Boxwoods have long been a staple in American gardens, beloved for their timeless elegance, versatility, and adaptability to different landscaping styles. Their dense, evergreen foliage and ability to be shaped into formal hedges, topiaries, or stand-alone accents have made them a popular choice for homeowners and landscapers alike. However, in recent years, gardeners have faced increasing challenges with boxwoods due to diseases like boxwood blight, insect infestations, and climate change-related stressors.
This has led many gardeners to explore substitutes for boxwoods, seeking plants that offer similar aesthetic appeal without the associated risks and maintenance issues. In this blog, we’ll delve into the best alternatives to boxwoods, discussing their advantages, how they can be used in different garden designs, and why transitioning to boxwood substitutes can enhance your landscape.
Why Seek Alternatives to Boxwoods?
Before diving into specific substitutes, it’s important to understand why so many gardeners are now turning away from traditional boxwoods. While boxwoods have long been a favorite, they are not without their drawbacks, particularly in recent years.
Boxwood Blight and Pests
One of the most pressing issues facing boxwood shrubs is the spread of boxwood blight, a fungal disease that causes leaves to brown and drop prematurely. Once infected, the disease can quickly devastate a planting of boxwoods, leaving behind unsightly, bare stems. Unfortunately, there is no cure for boxwood blight, and while preventative fungicides may slow the disease’s spread, they require regular application and diligent care.
In addition to blight, boxwood leafminer is another pest that has plagued these shrubs. These small flies lay eggs in the leaves of boxwoods, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the leaf tissue, causing significant damage. The leafminer is challenging to control, often requiring chemical treatments or meticulous hand-picking of infested leaves.
Environmental Concerns and Climate Sensitivity
Boxwoods, particularly some of the more traditional varieties like English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens), are not well-suited for all climates. They can struggle in areas with high humidity, extreme cold, or scorching summer heat. This makes them vulnerable in regions where climate change is causing more erratic and extreme weather patterns.
Furthermore, the heavy use of pesticides and fungicides to protect boxwoods from blight and pests has raised concerns about environmental impact, leading many gardeners to seek more eco-friendly alternatives that don’t require chemical intervention.
Aesthetic Diversity
While boxwoods are certainly beautiful, their ubiquity has made them a somewhat predictable choice in many landscapes. By exploring alternatives, gardeners have the opportunity to bring more diversity and interest into their gardens, experimenting with different textures, shapes, and foliage colors while maintaining the neat, structured look that boxwoods provide.
The Best Boxwood Substitutes for American Gardens
Fortunately, there is no shortage of attractive, versatile plants that can serve as excellent substitutes for boxwoods. Many of these alternatives are resistant to pests and diseases, require less maintenance, and are well-adapted to a range of climates. Whether you are looking for a shrub to create formal hedges, natural-looking borders, or stand-alone topiaries, these options can give you the look of boxwoods without the headaches.
1. Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra)
Inkberry holly is one of the top substitutes for boxwoods, offering a similar dense, evergreen appearance but with fewer disease and pest problems. Native to the eastern United States, inkberry holly is a resilient and adaptable plant that thrives in a variety of growing conditions, from sun to partial shade, and even tolerates wet soils.
Characteristics of Inkberry Holly:
- Evergreen foliage: Similar to boxwoods, inkberry holly retains its glossy green leaves year-round, providing consistent color and structure.
- Size and shape: Inkberry holly typically grows to be about 3 to 5 feet tall and wide, though there are compact cultivars available that can be used for low hedges or formal plantings.
- Growth habit: It can be pruned to form neat hedges or allowed to grow naturally for a more informal look.
Inkberry holly is an excellent choice for those who want the formal, evergreen appearance of boxwoods but with a plant that is more resilient to diseases and insects.
2. Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata)
Another member of the holly family, Japanese holly is often recommended as a direct substitute for boxwoods due to its similar leaf size, growth habit, and overall appearance. Japanese holly’s small, glossy leaves bear a strong resemblance to boxwood foliage, making it a seamless replacement in many garden designs.
Characteristics of Japanese Holly:
- Small leaves: Like boxwoods, Japanese holly has small, dark green leaves that create a compact and tidy appearance.
- Dense growth: This plant grows densely and can be easily pruned into hedges or shapes, making it ideal for topiary work.
- Variety of sizes: Depending on the variety, Japanese holly can range from 2 feet to 10 feet tall, providing flexibility for different uses in the garden.
In addition to its ornamental appeal, Japanese holly is hardy and less prone to the diseases that affect boxwoods. It can be grown in full sun or partial shade and is adaptable to various soil conditions.
3. Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia)
For gardeners seeking an evergreen shrub with more color and visual interest than traditional boxwoods, mountain laurel offers an appealing alternative. This native shrub is known for its stunning clusters of pink, white, or red flowers that bloom in late spring, as well as its leathery, evergreen foliage.
Characteristics of Mountain Laurel:
- Ornamental flowers: The showy, bell-shaped flowers add seasonal interest, making mountain laurel a great choice for borders or foundation plantings.
- Evergreen leaves: The dark green leaves are similar in size and texture to boxwoods, and they remain attractive year-round.
- Growth habit: Mountain laurel can grow between 5 and 15 feet tall, depending on the variety, though compact cultivars are available for smaller spaces.
Mountain laurel thrives in partial shade and well-drained, acidic soils. While it may require more specific growing conditions than some other substitutes, its stunning flowers and evergreen foliage make it a unique and worthwhile option for gardeners seeking something different.
