9 Alternatives to Box Hedges for Shady Gardens

Why do we need alternatives to box hedges for shady gardens? Well, it could be because your existing Box, Buxus species, hedge has fallen prey to either Box blight or the Box moth caterpillar. Or it might be that you would like a low evergreen hedge for a shady garden and want plants that won’t succumb to these problems.

But before we look at our alternatives to box hedges, you may find a quick explanation of those Buxus plant problems helpful.

What is Box Blight?

Box Blight is a disease that affects the stems and leaves of Buxus plants and is caused by the fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola. The fungi invade the plant tissue, interfering with its water supply, thereby killing the cells.
This disease needs damp, humid conditions to spread, so it’s particularly common during the autumn months. Minor cases can usually be successfully treated, but serious cases mean removing and destroying the infected plants.

What is Box moth caterpillar?

Box moth caterpillar, or Box tree caterpillar, Cydalima perspectalis, has only been around in private gardens in the home counties since 2011. But it has become a real problem, not just in south east England but throughout the United Kingdom.
The caterpillars can totally defoliate Box plants, leaving it covered instead by their webbing. They are most active from April to October.

Alternatives to Box Hedges for Shady Gardens

Buxus sempervirens is also known as common box, European box, and boxwood. You may not know this, but it is native to southern England. Box Hill in Surrey is so named as it has the largest area of native Box woodland in England.
Although used as a relatively low hedge, left to its own devices it can grow into a tree up to 30 foot / 9 metres tall. The flowers are highly scented, although frequently trimmed off when the plant is used as hedging. And the foliage is also aromatic, although it’s one of those ‘marmite’ scents.

But what are some good plants to use instead of Buxus? As Box is shade tolerant and evergreen, I thought it would be good to find alternatives that met those criteria. In the list you’ll find certain plants that are often suggested as Box substitutes, but also a fair few that you might not have considered as possible replacements. Here we go, list first then each in more detail: –

Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’
Euonymus ‘White Spire’
Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’
Hebe Veronica ‘Red Edge’
Ilex crenata
Lonicera pileata
Osmanthus x burkwoodii
Sarcococca hookeriana var digyna
Sarcococca saligna

Notes on Soil and Location

To make your life easier, I have suggested plants that are tolerant of different soil types. A free draining and nutritious soil is needed, but otherwise it can be clay, chalk or sandy. The pH range 6 – 7.5 will suit them all.
Location wise, most are happy growing across the UK, and I have said if they may need some shelter. Although basically evergreens, some of the plant alternatives to box hedges for shady gardens maybe semi-evergreen.
With all of my care comments, do check with your local nursery or an expert gardener to be sure the plants you want are suitable for your garden. If you follow me on Instagram, @plewsgd feel free to ask me a question there.
Notes on pruning can be found after the plant descriptions.

Euonymus japonicus

Although sometimes referred to as spindle in plant listings, strictly speaking only Euonymus europeaus is the spindle tree.

Euonymus japonicus ‘Jean Hugues’

Is often cited as a good Box look-a-like, having similar ovate, glossy dark green leaves, growing to about 1 metre high. It is an evergreen with green flowers if not trimmed off. It responds well to trimming and is one of the strongest contender as a Buxus hedge replacement.

Euonymus japonicus ‘White Spire’

The variegated foliage with white edges may not be fully evergreen in more exposed locations. Smaller than ‘Jean Hugues’ usually only to about 50 com. The form is more cylindrical, so it’s a plant for smaller areas. I have used it to advantage around cordon fruit trees as the green flowers that appear in spring help encourage pollinating insects.

Hebe

Hebe is also referred to as Veronica. I don’t want to start getting into plant taxonomy, but briefly. Hebe and Veronica were in the same genus until the late 1920s, when they were split into separate genus. However, just when we’d all got used to that, this distinction is being reconsidered.

All we really need to be concerned with here, is the fact that these are two very useful Hebe (or Veronica) plants. Both grow to about 1 metre high, are tolerant of different soil types and a range of pH levels. If left on, the flowers are popular with pollinators.

Hebe pinguifolia ‘Sutherlandii’

With thick, grey-green foliage and purple stems, Hebe ‘Sutherlandii’ makes an attractive low growing evergreen hedge. White flowers appear in late summer.

