Where box tree borers and box tree shoot dieback rage, they leave behind a picture of misery. There is good reason why hobby gardeners are on the lookout for suitable replacement plants. Explore recommended alternative plants to boxwood in this handpicked selection. Get to know the top 5 decorative alternative solutions here. Non-toxic variants for the family garden and magnificent options in floral attire invite you to browse.
Which plants are good alternatives to boxwood?
The Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), the spindle bush 'Green Rocket' (Euonymus japonicus), the dwarf yew 'Renkes Kleiner Grüner' (Taxus baccata), the honeysuckle 'Maygrün' (Lonicera nitida) and the native holly 'Heckenzwerg' (Ilex aquifolium). These plants tolerate cutting, are hardy and resemble boxwood in appearance and growth.
Top 5 boxwood alternatives
The bar is set high for authentic boxwood substitutes. Evergreen foliage, compact growth and excellent pruning tolerance are important criteria so that a deciduous tree can worthy represent the classic in beds and containers. The following table lists the top 5 boxwood alternatives by name with notes on advantages and disadvantages:
| Trade name | botanical name | suitable for/as | not suitable for/as | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese holly | Ilex crenata | Frame, ball | Rock garden, gravel bed, dry south side | friendly to cutting, hardy | poisonous, demanding |
| Spindle bush 'Green Rocket' | Euonymus japonicus | Bed border, pot | Ball, privacy hedge | friendly to cutting, hardy | poisonous, topiary useless |
| Dwarf Yew 'Renkes Kleiner Grüner' | Taxus baccata | Border, topiary, ball | Privacy screen, rock garden, dry or acidic soil | only conifer that tolerates cutting, robust, easy to care for | very poisonous |
| Honeysuckle 'Maygrün' | Lonicera nitida | Edging, pot | Ball, sculpture, privacy screen | location-tolerant, cut-tolerant | light-hungry, prone to baldness, poisonous |
| Native holly 'Heckenzwerg' | Ilex aquifolium | Bed border, grave, bucket | Topiary trees, pots, privacy screens | cut-resistant, no thorns, | only for sunny locations |
Explanations about the alternative plants
Japanese holly looks very similar to boxwood. The short-growing premium variety 'Convexa' is very popular for bed edging and grave design. Field tests have shown that Ilex crenata reacts very sensitively to a pH value that is too high. In calcareous soil with more than 6.0 to 6.5 there is a risk of leaf loss. These concerns do not exist with the native holly 'Heckenzwerg'.
If you choose the spindle bush 'Green Rocket', avoid any sensitivity to location. The dark green leaves shine all year round on the densely branched bush and care little about local soil conditions. 'Green Rocket' is not recommended as a replacement for boxwood only for shady and waterlogged locations.
The honeysuckle has long been known to many gardeners as an easy-care deciduous shrub for the evergreen privacy hedge. With the premium variety 'May Green', the plant species is often useful as a distinctive alternative to boxwood. Since the honeysuckle thrives without a dominant central shoot, it is ideal for pruning into a ball or pyramid.
Are you open to a conifer as an alternative to boxwood? Then the attention turns to the yew as the only coniferous tree in the garden that tolerates pruning. Instead of dark green leaves, the dwarf yew boasts picturesque needlework. In terms of location and care, the mini conifer works in the same direction as Buxus.
Excursus
Pruning can save infected boxwood
One-off infestation with the box tree borer does not mean that the border, ball or hedge is doomed. Before you clear an affected boxwood, a step-by-step rejuvenation cut is worthwhile as a rescue attempt. The best time is in late winter when the weather is frost-free. Do not put bare boxwood trees on the stick in one go. Cut back a third of the shoots by at least half. Thin out dead branches except for a short cone. Then apply a special boxwood fertilizer to support new growth. To prevent further pest infestation, cover the boxwood with a close-meshed net.
Non-toxic alternative to boxwood
The ball hawthorn 'Compacta' is a good, pruning-friendly alternative to boxwood
In the family garden, special sensitivity is required when selecting plants. Where there are children and pets, poisonous alternatives to boxwood are taboo. Unfortunately, all of the top 5 are full of toxic ingredients. However, gardeners with families do not have to accept any compromises in terms of beauty and decorative appearance. The following overview presents the 5 best non-toxic alternatives to boxwood:
- Ball hawthorn 'Compacta' (Crataegus monogyna): densely bushy, wintergreen, hardy, tolerates pruning well
- Dwarf dogwood 'Kelsey' (Cornus stolonifera): compact, dense, frost-resistant, tolerates cutting
- Deutzia, May flower bush (Deutzia gracilis): richly branched, dense dwarf shrub, knee-high, hardy
- Dwarf sea buckthorn 'Silverstar' (Hippophae rhamnoides): spherical, dense, silvery leaves, for sunny to shady locations
When choosing non-toxic alternatives to boxwood, it is not possible without a willingness to compromise. The vast majority of evergreen and wintergreen woody plants use toxic ingredients to defend themselves against predators. Please note that there is no such thing as a completely non-toxic plant for the family garden. Eating leaves or fruits can still cause symptoms of poisoning in children due to an allergy.
