About
Buxus sempervirens 'Rotundifolia' is a robust, multi-stemmed evergreen shrub or small tree that typically reaches a height of about 200 cm. It features a compact, oval form with neat, ovate leaves that exhibit a bright green hue, deepening to a darker shade in winter. The bark is smooth and grey. This cultivar shows greater vigor than the standard boxwood, and its finely textured foliage lends itself well to topiary, making it suitable for creating umbrella-shaped specimens in garden spaces where privacy is desired.
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
- East-facing, North-facing, South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Shrubs, Trees
- Habit
- Bushy, Columnar upright
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 1-1.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Patio and container plants, 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
- Grow in any fertile, well-drained soil. Prefers light shade, full sun may result in dull or scorched foliage in dry soils. Water regularly while establishing. See box cultivation for more detailed advice
- 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-hardwood 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