With centuries of use, boxwoods are exceedingly versatile within the panorama. Just like the little black costume of a girl’s wardrobe, these shrubs appear to go along with every part and are all the time acceptable. They type tidy hedges and create clear borders in opposition to taller, looser vegetation. Or, they stand alone as anchoring evergreens, with dense, little-leaved foliage in good-looking darkish, shiny inexperienced. Boxwoods are low-maintenance and take shaping effectively.
So, what’s to not love about these elegant shrubs? Not a lot, besides that options might profit areas with boxwood blight. Or possibly your solar and moisture circumstances aren’t a match. Boxwoods will also be pricey to plant in giant numbers. And, various hedges and evergreen specimens add curiosity to the show.
Right here, we’ll discover easy-care options to enrich current boxwoods or alter the aesthetic. Whether or not planting borders or single specimens, these species fill the function of enticing evergreen.
Field-Leaved Holly
Field-leaved holly, additionally known as Japanese holly, resembles a boxwood in its foliage and type. Its small, darkish inexperienced, lustrous leaves develop on dense vegetation with inflexible stems. Compact vegetation have an upright, rounded behavior.
Essentially the most generally grown Japanese hollies are cultivars starting from slim and upright (‘Sky Pencil’) to tall and broad (‘Convexa’). ‘Helleri’ is a well-liked selection that reaches 4 ft tall and broad.
‘Delicate Contact’ mounds have dense foliage and attain three ft tall. Leaves are tender, and stems aren’t spiky for a mushy feel and appear. ‘Golden Gem’ has vibrant gold and inexperienced leaves and reaches solely two ft tall.
These shrubby hollies take shearing and shaping effectively. As soon as established, they’re considerably drought-tolerant. Nevertheless, they can not face up to excessive warmth and humidity above zone 8 and recognize safety from drying winter winds in decrease zones.
Dwarf Yaupon Holly
In hotter zones, dwarf cultivars of the U.S. native species are prime boxwood options or look-alikes. They function slim, rounded, darkish inexperienced leaves that emerge lighter. Crops are slow-growing and low-maintenance. They take mild trimming and shaping to retain their balled form.
Dwarf yaupon varieties embody ‘Nana,’ which grows three to 5 ft tall and three to 6 ft broad. ‘Schillings Dwarf’ grows barely bigger and has tinges of pink on new progress.
These powerful hollies are salt-tolerant, adapt to numerous soil sorts, and face up to moist or dry circumstances with good drainage. Their inconspicuous white flowers in spring attraction to pollinators.
Coprosma
Coprosma, or mirror bush, produces foliage forged in numerous hues. The colourful, high-gloss leaves pack dense, compact branches.
Coprosma thrives in heat circumstances and is drought, wind, and salt-tolerant. It makes wonderful container vegetation that overwinter indoors.
Coprosma provides the evergreen border darkish inexperienced, vibrant gold, or plum colour. Search for ‘Waxwing’ for a variegated leaf in a number of inexperienced, gold, and pink varieties. ‘Plum Hussey’ shines in deep purple.
Distylium
Distylium bears enticing blue-green leaves held upright on scaffolding stems. Whereas dense with ample foliage, the lengthy, barely arching stems give a swish look. New progress emerges in copper, pink, and purple, relying on the variability.
‘Cinnamon Woman’ is a low-grower perfect for the border. Crops attain two to a few ft tall and unfold 4 to 6 ft. New progress is purple-red on swirling branches. ‘Cinnamon Woman’ is among the many extra cold-tolerant cultivars, with hardiness to zone 6 (most are hardy to zone 7). For much less unfold, search for ‘Bayou Bliss.’
‘Classic Jade’ is without doubt one of the best-known and most compact varieties. Rising three ft tall and 4 ft broad, it’s perfect as a basis planting. ‘Linebacker’ is exclusive as a tall, upright choice that reaches 8-10 ft.
