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Alternatives to box
- BBC Gardeners' World Magazine
Published: Monday, 20 September 2021 at 2:59 pm
With box plants under threat from box blight and box tree caterpillar, it makes sense to look at alternative plants. Here are our suggestions.
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Box is an incredibly useful and versatile plant in the garden. With its naturally dense, evergreen growth, it has been used for centuries to create year-round structure. It can be used to create topiary, including box balls, and makes an excellent edge for a border or a parterre.
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But box is under threat. There are two problems that can adversely affect the health and vitality of box plants: box blight and box tree caterpillar.
Box blight has become a real problem in recent years. Telltale signs include leaves that turn brown and fall, leading to bare patches. You may also spot black streaks, dieback on young stems and spores of the fungus on infected leaves (these may be white or pink). Blight is caused by two types of fungus, Cylindrocladium buxicola and, to a lesser extent, Volutella blight. It can spread quickly in warm, humid conditions.
Box tree caterpillar, Cydalima perspectalis, has been spreading throughout the UK in recent years. The caterpillars eat the leaves, leaving the plant looking bare, and create webbing around their feeding area. You may spot the pupae, concealed in a white cocoon, green/yellow caterpillars with black and white stripes (up to 4cm long), or yellow eggs on the undersides of the leaves. If you shake the plant, white and brown moths, around 4cm wide, may fly off.
If you already have box blight or box tree caterpillar in your garden, or want to avoid these potential problems altogether, it pays to look at alternatives – just as many well-known head gardeners and garden designers are already doing.
Here are some plants that look similar to box and can be treated in the same way.
Alternatives to box
Yew
Alternatives to box - yew ball growing alongside box balls
Yew, Taxus baccata, is the replacement plant of choice for many head gardeners and garden designers. A British native, it withstands hard clipping and can be grown as topiary or a low hedge. Grow in moist but well-drained soil in sun or shade.
Suitable for: balls, cones, topiary shapes, low hedging, cloud pruning
- Buy yew from Crocus
Japanese holly
Alternatives to box - Japanese holly
Japanese holly, Ilex crenata, has small, slightly glossy green leaves. It bears small, white flowers in summer and may produce black fruits in autumn. Tolerant of shade and urban pollution, it can be clipped into shapes or grown as a low hedge. It looks especially good when cloud pruned. 'Dark Green' is said to look the most like box.
Suitable for: balls, cones, low hedging, topiary, cloud pruning
- Buy Ilex crenata 'Dark Green' from Crocus
Mock privet
Alternatives to box - mock privet
Mock privet, Phillyrea angustifolia, is a member of the olive family. It makes excellent topiary and looks especially good when cloud pruned. It is slightly tender so do not grow in very cold areas.
Suitable for: balls, cones, other topiary shapes, cloud pruning
- Buy Phillyrea angustifolia from Burncoose
Germander
Alternatives to box - hedge germander
Hedge germander, Teucrium x lucidrys, was traditionally used to edge knot gardens and makes a good low hedge to line a border or parterre. It's drought-resistant, with dark green crinkly edged leaves. In early summer, short spires of small pink flowers appear. Teucrium fruticans has silvery leaves and a more airy look.
Suitable for: low hedging
- Buy germander from Crocus
Osmanthus
Alternatives to box - osmanthus
Osmanthus delavayi and Osmanthus burkwoodii are compact evergreen shrubs with glossy, dark green serrated leaves. In spring, they produce masses of scented, white, jasmine-like flowers, much-loved by bees.
Suitable for: balls and hedging
- Buy osmanthus from Thompson & Morgan
Euonymus
Alternatives to box - euonymus
Euonymus japonicus is a compact, glossy evergreen that makes good low hedging - use to line a knot garden or parterre. It's salt and wind tolerant, making it a good choice for exposed or coastal gardens. Try Euonymus japonicus 'Green Spire', Euonymus japonicus 'Microphyllus' or 'Jean Hugues'.
Suitable for: low hedging
- Buy euonymus from Thompson & Morgan
Hebe
Alternatives to box - Hebe 'Green Globe'
Hebes have a naturally rounded shape, so lend themselves well to forming rounded mounds that don't need much clipping. They also make a good low hedge. Try Hebe topiaria, Hebe pinguifolia 'Sutherlandii', Hebe subalpina or Hebe 'Green Globe'.
Suitable for: mounds, low hedging
- Buy hebe from Thompson & Morgan
Lavender
Alternatives to box - lavender
Lavender makes a beautiful low hedge that is at its peak in summer, when it flowers. It has the addition of scented flowers and foliage. Use it to line a path or even a herb garden or parterre. It likes well-drained soil in a sunny spot and is drought tolerant. Try Lavandula 'Munstead' or 'Hidcote'.
- How to grow lavender
Suitable for: hedging, balls
- Buy lavender from Crocus
Boxwood honeysuckle
Alternatives to box - Lonicera nitida
Boxwood honeysuckle, Lonicera nitida has smaller leaves than box and grows more quickly. This tough plant responds very well to clipping so is useful for fine topiary, such as spirals. It can also be used for hedging. 'Baggesen's Gold' has golden leaves for an unusual look.
Suitable for: topiary, hedging
- Buy Lonicera nitida from Thompson & Morgan
Portuguese laurel
Alternatives to box - Portuguese laurel
Portuguese laurel, Prunus lusitanica, has large, glossy green leaves and attractive red stems. Despite being a native of Portugal and Spain, it is very hardy. 'Angustifolia' is the most widely used variety.
Suitable for: topiary, balls, hedging
- Buy Prunus lusitanica from Crocus
Barberry
Alternatives to box - berberis
Berberis has dense, small leaves that are good for topiary. Try the evergreen Berberis x stenophylla or the deciduous Berberis thunbergii varieties for an unusual look - they have good autumn leaf colour.
Suitable for: topiary, low hedging
- Buy berberis from Thompson & Morgan
Wire bush
Alternatives to box - Corokia x virgata 'Frosted Chocolate'
Wire bush, Corokia, is a small genus of shrubs and small trees native to New Zealand or Australia. Corokia x virgata is a popular hedging plant, bearing small leaves and yellow flowers, followed by red berries. Cultivars include 'Frosted Chocolate', which has dark brown autumn foliage, and 'Sunsplash', which has variegated foliage.
Suitable for: topiary, hedging, low hedging
- Buy corokia from Burncoose
Other box alternatives to try
A low clump of Pittosporum tobira (Australian laurel)
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- Rosemary - can be grown as a hedge
- Holly - makes good topiary
- Privet - topiary and lollipop trees
- Pittosporum tobira 'Nanum' (Australian laurel) – good for mounds
- Heather - good for low hedging, parterres or knot gardens
- Bay - cones and lollipops; also edible
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