With so many varieties to choose from when selecting a box hedge to plant, the choice can be difficult. At Hello Hello Plants we have years of experience in garden design, and have helped thousands of people grow a superb box hedge.
There are many key factors to consider when choosing the right box such as flowers or no flowers, height and width, foliage size and colour and shape! It can all get a bit much!
Below we have collated two comparison charts to help you choose the right box hedge for your garden. You not only have the traditional varieties to choose from but a few, more colourful and interesting plants that are just as suitable as a box hedge.
Traditional Box Hedging
These varieties are the tried and truely traditional box hedging varieties.
Their small, green foliage with a tight compact habit make them the preferred choice for traditional and English garden hedging.
English Box is above all the most favoured of the box hedging plants as it is the traditional choice in many European and English parterre and formal gardens. It has a slower growth than others and is quite hardy, making it very easy to maintain. However, there are many other new and old varieties on the market with subtle and bold differences. Check out our comparison chart below to find the right one for you!
| Low Maintenance | Full Shade | Full Sun | Fast Growing | Soggy Soil | Coastal Soils | Drought Tolerant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| English Box | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | – | – | – |
| Box Leaf Privet | – | – | [x] | [x] | [x] | – | – |
| Box Oz | – | – | [x] | [x] | – | – | – |
| Dutch Box | – | [x] | – | – | – | – | – |
| Japanese Box | – | – | [x] | – | – | [x] | [x] |
| Korean Box | [x] | – | – | – | – | [x] | [x] |
| Tom Thumb | [x] | – | [x] | – | – | [x] | – |
| Green Rocket | [x] | [x] | [x] | – | – | [x] | [x] |
Height and Growth Rate guide
Box hedge height (approximate) – Shortest to tallest growing (In Melbourne, Victoria)
40-50 cm: ‘Tom Thumb’- Euonymus japonicus microphyllus
50-60 cm: ‘Dutch Box’ – Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa
50-60 cm: ‘Korean Box’ – Buxus microphylla microphylla
1 m: ‘Variegated English Box’ – Buxus sempervirens variegata
1 m:‘Japanese Box’ – Buxus microphylla japonica
1.2 m: ‘Green Rocket’ or ‘Evergreen Spindle’ – Euonymus japonicus
1.2 m: ‘BoxOz’ – Lonicera Nitida
1.5 m: ‘Shaggy Box’ – Buxus bodinieri
1.5 m: ‘English Box’ – Buxus sempervirens
1.5 m: ‘Faulkner Box’ – Buxus microphylla faulkner
2 m: ‘Box Leaf Privet’ – Ligustrum undulatum
Box hedge rate of growth – slowest to fastest (In Melbourne, Victoria)
Very slow: ‘Shaggy Box’ – Buxus bodinieri
Slow: ‘English Box’ – Buxus sempervirens
Slow: ‘Variegated English Box’ – Buxus sempervirens variegata
Slow: ‘Green Rocket’ or ‘Evergreen Spindle’ – Euonymus japonicus
Slow : ‘Dutch Box’ – Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa
Medium: ‘Faulkner box’ – Buxus microphylla faulkner
Medium: ‘Korean Box’ – Buxus microphylla microphylla
Medium: ‘Japanese Box’ – Buxus microphylla japonica
Fast: ‘Tom Thumb’- Euonymus japonicus microphyllus
Fast: ‘BoxOz’ – Lonicera Nitida
Fast: ‘Box Leaf Privet’ – Ligustrum undulatum
Flowering & Colourful Foliage Box Hedging
Not all box hedges have to have no flowers or even be green!
In fact you can achieve that very same, neat and tidy look of a box hedge with many other species of plant. Below we have selected some suitably colourful varieties that are ideal for a box hedge with an edge.
| Low Maintenance | Full Shade | Full Sun | Fast Growing | Soggy Soil | Coastal Soils | Drought Tolerant | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coprosma | – | – | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Murraya | – | – | [x] | [x] | – | – | – |
| Westringia ‘Grey Box’ | [x] | – | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
| Correa ‘Alba’ | – | – | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
| Dwarf Abelia | – | – | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
| Escallonia ‘Pink Pixie’ | [x] | – | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
| White Cuphea | [x] | – | [x] | – | – | [x] | – |
| Rosemary | [x] | – | [x] | – | – | [x] | [x] |
| Lavender | [x] | – | [x] | – | – | [x] | [x] |
| Dwarf Nandina | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
| Indian Hawthorn | – | [x] | [x] | – | – | [x] | [x] |
| Diosma | – | – | [x] | [x] | – | [x] | [x] |
More Box Hedge Advice
If you would like more advice on choosing the right Box Hedge for your garden, simply contact us! You can also bring some photos of your garden with you to our Campbellfield Nursery and Chris or one of the experienced nursery staff will recommend the best box hedge for you.