Hebe ‘Red Edge’

By way of contrast, this Hebe has a red edge to its grey-green leaves. The red becomes more obvious during the cooler winter months, visual warmth to the garden. ‘Red Edge’ has lilac flowers during summer.

Of our next three alternatives to box hedges for shady gardens, all have a different ‘ main feature’.

Ilex crenata

Also known as Japanese holly, Ilex crenata is another popular contender for a Buxus replacement. Its particularly good for more exposed or northerly gardens as it is hardier than Box. Indeed, it’s probably the hardiest of all the nine plants in our list. It has dark green glossy evergreen foliage and is tolerant of full shade. Ilex crenata can be pruned to keep it to 1 – 1 ½ metres in height.
Ilex are either female or male plants, so if you do want flowers you’ll need a mixture. The usual ratio is one male to 4 female plants.

Lonicera pileata

Often called Box leaved honeysuckle, sometimes privet honeysuckle, Lonicera pileata has dark green glossy foliage which is similar to that of Box. It has a mound forming habit, ie branches tend towards the horizontal. This gives a shaggy look when unpruned which is not unattractive. However Lonicera pileata responds well to pruning, providing a hedge about 4 foot / 1.2 metres high.

Osmanthus x burkwoodii

Looking a bit like holly and a bit like box, Osmanthus × burkwoodii is a shrub I often use in planting designs for four reasons. Firstly it is evergreen. It can be grown as a shrub in a mixed border or shrubbery. And thirdly, it has deliciously fragrant flowers in early spring.
The last reason is, of course, that it can be grown as a Box hedge substitute. However, it’s not really suitable as a hedge in exposed areas.

Alternatives to Box Hedges for Shady Gardens – Sarcococca

Sarcococca may be better known to you under its common names of Sweet Box and Christmas Box. These sobriquets are probably a giveaway that in appearance it looks like Buxus. It’s called Sweet Box for the highly fragrant flowers that appear in winter and early spring.

The downside is that Box and Sarcococca are both members of the Buxus family. This means, unfortunately that Sarcococca is susceptible to box blight, although not, so far at least, to box tree moth. Having said that, if you can avoid planting it in damp dark corners with no air flow, you should be fine. To date (cross fingers) I haven’t had any issues.

With an eye to smaller gardens and container gardens, both of these Sweet Box are among the compact varieties available.

Sarcococca hookeriana var digyna

Growing to 3 foot / 1 metre high this Sarcococca has arching stems and possibly better as a more informal low hedge. Black berries follow the flowers. I particularly like Sarcococca hookeriana var digyna ‘Purple Stem’ which has purple rather than green stems for extra interest.

Sarcococca saligna

Also known as willow-leaf sweet box, Sarcococca saligna is a compact shrub, of a similar height to the above, but with tapering, glossy leaves. With a more upright habit, it makes a chic low hedge and is delightful in pots. Purple berries follow the flowers.

Pruning our Alternatives to Box Hedges for Shady Gardens

As well as suggesting you look at the blog links below on pruning, there are a couple of points to make.

Do you want a formal or informal hedge?
Buxus is generally pruned in a formal manner, but as you’re looking at alternatives, you could go with a slightly informal look instead. For close clipped formal hedges, choose one of the smaller leaved shrubs from the list.

Would you like to enjoy the flowers and /or encourage pollinating insects?
If your answer is ‘yes’ then be sure to prune after flowering. Sounds obvious, but a surprising number of people prune everything at the same time regardless of the plants’ needs and the desired effect the owner wants.

Pruning on Planting
Generally one prunes on planting, but look for signs of recent pruning on the plant first. Bare root shrubs will often be pruned when dug up to help reduce stress.

and finally

Now you have my suggestions for alternatives to box hedges for shady gardens! I will of course be writing about other hedging plants options you could grow. For example, we still need to consider seaside gardens and sunny gardens. And of course, plants for formal topiary and parterre gardens.

For further gardening advice and inspiration, check out Plews Potting Shed blogs, including the selection below, and our monthly Tipsheet – You could come and find us on Instagram Pinterest and Facebook too.