These architectural vegetation are pest-free and develop in coastal and high-heat circumstances. Inconspicuous pink blooms dot stems in late winter and early spring. Distylium is a flexible, no-fuss evergreen in heat climates.
Inkberry Holly
Inkberry hollies are North American natives with lustrous foliage on twiggy, woody stems. They make nice boxwood options within the panorama. Their indigo-black fruits set within the fall and persist into winter.
‘Shamrock’ has vibrant inexperienced new progress amongst its blue-green leaves and reaches 5 ft tall and broad. For prolific berries, the feminine vegetation want a male counterpart for pollination.
‘Gembox’ is a jewel with dense, wonderful leaves and pink suggestions within the spring. The petite growers are two to a few ft tall and broad. ‘Strongbox’ has barely bigger leaves however the identical sturdy progress and rounded behavior as ‘Gembox.’ Each retain their type with out pruning.
The minute flowers and pea-sized fruits are a priceless meals supply for pollinators and wildlife. The natives are hosts to butterflies and specialised bees.
Spreading Plum Yew
Japanese plum yew brings excessive texture with needled foliage on stiffly upright vegetation. Low-growing cultivars like ‘Prostrata’ function enticing, loosely spreading branches. Yews develop slowly with neat types that provide foliar distinction.
‘Duke Gardens’ is one other dwarf choice with a vase form and compact behavior. It spreads and piles densely. Shiny inexperienced foliage punctuates the ends of stems. Crops thrive in sizzling, humid summers and are good yew choices for southern climates, although they require some shade. They’ll attain two to 4 ft tall and broad.
Spreading plum yew wants constant moisture to ascertain sturdy root techniques. As soon as established, it’s tolerant of durations of drought.
Camellia
Camellias are beautiful evergreen shrubs that bloom in fall, winter, and early spring, relying on the species. They lend a lush look to the panorama year-round, and the placing winter blooms are a pleasure when little else is blooming.
Camellia sasanqua blooms all through the autumn and winter with daring colours contrasting shiny, evergreen leaves. Camellia japonica, one other species much like C. sasanqua, blooms in late winter/early spring with giant, ruffly flowers.
Camellias develop greatest within the American South. Search for low-growing varieties to face in for boxwoods. ‘Shi-Shi Gashira’ bears showy, deep pink blooms on 4 to five-foot frames. Crops have a bushy, spreading behavior. ‘October Magic White Shi-Shi’ is three to 4 ft tall and is identical type. Pure white, formal double blooms exude easy class.
Daphne
Flowering daphnes are deliciously-scented shrubs with showy flowers in enticing evergreen, semi-evergreen, or deciduous types. They’re a extra aromatic various to boxwoods, including year-round curiosity. Some daphne varieties bloom in winter by way of spring, whereas others flower closely in spring and frivolously repeat bloom by way of fall.
Daphne odora is an evergreen species with all-season curiosity. Even when not in flower or fruit, daphne delights with flowery fragrance unparalleled within the winter backyard. ‘Aureomarginata’ has pretty foliage in minty blue-green with creamy margins.
Plant daphne in moist, very well-drained soils. It will possibly dry out between waterings and is considerably salt tolerant. The aromatic shrub does effectively as a container plant, in a woodland setting, and as a basis plant. Roots are sluggish to ascertain and don’t wish to be disturbed as soon as planted.
Loropetalum
Loropetalum, or Chinese language fringe flower, has enticing rounded leaves in deep purple or inexperienced. A member of the witch hazel household, loropetalum options clusters of strappy, fringe-like blooms in magenta, pink, or white within the spring.
Dwarf cultivars like ‘Purple Pixie,’ ‘Purple Diamond,’ and ‘Purple Daydream’ have purple foliage with pink blooms on low-growing, mounding habits. ‘Emerald Snow’ is a dwarf grower with inexperienced leaves and white flowers.