4. Dwarf Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’)
Dwarf yaupon holly is a versatile, compact shrub that is often used as a boxwood substitute in southern gardens. Its small leaves and dense growth habit make it a good option for creating low hedges, borders, and foundation plantings. This plant is particularly well-suited for warmer climates, as it is heat- and drought-tolerant once established.
Characteristics of Dwarf Yaupon Holly:
- Small, round leaves: The tiny, rounded leaves are reminiscent of boxwood foliage, creating a neat, uniform appearance.
- Compact growth: Dwarf yaupon holly grows slowly and can be easily maintained at a height of 2 to 4 feet, making it ideal for low hedges or topiary work.
- Durability: This shrub is highly adaptable, thriving in both full sun and partial shade, and is resistant to many common pests and diseases.
With its durability and classic look, dwarf yaupon holly is an excellent choice for gardeners in warmer regions who want a low-maintenance, evergreen alternative to boxwoods.
5. Privet (Ligustrum spp.)
Privet is a popular choice for hedges and screens, and it can be used as an alternative to boxwoods in formal landscapes. Privet grows quickly, making it ideal for gardeners who want to establish a hedge or border in a short amount of time. While it can grow quite tall, privet can be regularly pruned to maintain a neat, compact shape.
Characteristics of Privet:
- Fast-growing: Privet is known for its rapid growth, which can be both an advantage and a challenge, depending on your maintenance preferences.
- Dense foliage: Its dense, dark green leaves create an impenetrable screen or hedge, perfect for privacy plantings or defining garden boundaries.
- Versatility: Privet can be pruned into a variety of shapes, from formal hedges to more relaxed, informal screens.
While privet requires regular pruning to keep its growth in check, it’s a resilient and adaptable plant that provides a similar structured appearance to boxwoods.
6. Dwarf Hinoki Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa ‘Nana Gracilis’)
For gardeners seeking an evergreen alternative with a unique texture, dwarf Hinoki cypress is a wonderful option. This slow-growing conifer has a compact, pyramidal shape that can be easily maintained with minimal pruning. Its delicate, fan-like foliage adds visual interest and texture to garden designs.
Characteristics of Dwarf Hinoki Cypress:
- Compact size: Dwarf varieties of Hinoki cypress typically reach 3 to 6 feet tall, making them suitable for smaller gardens or as accent plants.
- Unique texture: The soft, layered foliage of Hinoki cypress contrasts beautifully with other plants, adding depth and texture to the landscape.
- Low maintenance: This plant grows slowly and requires little pruning, making it an easy-care option for busy gardeners.
Hinoki cypress is an excellent choice for adding a sculptural element to the garden, and its evergreen foliage ensures year-round interest.
7. Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus)
Euonymus is another versatile, evergreen shrub that can be used as a boxwood substitute. It has glossy, dark green leaves and can be pruned into formal hedges or topiaries. While it’s more commonly used in warmer climates, certain varieties of euonymus are cold-hardy and can thrive in a range of growing conditions.
Characteristics of Euonymus:
- Glossy, evergreen foliage: The shiny leaves of euonymus provide a similar year-round presence to boxwoods, and some varieties feature variegated foliage for added visual interest.
- Adaptability: Euonymus is highly adaptable to different soil types and can be grown in full sun or partial shade.
- Versatile growth: This plant can be pruned into hedges, used as a foundation planting, or grown as a standalone shrub.
Euonymus offers a flexible, low-maintenance alternative to boxwoods, with a range of colors and growth habits to suit different garden styles.
Designing with Boxwood Substitutes
Incorporating boxwood substitutes into your garden design offers new opportunities for creativity and diversity in landscaping. Here are some design tips for using these alternatives effectively:
1. Create Formal Hedges and Borders
Many boxwood substitutes, such as Japanese holly, privet, and dwarf yaupon holly, can be pruned into formal hedges or borders, providing the same crisp, structured look that boxwoods are known for. When designing hedges, consider the mature size of the plant to avoid overcrowding, and plant in straight rows for a clean, polished appearance.
2. Add Seasonal Interest
Some substitutes, like mountain laurel and inkberry holly, offer more than just evergreen foliage. Their flowers, berries, and colorful foliage can add seasonal interest to your garden, creating a more dynamic and engaging landscape. Plant these shrubs where their blooms or berries can be appreciated up close, such as near walkways or entrances.
3. Incorporate Texture and Contrast
Substitutes like dwarf Hinoki cypress bring a different texture to the garden, with their soft, fan-shaped foliage. Use these plants to create contrast against more traditional shrubs, or pair them with perennials and ornamental grasses for a layered, textural look.
4. Mix and Match
One of the benefits of using boxwood substitutes is the ability to mix and match different shrubs to create a more diverse and interesting garden. Combine plants with varying leaf sizes, colors, and textures for a visually appealing design. For example, pair the small, fine leaves of Japanese holly with the bold, leathery foliage of mountain laurel for a striking contrast.
Conclusion: Embracing a New Era in Garden Design
While boxwoods have long been a favorite in American gardens, the rise of diseases, pests, and climate challenges has prompted many gardeners to explore alternatives. Fortunately, there are many attractive and versatile substitutes for boxwoods that offer similar aesthetic appeal with fewer maintenance concerns.
By incorporating shrubs like Japanese holly, inkberry holly, privet, and dwarf yaupon holly into your landscape, you can achieve the same formal, evergreen look without the risks associated with boxwoods. Additionally, these substitutes offer new opportunities to experiment with texture, color, and seasonal interest, allowing for more dynamic and resilient garden designs.
As we move towards more sustainable and diverse gardening practices, it’s time to embrace the beauty and potential of these boxwood alternatives. Whether you’re looking to create formal hedges, add evergreen accents, or introduce new textures to your garden, these substitutes provide a fresh take on classic garden design.