{"id":18791,"date":"2021-06-02T20:27:14","date_gmt":"2021-06-03T00:27:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/?p=18791"},"modified":"2023-06-21T17:57:38","modified_gmt":"2023-06-21T21:57:38","slug":"best-alternatives-to-boxwood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/","title":{"rendered":"The 6 Best Alternatives To Boxwood"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Because of the box tree moth, more and more gardeners are looking for an alternative to the box tree. We&#8217;ll show you the best alternatives to boxwood.<\/p>\n<p>Who has not already admired them: the evergreen, neatly kept bed borders and the beautifully designed topiary of the box tree? No question about it, the <a href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/boxwood\/\">boxwood<\/a> ( <em>Buxus sempervirens<\/em> ) is very popular. It is evergreen, robust, hardy, easy to cut and easy to care for.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_alternatives_to_boxwood_make_sense\"><\/span><strong>Why alternatives to boxwood make sense<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6613d45c688ac\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6613d45c688ac\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#Why_alternatives_to_boxwood_make_sense\" title=\"Why alternatives to boxwood make sense\">Why alternatives to boxwood make sense<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#Boxwood_caution_poisonous\" title=\"Boxwood: caution poisonous\">Boxwood: caution poisonous<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#Box_tree_moth\" title=\"Box tree moth\">Box tree moth<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#Alternatives_to_boxwood_Our_top_6\" title=\"Alternatives to boxwood: Our top 6\">Alternatives to boxwood: Our top 6<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#1_Box-leaved_barberry\" title=\"1. Box-leaved barberry\">1. Box-leaved barberry<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#2_Rhododendron_%E2%80%98Bloombux\" title=\"2. Rhododendron &#8216;Bloombux&#8217;\">2. Rhododendron &#8216;Bloombux&#8217;<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/best-alternatives-to-boxwood\/#3_Lavender\" title=\"3. Lavender\">3. Lavender<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n\n<p>Unfortunately, there are also a few sound arguments against cultivating a box tree in the garden.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Boxwood_caution_poisonous\"><\/span><strong>Boxwood: caution poisonous<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>On the one hand, one should not underestimate the risk of poisoning it poses, especially for small children and pets (especially rodents). Because all parts of the box tree are poisonous &#8211; whether flowers, leaves, or bark. If you put them in your mouth or even swallow them, this can lead to nausea, diarrhea and vomiting or even cause dizziness and paralysis. More on the subject of &#8220;Boxwood: Poisonous or not?&#8221; can be found in our special article.<\/p>\n<p>The most serious reason, however, that speaks in favor of alternatives to boxwood, is another. You may like <a href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/fertilizing-boxwood\/\"><strong>How to Fertilize Boxwood<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Box_tree_moth\"><\/span><strong>Box tree moth<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Hungry pest: The voracious boxwood <em>moth (Cydalima perspectalis<\/em> ) is feared by many boxwood friends. And rightly so! Because the pest is bad for the evergreen plants. The box tree moth is a small butterfly that probably came to Europe in shipping containers from East Asia at the beginning of this century. Its caterpillars, which you don&#8217;t even notice at first, can later lead to massive devastation on the boxwood.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\" \/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/4a11cb54920e009722e4f295f2d5f372.jpg\" alt=\"The 6 best alternatives to boxwood: evergreen &amp; sturdy substitute\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>A good reason against chemical pesticides to fight the borer:<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Early in the year (from March to May) you can find small flower clusters in the leaf axils of the box tree. Many hobby gardeners hardly notice them because they are well hidden by the foliage. These flowers are very rich in pollen and nectar. And because flowering begins so early in the year, they are one of the first places bees and insects come to fly. For this reason alone, you should definitely refrain from fighting the box tree moth with the chemical club.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, you can fight the boxwood moth biologically and get rid of it effectively without poison or chemicals.<\/p>\n<p>With this article we definitely do not want to drive the boxwood out of your garden. But especially because of the box tree moth, many garden owners are looking for alternatives, which we present to you below.