooms

A simple small spray of wettable sulfur (the same as for fruit trees) is enough to protect boxwood against pathogenic fungi. Spray in dry weather and above 15° C. Against the borer (in curative, this time), spray Bacillus thuringiensis, the evening.

Alternatively: the false boxwood

Some plants do better than boxwood in some situations: try them and take advantage of them!

false boxwood

1 - Pittospore 'Little Gem' Pittosporum 'Little Gem'
This bush looks like boxwood to be mistaken. Of slow growth, it does not lend itself to the formation of topiaries, but balls very green and healthy. Like fresh soil.
The plus: it does not size!

2 - Holly of Japan Ilex crenata
Its small leaves produce the same effect as boxwood, especially the variety 'Dark Green'. It lends itself to all forms but grows slowly.
Plus: he is not afraid of any disease.

3 - Wired Phillyrea latifolia
Its leathery, shiny leaves are not afraid of intense sun or drought. The wired is ideal for forming round shapes of large size. Plus: its fragrant (but not very colorful) bloom.

4 - RosemaryRosmarinus officinalis
It is ideal for making low hedges in very dry areas, even where the soil is thin, lean and rocky! Two to three annual sizes are needed.
Plus: it blooms in winter and can be used in the kitchen.

Green All Winter With The Boxwood

FAQ - 💬

❓ Are wintergreen and Winter Gem Boxwood the same?

👉 What's the difference between Winter Gem and Wintergreen Boxwood shrubs? Winter Gem has a duller green leaf structure. The other biggest difference is tolerance of sun. Winter Gem prefers full to part sun where Wintergreen Boxwood shrubs do better in shade.

❓ What is the difference between boxwood and wintergreen boxwood?

👉 Growing in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 through 8, wintergreen is a low-maintenance plant, while Japanese boxwood, which grows in USDA zones 3 through 9 depending on the cultivar, can be a bit finicky plant to grow.

❓ Do boxwoods come back after freezing?

👉 While it looks awful to see those shiny boxwood leaves dying, winter damage is often less severe than it looks. Most boxwood shrubs can be refreshed after winter burn with judicial pruning.

❓ Which boxwoods stay green all year?

👉 Hybrid Boxwood Varieties All of these varieties grow to average size, about 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Green Gem's foliage turns bronze in winter. Green Mountain stays green all year long and grows upright, making it a nice cold-hardy topiary or accent shrub.

❓ Which type of boxwood is best?

👉 Best Boxwoods As Border Hedges

  • Buxus microphylla japonica 'Gregem'
  • Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'
  • Buxus x 'Green Mountain'
  • Buxus x 'Green Velvet'
  • Buxus sempervirens 'Aureo-variegata'
  • Buxus microphylla japonica 'Winter Gem'
  • Buxus microphylla 'Wintergreen'

❓ Does Wintergreen Boxwood stay green all year?

👉 The Boxwood Wintergreen offers dark green lustrous evergreen leaves and creates a striking hedge with year round color. This is a boxwood that will hold its green color beautifully all winter long. Tips for planting Wintergreen Boxwood Evergreen Shrubs.

❓ Which is better Japanese boxwood or Wintergreen Boxwood?

👉 Wintergreen boxwood is more cold hardy than the Japanese cultivar, and can be grown in Zones 4-9. Wintergreen is better at keeping its dark green color all winter, too. The flowers of wintergreen boxwood are yellowish green, but, like the Korean variety, inconspicuous and of little interest.

❓ What do you do with boxwoods in the winter?

👉 Boxwoods can be protected with burlap and twine or plastic wildlife netting. A small amount of snow can actually insulate the boxwoods from cold temps. Tying the shrubs together will help ensure that the larger amounts of snow will slide off of the shrub rather than crushing the branches.

❓ Will my boxwoods turn green again?

👉 The green color comes back fairly quickly when it starts warming up in the spring. There is really nothing that you can do to prevent this color change except planting it where your boxwood will eventually have a bit more shade. Don't spray an anti-desiccant, because that will not help to preserve the green color.

❓ What shrub stays green in winter?

👉 Shrubs that do not lose their leaves in the winter are called evergreens. Broad-leaved evergreens have broad, thin leaves; narrow-leaved evergreens have needles.

❓ What is the difference between winter gem and green beauty boxwood?

👉 Both have small rounded leaves, but Green Velvet has a more pale green leaf than the darker more shiny leafed Winter Gem, and the Green Velvet leaf has kind of a point on the tip. Green Velvet gets about 2' – 4' tall and wide whereas Winter Gem only gets about 2' – 3' tall and wide.

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Video: How to grow Winter Gem Boxwoods (Buxus) with a detailed description.

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