About
Buxus sempervirens 'Latifolia Maculata' is an evergreen shrub that can reach a height of 2.5 meters. It features small, lustrous leaves measuring up to 3 centimeters long, which are bright yellow in their youth and transition to green, mottled with yellow during the summer months. In spring, the plant produces clusters of small, yellowish flowers.
About the genus
Buxus consists of evergreen shrubs or diminutive trees characterized by simple, leathery leaves arranged oppositely. These plants produce clusters of small, pale yellow blooms, which are succeeded by fruits that transition from pale green to brown.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full shade, Partial shade
- Soil type
- Chalk, Clay, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Moist but well-drained, Well-drained
- Aspect
- North-facing, West-facing, East-facing, South-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Spread
- 1.5-2.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 10-20 years
- Suggested uses
- Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, City and courtyard gardens, Wildlife gardens
- Toxicity
- Pets (dogs): Harmful if eaten For further information and contact numbers regarding pets, see the HTA guide to potentially harmful plants
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grows best in well-drained soil in partial shade; can be scorched by sun and strong winds in dry soils. Susceptible to a number of box problems, see box cultivation
- Pruning
- Pruning group 8 in summer, renovation pruning can be carried out in late spring. Use mulch and a general fertiliser after hard pruning
- Propagation
- Propagate by semi-ripe cuttings in summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to box tree caterpillar, box sucker, mussel scale and red spider mite
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to a leaf spot, box blight and, rarely, honey fungus