Common Box
Common Box
Buxus sempervirens
The line and edging plant of formal gardens: restrained, slow and architectural.
Checked by the editorial team – Updated July 2026
Common Box (Buxus sempervirens) is a shrub in the Buxaceae family. It is mainly grown in partial shade, shade, sun, in moist, ordinary, dry soil, with a mature size around 1,5 m to 2 m. Its to be confirmed flowering and hardiness to -25 deg C make it a plant to match carefully with place and purpose.
Botanical identity card
Gardener calendar
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Planting | ||||||||||||
| Flowering | ||||||||||||
| Leaf season | ||||||||||||
| Care |
With common box, refinement is not rarity but accuracy: the right place first, then the quiet gesture. For shrub habit, container, edging, a well-trained plant is worth more than a forced one.
– Les Jardins d’un Chatelain
Portrait
The line and edging plant of formal gardens: restrained, slow and architectural.
In a character garden, common box is first used to build a scene: shrub habit, container, edging, Haies, low hedges. The position should be chosen before purchase, because the plant performs better when light, soil and mature size agree.
The reference record points to partial shade, shade, sun and moist, ordinary, dry soil. Respecting that match is the quiet economy of good gardening: fewer corrections, less water and cleaner pruning.
Notable varieties
| Variety or form | Useful character | Garden situation |
|---|---|---|
| Buxus sempervirens ‘Chateau’ | to be confirmed – shrub habit – 1,5 m to 2 m | shrub habit, container, edging |
| Buxus sempervirens ‘Elegans’ | to be confirmed – shrub habit – 1,5 m to 2 m | shrub habit, container, edging |
| Buxus sempervirens ‘Faulkner’ | to be confirmed – shrub habit – 1,5 m to 2 m | shrub habit, container, edging |
| Buxus sempervirens ‘NewGen Independence ‘SB 108’ | to be confirmed – shrub habit – 1,5 m to 2 m | shrub habit, container, edging |
| Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ | to be confirmed – shrub habit – 1,5 m to 2 m | shrub habit, container, edging |
The Chatelain Method
Observe
Check density, light shade and air movement.
Diagnose
Brown foliage may mean drought stress, disease or pests.
Correct
Water at the base, open the plant and feed moderately.
Prevent
Clip in cloudy weather and inspect new growth.
Frequently asked questions
When should Common Box be planted?
Use the calendar above as the first guide. Outside frost, heatwaves and waterlogged soil, planting works best while the ground is cool and workable.
Which exposure is best?
Common Box prefers partial shade, shade, sun. In hot climates, shelter from the harshest sun reduces stress.
What soil does it need?
The reference data points to moist, ordinary, dry soil. Improve the planting hole before planting rather than correcting later.
Is Common Box hardy?
Available data indicates hardiness down to -25 deg C, to be adjusted for wind, winter wet and plant age.