<\/p>\n<p><strong>You might so like<\/strong>: <a class=\"yoast-link-suggestion__value\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/pruning-rhododendrons\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pruning Rhododendrons: When And How To Prune Correctly<\/a><\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Alternatives_to_boxwood_Our_top_6\"><\/span><strong>Alternatives to boxwood: Our top 6<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>In our suggestions for substituting boxwood, we made sure that the alternatives contain all the benefits of boxwood as far as possible. From the easy-care border edging, to large plants that are easy to cut and give shape, to opaque hedges and bee-friendly plants. The possible risk of poisoning is also expressly pointed out.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Box-leaved_barberry\"><\/span><strong>1. Box-leaved barberry<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The bush-leaved barberry ( <em>Berberis buxifolia<\/em> ) is an evergreen, slow-growing deciduous wood. Their height is two to two and a half meters.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\" \/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/f638a9bd898eeb3a8da60774a4a7efbb.jpg\" alt=\"The 6 best alternatives to boxwood: evergreen &amp; sturdy substitute\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From April they adorn orange-yellow flowers. Their ripe fruits are blue, edible, and can even be made into jam. The dwarf form &#8220;Nana&#8221; has very short shoots, is easy to cut and is a suitable alternative to boxwood if you want a <a href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/hyssop-plant\/\">beautiful topiary in the garden<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Rhododendron_%E2%80%98Bloombux\"><\/span><strong>2. Rhododendron &#8216;Bloombux&#8217;<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>The currently much-praised novelty among the <a href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/flowering-hedges\/\">boxwood substitute plants<\/a> is the rhododendron &#8216;Bloombux&#8217;. It is a refinement of dwarf rhododendron bushes, which is cut compatible and also suitable for shaped cuts. Its winter hardiness goes down to temperatures below -20 \u00b0 C. The evergreen shoot of the dwarf rhododendron is very similar to that of the boxwood. There are also wonderful pink flowers. With a height of up to one meter, smaller hedges can also be designed well.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\" \/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/1e2a0834d3774f987160f45047b78be9.jpg\" alt=\"The 6 best alternatives to boxwood: evergreen &amp; sturdy substitute\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Lavender\"><\/span><strong>3. Lavender<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/lavender\/\">The real lavender<\/a> ( <em>Lavandula angustifolia<\/em> ) can replace the boxwood as a very special border. Due to its low growth of 45 to 50 cm, beautiful hedges can be set around the beds to be delimited. From June to August the robust plant blooms in a bright purple and attracts bees, butterflies and other insects with its fragrance and the many flowers.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter\" src=\" \/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/06\/8bc1f63d0f1a54bee213608284a54c76.jpg\" alt=\"The 6 best alternatives to boxwood: evergreen &amp; sturdy substitute\" \/><\/p>\n<p><strong>You might so like<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a class=\"yoast-link-suggestion__value\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/when-do-magnolia-trees-bloom\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">When Do Magnolia Trees Bloom: Flowering Time And Reasons For Missing Blossoms<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"yoast-link-suggestion__value\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/mirabelle-tree-everything-about-planting-cutting-harvesting\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mirabelle Plum Tree: Everything about planting, cutting &amp; harvesting<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"yoast-link-suggestion__value\" href=\"https:\/\/gardender.com\/pruning-panicle-hydrangea-the-right-time-instructions-for-procedure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Pruning Panicle Hydrangea: The Right Time and Instructions For Procedure<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Because of the box tree moth, more and more gardeners are looking for an alternative to the box tree. We&#8217;ll show you the best alternatives to boxwood. Who has not already admired them: the evergreen, neatly kept bed borders and the beautifully designed topiary of the box tree? No question about it, the boxwood (&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":18792,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"default","_kad_post_title":"default","_kad_post_layout":"default","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"default","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"default","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18791"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18791"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18791\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28444,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18791\/revisions\/28444"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18792"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18791"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18791"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardender.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18791"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}