Gardening Ideas Boxwoods for Every Landscape By Rebecca Bull Reed Rebecca Bull Reed Website Rebecca Koraytem (formerly Rebecca Bull Reed) is a horticulturist with over 32 years of experience in garden education, design, and the green industry. She has written for Southern Living and Coastal Living magazines, is passionate about teaching new gardeners about English Roses and is a frequent guest on podcasts like The Redneck Rosarian and Epic Gardening where she talks about David Austin Roses. She also has her own YouTube channel Rebecca on Roses. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on March 10, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Trending Videos Photo: Robbie Caponetto Boxwoods have been the backbone of Southern gardens for centuries, and new selections are now offering solutions for every landscape. 01 of 18 Magnificent Boxwood Gardens Photo: Ralph Anderson Southerners love boxwoods. They greet our guests at the door and provide an element of delight and surprise when clipped and trained into topiaries and parterres. Elegant when used alone and sublime as companion plants, they offer amazing versatility in any garden. Plus, deer don't usually eat them. The secret to working with these fine-textured evergreens is choosing the best selection to fit your vision and growing conditions. Some grow as tall as a tree and just as wide, while others hug the ground. Find out more about our top picks that are suitable for the South. 02 of 18 American Boxwood Garden Photo: Ralph Anderson One of the largest boxwoods, an American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) can grow to more than 15 feet tall and wide, and it's long-lived. 03 of 18 Japanese Boxwood Garden Photo: Ralph Anderson The round-tipped, glossy, dark green leaves of Japanese Boxwood (B. microphylla japonica) may take on a bronze cast in cold winters when exposed to southwestern sun. It tolerates heat, humidity, and nematodes, making it the best boxwood for the Coastal South, though it does well throughout the South. 04 of 18 Littleleaf Boxwood Garden Photo: Ralph Anderson A slow-growing species from Japan, Littleleaf (B. microphylla) is cold hardy and can be used in the Upper, Middle, Lower, and Coastal South. 05 of 18 Sunny Korean Boxwood Garden Photo: Ralph Anderson An excellent choice for low hedges or edging, Korean boxwood tolerates severe winters, making it an especially good choice for the Upper South. 06 of 18 Potted Boxwood Welcome Photo: Ralph Anderson A pretty row of boxwoods stands at attention, ready to lead guests to the door. These cold-hardy Canadian-bred hybrid boxwoods feature plants with rich, green foliage and an attractive shape. 07 of 18 Elegant Boxwood Garden Robbie Caponetto An elegant potager (kitchen garden) with an intricate knot of clipped boxwoods in its center acts as a focal point for the garden. At the end of this terrace rests a paved sitting area surrounding a fire pit. What better place to sip a glass of wine as the amber light from the setting sun ignites the riverside trees? 08 of 18 Trim & Tidy Boxwood Garden Photo: Roger Foley Massive boxwoods more than 100 years old act as the backbone to this breathtaking garden, while a geometric boxwood parterre lines the lower terrace. 09 of 18 All-Green Evergreen Garden Photo: Helen Norman Rows of clipped English boxwoods, protected from hot afternoon sun, soften straight lines in this small front yard garden. See more of this Small Space Garden 10 of 18 Classical Boxwood Garden Path Photo: Ralph Lee Anderson A 100-foot-long pea gravel walk exits the pool circle to extend this garden's axis from the house. Linear plantings of boxwoods along the path reveal a Greek key motif. Tour this Classical Virginia Garden 11 of 18 Boxwood Courtyard Garden Photo: Roger Foley A sloping side lawn offered the ideal place for a garden between a new porch and an arbor, creating intimate and shaded beauty without burdensome maintenance. 12 of 18 American Boxwood Walkway Photo: Roger Foley American boxwoods planted in the 19th century flank the sides of this leisurely allée. 13 of 18 Cottage Garden Path Photo: Ralph Lee Anderson English boxwoods, planted to follow the curve of the walk, and clipped 'Oakland' hollies, which anchor each corner, offer a nod to the traditional forms found in Colonial gardens. 14 of 18 Suburban Kitchen Garden Photo: Roger Foley This Atlanta garden combines lip-smacking produce with eye-popping color for the perfect escape to relax and entertain. Clipped 'Nellie R. Stevens' hollies and boxwoods form the walls, while a trio of large rolled-rim pots containing boxwood topiaries, peppers, and herbs anchors the edible garden. 15 of 18 Boxwood Topiaries Boxwood's willingness to be clipped, shaped, and trained makes it the perfect candidate for a classic topiary. 10 Spectacular Topiary Designs 16 of 18 Demilune Boxwood Garden Photo: Robert Rausch A double row of Korean boxwoods rings the center fountain. A corridor of clipped ironwood trees (Carpinus caroliniana) and American boxwoods creates the outer wall of this semicircular garden. 17 of 18 Front Yard Boxwood Parterre Photo: Laurey W. Glenn This impactful front yard garden features a tailored parterre of boxwoods and paths of antique bricks. See more of this Colonial Williamsburg Style Cottage 18 of 18 Low-Maintenance Boxwood Garden Photo: Erica George Dines Boxwoods and a planter filled with sedum compose a simple palette. A purple clematis vine trained upon a tuteur on the right adds a dash of color. See more of this Dream Garden Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit