Bare Root Boxwood & Topiary

Basics

• Ever since colonial times, boxwood has been a staple of the American landscape. Boxwood is known for its glossy evergreen foliage and densely packed shape. However, boxwood is perhaps best well known for its functionality in the landscape as a hedge, standalone or centerpiece topiary plant. In fact, because of the boxwood's dense shape and leaf structure, it is an ideal candidate for clipping and hedging that is meant to shape it into a topiary. Lastly, boxwood comes in many shapes and sizes and, although commercially most plants are purchased in a container or balled in burlap, many retailers do offer bare root boxwood.

History

• Boxwood has been a part of American landscaping culture since colonial times, which is why many people with colonial-style homes select boxwood for their landscaping. Apart from the old-time feel, boxwood has been a very useful plant for gardeners and landscapers. Its widespread success in North American gardens may seem strange considering that boxwood is not native to North America. In fact, even American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) is actually native to Europe and Asia, not America.

Function

• Bare root and topiary boxwood serve a variety of functions in the landscape. Bare root boxwood is often cheaper than the alternative potted boxwood, which makes it great for large plantings when price is an issue. Topiary boxwood can act as hedges for privacy or as a makeshift wall along walkways. Additionally, creative gardeners have found a number of ways to express themselves by creating magnificently crafted sculptures using only boxwood and their pruning shears.

Culture and Care

• Boxwoods in general are easy to grow and maintain. They prefer sandy to sandy-loam soils with a neutral to slightly alkaline pH. Boxwoods do well in sun to shade, although extremes of both should be avoided. Although fairly drought tolerant as a species, topiary and bare root boxwoods require supportive watering during the hotter summer months.

Problems and Challenges

• Although a resilient and mainly care-free plant, boxwood--especially bare root and topiary--can present a number of challenges. One significant challenge with bare root boxwood is planting and first-year survival. This is because the roots of the plant are exposed to air during planting and might dry out and refuse to grow. One of the most common problems of topiary boxwood is shading out of lower branches, which causes them to drop leaves. Most often, this shading effect occurs when the top of the topiary boxwood grows so long that it blocks light from reaching the bottom branches.