Box Hedging Alternatives
‘Common Box’, Buxus Sempervirens
Box hedging has long been a favourite for creating crisp, formal borders, thanks to its dense evergreen foliage and ability to be tightly clipped into shape . However, in recent years many gardeners have struggled with the rise of box caterpillar and box blight, leading to widespread damage and a growing demand for reliable, low‑growing alternatives. As a result, people are actively seeking substitutes that offer the same neat, structured look without the risk. Here at Hedging UK, we offer excellent evergreen replacements such as Lonicera, Osmanthus and Euonymus all of which provide dense foliage, tidy growth and superb performance as low hedges or topiary features. Please click on the products below for more information on each species.
Growing Advice
- Box Hedge Planting Distances – 3 – 5 plants per metre
- Evergreen Shrub
- Features: Great for topiary and close clipped low hedges
- Likes full sun or partial shade
- Soil preference: Any soil (except very dry or waterlogged)
- Unsuitable for: Very exposed windy sites or Waterlogged soils
- Average Growth rate: Slow – 10 – 15cm per annum (Sempervirens, Common Box)
- Trimming: Spring and Summer
- Also consider – Ilex crenata hedging / Japanese Holly