KC Gardens

Tip of the Week

A few weeks ago I wrote about the top 10 ornamentals sold in the United States at garden centers. It was not surprising that all 10 plants had wide appeal and could be grown throughout the country. The number one plant was not what I expected. But, after much thought, it does deserve its top sales ranking. That plant is the boxwood.

Evergreens are an important part of any landscape, whether it is used in the front yard or spotted in a garden setting. The standard recommendation is to have at least one-third of the plant material in the front landscape be evergreen. This helps provide for year-round interest and color. Using evergreens in the perennial garden also provides year-round interest and creates what many call the “bones” of the garden — the constant structure needed to provide a garden’s character.

Boxwood is grown throughout the country and is well as adapted as any other evergreen to our ever-changing weather patterns. Boxwood will tolerate full sun to light shade. All it really asks is some extra water during the dry spells once it is established. It also requires good drainage because it will not tolerate wet soil.

A nice quality about this plant is its smaller growth habit, which works perfectly in a number of different settings because it does not outgrow its designated area and become difficult to manage. Many other evergreens grow tall and wide making them difficult to situate without pruning later.

Like many other plants, there are numerous cultivars of boxwood on the market which can make it confusing when make your selection. Some will argue that there is a big difference between Buxus sempervirens or Buxus macrophylla, or many of the crossed species, but I believe the differences are minor. But to the discerning person, you will notice varying leaf sizes and slight color differences during the winter months as some varieties tend to hold the dark glossy green foliage while others have a bronze cast over the cold months.

The following are a few of the more common varieties on the market and ones that should be added to the landscape:

‘Green Mountain’ – Is the best upright cone shaped variety on the market. It has nice dark green leaves which may bronze slightly over the winter and works well to make a statement in the garden with its shape. It will grow 3 to 5 feet high and 2 to 3 feet wide.

Green Tower (‘Monrue’) – Is a narrow upright right form developing into as the name implies, a tower becoming more flat topped. It’s best used as an accent or as a narrow hedge. It will reach 6 to 8 feet with time and stay under 2 feet wide.

‘Green Velvet’ – Is the perfect match for either Green Mountain or Green Tower. If left in its natural shape it will develop into a nice rounded globe shaped shrub, growing to a height and spread of 3 to 4 feet. It also works well in a sheared hedge as a border.

‘Wintergreen’ – May be the most common variety found on the market. This is the industry favorite to grow in 1 gallon containers. They sell for around $5 each as a small plant at box stores. ‘Wintergreen’ is a Korean boxwood which normally has smaller leaves and may tend to bronze during the winter. But overall, it is a nice boxwood. It stays small, 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. The market will soon be flooded with many new cultivars of boxwood. The industry trend for many of these newer varieties is dwarf in both overall size of plant and leaf size. These will be a little more pricy when they hit the market. After seeing them in the pot I am not for sure if there is really that much difference.

If you have not planted boxwood in your garden take another look, as it truly does deserve a place in the landscape. I know in my own garden it is providing that much needed interest on a winter day.

Comments

No comments have been posted. Perhaps you'd like to be the first?

Sign in with Facebook to comment.