Dwarf False Cypress
The draw of the false cypress is its thread-like, feathery foliage on a unfastened, overtly pyramidal behavior. Whereas bushes develop slowly to achieve nice heights within the wild, most are compact choices in as we speak’s gardens. The distinctive texture of its mounding types contrasts with broadleaf evergreens, including higher curiosity with its glaucous, vibrant, or brassy colorations.
‘Filifera Nana’ reaches simply 5 ft tall in ten years with a dense, compact mound of fan leaves. The foliage is blue-green with whiter undersides. ‘White Pygmy’ builds on the look with suggestions of white on wonderful threads.
‘Sungold’ is a dwarf, mounding type with gold-tipped threaded foliage. ‘Classic Gold’ has deep orangey-gold tones for a vibrant, burnished look.
Crops are drought-tolerant and develop effectively in variable conditions like rock gardens. They preserve their type and infrequently want pruning or shaping.
Oregon Grape
Oregon grape has textural evergreen leaves which can be holly-like (broad and serrated) or feathery, the proper various to blight-prone boxwoods. It has excessive winter curiosity with vibrant yellow bloom spikes adopted by darkish berries.
The Oregon grape holly is native to the Pacific Northwest. Leathery leaves have coppery new progress in spring. Deep inexperienced mature foliage turns burgundy within the fall. These natives slowly attain three to 6 ft tall. They’re nice native vegetation for gardeners in higher western areas of North America.
Pieris
Pieris has distinctive flowers that hold gracefully from whorled, leafy stems. The flower buds develop in late summer time and droop like beads by way of winter. In late winter and early spring, the beads open to delicate bell blossoms that resemble lily-of-the-valley.
New progress on pieris is bronze and pink, and established leaves are deep, shiny inexperienced. The slim, pointed eaves seem in bushy rosettes alongside the stems.
Pieris thrives in acidic, well-drained soils suited to companion vegetation like azalea and camellia, which share the identical necessities. Prune pieris as blooms fade to advertise setting buds for the next season.
Podocarpus
Podocarpus, or shrubby yew, is a big conifer. It has lengthy, mushy, pointed leaves that whorl round stems.
Whereas the straight species is giant, cultivars like ‘Maki’ are mid-sized with upright branching and narrowly pyramidal types. ‘Pringles’ is extra dwarf at simply three to 5 ft tall.
Podocarpus is a hard-working plant with low-maintenance wants. It tolerates coastal circumstances and wind publicity. Effectively-draining soils are important for plant well being. Prune podocarpus to manage measurement and form.
Dwarf Olive Tree
Olive bushes boast a beautiful type of evergreen leaves with a swish behavior. Slender, deep inexperienced leaves have a silvery underside. Tiny white blooms cowl the bushes in late spring and change into ripened olive fruit from October by way of December.
A chic plant with a wealthy cultural historical past, the evergreen olive tree makes a long-lasting show. For a smaller and extra shrub-like choice, search for dwarf European olive varieties like ‘Little Ollie.’
When you reside within the extra arid areas of California, keep away from planting this shrub as it’s classed as an invasive species. Fortunately there are lots of choices on this checklist which can be good options.
Sweetbox
Aromatic sweetbox, S. confusa, boasts shiny, darkish inexperienced foliage and a compact behavior. It produces small, white blooms in March and April. Whereas not particularly showy, the blossoms create a vanilla fragrance that drifts by way of the late winter backyard.
For areas with chilly winters, take into account the hardier species S. hookeriana. Accessible in dwarf varieties, this sweetbox is hardy to zone 6 and is drought-tolerant as soon as established.
Sadly, for those who reside in an space with boxwood blight, sweetbox is not an acceptable various. It shares the Buxaceae household and might harbor the identical illness.
Small Viburnum
Viburnum is a flexible shrub with flowers and fruits for heightened curiosity and wildlife worth. The vigorous growers make perfect basis and panorama specimens.