Tip
Just have the courage to consider unorthodox alternatives when choosing a bed border for your cottage garden. Instead of framing a vegetable patch with evergreen dwarf trees, you can use fragrant herbs and flowers. Use lavender, thyme, bobbed basil, blue cushion or upholstery phlox as a replacement for boxwood. If marigolds frame the cottage garden bed, the flowers are useful as a defense against cunning pests.
Flowering substitute plants – Plan B in the guise of flowers
Small-leaved rhododendron 'Bloombux' (Rhododendron micranthum) is causing a stir in the garden as an imaginative alternative to the evergreen boredom of boxwood. In June, pink fragrant flowers tower above the small, tapering, rich green leaves. With an average height of 80 centimeters, the mini rhododendron is equally suitable for bed borders and pots. Newbie gardeners will appreciate the dwarf variety's tolerance for pruning.
Cushion barberry 'Nana' (Berberis buxifolia) impresses with its hemispherical growth and orange flowers in May and June. The evergreen, thorny dwarf tree forms a hedge to form an impenetrable bulwark that even repels cheeky cats. The small barberry species combines its decorative advantages with robust pruning tolerance. The only downside is the unscheduled shedding of leaves during frost in winter.
Third in the league of flowering alternatives to boxwood is dwarf privet 'Lodense' (Ligustrum vulgare). Dark green, narrow, elliptical leaves, dense growth and white flowers in June/July characterize the picturesque deciduous tree. Cut-resistant and frost-hardy, the mini privet fulfills its role as a boxwood replacement brilliantly. The only negative point is the winter green foliage, which of course renews itself quickly in spring.
The leaves of the dwarf privet 'Lodense' are similar to those of the boxwood, but its flowers are much more beautiful
Frequently asked questions
The boxwood moth completely destroyed my boxwood hedge. Where can I dispose of the cleared bushes?
It can be assumed that the bare bushes are still infected with eggs or larvae of the box tree borer. Pack each cleared boxwood in a plastic bag. You can transport the bushes to the regional recycling center or a composting facility with a trailer or in the trunk. Most collection points are now equipped for infected boxwood cuttings in order to prevent the pests from spreading further using special, lockable containers.
If I plant holly as an alternative to boxwood, is an infestation with boxwood moth impossible?
Although holly (Illex crenata) looks very similar to boxwood, the deciduous trees are spared from the boxwood borer. This does not mean that the evergreen ornamental trees are immune to all pests. The woolly scale insect and the shoot moth target most holly species and varieties.
Is the spindle bush 'Green Rocket' suitable for cutting into a ball in a pot?
Euonymus japonicus 'Green Rocket' thrives as a columnar spindle bush. The slender, tightly upright growth makes spherical topiaries a difficult undertaking. The Japanese spindle Euonymus japonicus 'Microphyllus', which naturally grows wider, is more suitable. You can train the box-leaved barberry 'Nana' (Berberis buxifolia), the holly 'Stokes' (Ilex crenata) and the yew (Taxus baccata) very well into a ball.
Can the dwarf yew be trained to form a low border in the cottage garden? The edging should not be more than calf-high
The dwarf yew 'Renkes Kleiner Grüner' lives up to its name. Only after more than 10 years do the conifers reach a height of 60 to 80 centimeters. By cutting the bushes back every year, you can regulate the height as desired. The best time is the end of February/beginning of March. Annual pruning also has the advantage of counteracting the risk of baldness.
We would like to replace our 20 meter long boxwood hedge with Ilex crenata or Lonicera nitida 'Maygrün'. We have heard that the box tree borer is already attacking Ilex. Which boxwood alternative would you recommend us to choose?
This statement is new to us. So far, Ilex has proven to be largely inconspicuous for diseases and pests. The introduced boxwood moth has so far only targeted Buxus. Of course, no one can rule out the possibility that the pests will change course at some point. From our point of view, there is nothing wrong with Ilex crenata as a replacement plant, especially the varieties 'Stokes' and 'Dark Green'. Lonicera nitida is unpopular with its noticeably long shoots and should be cut several times a year.
Can I train the honeysuckle 'Maygrün' as a border just as narrow as a boxwood hedge?
Experience has shown that the honeysuckle only works as a perfect replacement for boxwood in the first 5 to 10 years. Over time, the bushes tend to become bald from below. You can avoid this dilemma by cutting the border in a trapezoidal shape. This ensures that the bed border is covered with leaves from the base to the crown, even after years.
The dwarf rhododendron 'Bloombux' is intended to replace a broken boxwood. Is this possible in a sunny location?
With sufficient water supply, 'Bloombux' thrives easily in a sunny location. What is important to note in the winter is protection from the blazing winter sun with a shade net. Water regularly during the cold season because moisture continues to be lost through the evergreen leaves.
Tip
The dwarf ball arborvitae 'Dancia' (Thuja occidentalis) is on the rise as a veritable boxwood alternative. The new variety impresses with its spherical silhouette and modest height of 60 to 80 centimeters. Reliable winter hardiness and high location tolerance characterize the successful breeding. The easy-care conifer can be used in a variety of ways as a bed border, grave planting and in a pot.