Common Box

How to grow Common Box

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in autumn or spring, spacing hedging plants 25-30 cm apart. Improve drainage on heavy ground and mulch, but keep mulch off the stems. Avoid the hottest, most exposed positions - foliage bronzes badly in full winter sun and wind.

Pruning

Clip once or twice a year, traditionally in early summer and again in late summer. Clip in dull, still weather rather than bright sun, which scorches cut leaves. Overgrown plants can be cut hard back in late spring and will reshoot from old wood, unusually for an evergreen.

Propagation

Semi-ripe or hardwood cuttings from late summer to autumn root reliably, if slowly.

Pests and diseases

Box blight (Calonectria) causes bare patches, black stem streaks and leaf drop; it spreads in wet, still conditions and on dirty tools, so disinfect shears between plants and avoid overhead watering. Box tree caterpillar has become widespread in southern and central England and can strip a plant in days - check regularly from spring for webbing and defoliation. Box sucker distorts spring shoot tips but is minor.

Notes

Given how serious blight and box tree caterpillar have become, think hard before planting new box hedging - many gardeners now use Ilex crenata, Euonymus or yew for low edging instead. Existing healthy plants are worth keeping and monitoring; good airflow and open spacing help more than any spray.

This guidance was researched and written by GardenDecoded — see our editorial policy for how guides are checked and reviewed.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Buxus sempervirens but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Buxus