Small viburnum (Viburnum obovatum ‘Mrs. Schiller’s Delight’) is native to the Southeastern U.S. Its twiggy stems type a dense, mounding type. In spring, domed clusters of dainty white blossoms seem, adopted by indigo-black fruits within the fall. The foliage is purple and inexperienced within the fall.
‘Raulston Hardy,’ and ‘Reifler’s Dwarf’ are wonderful cultivars. As soon as established, they tolerate numerous soil circumstances, together with moist and dry.
Abelia
Abelia has the benefit of shiny evergreen foliage and delicate blooms that entice pollinators. Small, pointed leaves line woody stems. Dainty tubular pink or white flowers cluster on the guidelines of stems from summer time till frost.
Three-foot tall ‘Miss Lemon’ options fairly sprays of creamy yellow foliage with inexperienced facilities. A profusion of mild pink flowers is long-lasting. The dwarf ‘Kaleidoscope’ brings color-shifting foliage from inexperienced and golden yellow in spring to red-orange in fall.
Abelia is illness, pest, and deer-resistant. The powerful shrubs face up to warmth, humidity, and dry circumstances.
Gardenia
Gardenia’s signature candy perfume exudes from white blossoms that pop in opposition to darkish inexperienced, shiny leaves. As they age, the flowers fade to creamy white or yellow.
Finest fitted to gardens within the American South, gardenias develop effectively in containers in colder climates. Convey them indoors to overwinter, attempting a spot close to a vibrant window. Gardenias are finicky if circumstances aren’t fairly proper, particularly inside, so transfer the plant outside as temperatures heat.
Gardenias, in numerous sizes and flower types, usually bloom in late spring and early summer time (year-round in heat climates). They thrive in acidic, well-drained, constantly moist soils.
Dwarf Azalea
Dwarf azaleas make beautiful specimens in woodland, basis, and shaded border plantings. A profusion of spring blooms brings colour and perfume to the backyard. Some varieties boast repeat flowering by way of fall. Relying on the variability, azalea blooms vary from white, pink, and purple to apricot, orange, and pink. Giant trumpet flowers entice hummingbirds, bees, and butterflies.
R. tsutsusi is a dwarf evergreen azalea that grows lower than two ft tall. With year-round foliage, the choices stand out when showy flowers cowl the mounding shrubs within the spring.
‘Autumn Chiffon’ is a part of the EncoreⓇ reblooming collection of azalea. Crops attain three ft and bear ruffles of pale pink blossoms with darker pink speckles.
‘Gumpo’ azaleas are a part of the Satsuki group, blooming later than different varieties in late spring and early summer time. True gumpos are white with three-inch frilled flowers on two-foot vegetation.
Azaleas take advantage of important influence in groupings or mass plantings. Present wealthy, well-drained, evenly moist soils for greatest flowering and vigor.
Dwarf Hinoki Cypress
Chamaecyparis ‘Nana’ has flat, fan-shaped leaves on loosely globed vegetation. Horizontal branches type a flat-topped, twisting ball.
‘Nana’ is extraordinarily slow-growing. ‘Nana Gracilis’ is a shrub-version of a columnar tree type of the species. It reaches three ft in its first ten years and will develop to 6 ft.
These specimens want organically wealthy, moist, well-draining soils. Shield them from sturdy winds.
Globe Arborvitae
Cultivars of this Jap U.S. native species boast tightly packed, flat sprays of foliage on very rounded types. ‘Golden Globe’ has thick, mushy yellow leaves and reaches two to 4 ft. Lengthy-lived within the panorama, vegetation develop slowly and have a rounded, globe form.
‘Golden Globe’ and ‘Tater Tot,’ whose names additionally mirror their form, high out at simply two ft. They want little, if any, pruning. These dwarfs convey a number of foliage amid small types. ‘Anne’s Magic Ball’ is even smaller, simply 10-15 inches tall and broad. Foliage is chartreuse gold for a literal pop of colour.
Globe arborvitae is straightforward to develop. It wants well-draining soils for carefree progress and does greatest with common moisture.