Buxus (Box) sempervirens Pot Grown

Common Box (Buxus sempervirens) is the classic plant for low formal hedging and topiary. Small dense evergreen leaves, very fine branching habit, and an extraordinary tolerance for shaping that has made box the go-to for formal British gardens for over four centuries. Slow growth (10-15cm/year) is what gives box its precise, hold-its-shape appearance.

Pot-grown Box hedging plants

Pot-grown box can be planted any month of the year. We stock sizes from 15-25cm starter plants for low formal edging and parterre work up to 30-40cm specimens for taller hedges or where you want quicker initial presence.

Standard spacing for box is tighter than other hedging: 5-6 plants per metre for low formal hedging, 7-8 plants per metre for knot-garden edging.

Should you plant box in 2026? Read the guide first

Box blight and box tree moth have changed the calculation for box. Box is still magnificent in the right site, but it's no longer the no-brainer it once was. Our honest UK buyer's guide to box hedging covers when box is right, when it isn't, planting, care, disease management, and the best alternatives.

Looking for a like-for-like substitute without the disease risk? See our Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata) — very similar appearance, no susceptibility to box blight or box tree moth. Or consider English Yew for a longer-lived formal alternative.

Quantity discounts

Box hedging plants for sale online from Scot Plants Direct. Competitively-priced bareroot, pot-grown and rootballed plants, with quantity discounts on larger orders. We're a working Scottish nursery — happy to talk through site suitability before you commit.