Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Boxleaf Euonymus
Boxleaf Euonymus is a small, slow-growing evergreen with tiny, glossy, deep green leaves, often used where people want the look of boxwood. It stays about 1 to 3 feet tall, so it suits low hedges, bed edging, borders and knot gardens. It shears neatly into low hedges and topiary, and it grows well in containers. It keeps a tidy look all year.
Best for: low hedges, bed edging and borders, knot gardens and topiary, mass plantings in shady beds, and containers.
Plant it 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center, for a low hedge, border or bed edging. It stays dense and tidy and grows slowly.
The tiny leaves shear cleanly, so it is used for sheared low hedges, topiary and knot gardens. Left unpruned, its natural form is also neat.
Its small size and slow growth suit containers. In beds it does best in shadier spots with some morning sun.
Hot afternoon sun and reflected heat scorch it, and it needs regular water in the Valley. Scale insects are the most common pest on euonymus.
- Low hedge row24-36 in apart
- Tight edging24 in apart
Keep a new plant's root ball moist while it roots in. Once rooted, water about weekly and more often in extreme heat. Let the top few inches dry between soaks.
Do the main shearing in late winter or early spring. Light trims keep a formal edge through the season. Skip heavy cuts in extreme heat.
Give it shade for most of the day, with morning sun at most. West walls and reflected heat scorch the leaves.
Scale is the most common pest, so coat stems and both sides of the leaves with horticultural oil at the first sign. Yellow leaves with green veins can mean alkaline soil, and an iron product helps.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
How big does Boxleaf Euonymus get?
It grows slowly to about 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide, and it stays dense. It fits low hedges, edging and pots.
How far apart should I plant it for a low hedge?
Plant it about 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center, or about 24 inches for a tight edge. The Spacing tab will count plants for your row.
Is Boxleaf Euonymus a good boxwood substitute?
It is often used that way. The tiny, glossy leaves give a boxwood look, and it shears into low hedges, edging and topiary.
Can Boxleaf Euonymus take full sun in Phoenix?
It does best in shadier spots with some morning sun. Keep it off west walls and out of reflected heat, which scorch euonymus leaves.
How often should I water Boxleaf Euonymus?
Water it about weekly, and more often in extreme heat. Let the top few inches of soil dry between soaks so the roots do not rot.
When should I shear Boxleaf Euonymus?
Do the main shearing in late winter or early spring. Light trims through the season keep a formal edge, but skip heavy cuts in extreme heat.
Can it grow in a pot?
Yes. Its small size and slow growth suit containers. Water it regularly, since it is not a low-water plant.
What pests bother Boxleaf Euonymus?
Scale is the most common. Treat it early by coating stems and both sides of the leaves with horticultural oil.
How cold can Boxleaf Euonymus take?
It is rated to about -10°F, like other evergreen euonymus. It stays green through Valley winters and needs no frost cover.
Is Boxleaf Euonymus toxic to pets?
Euonymus leaves and seeds can upset a pet's stomach if chewed, and large amounts are more serious. Keep pets from eating it.
Boxleaf Euonymus for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Boxleaf Euonymus (Euonymus japonicus 'Microphyllus') is a dwarf, small-leaved form of evergreen euonymus. It grows slowly into a tidy, dense plant about 1 to 3 feet tall. Below is what to expect, including size, spacing for a low hedge, where to plant it in the Valley, water, shearing and common problems.
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Boxleaf Euonymus in Arizona
Boxleaf Euonymus is a dwarf evergreen with tiny, glossy, deep green leaves. In the Valley it does best in shadier spots with some morning sun and regular water.
How big does Boxleaf Euonymus get?
It grows slowly to about 1 to 3 feet tall and 1 to 2 feet wide. It stays dense and tidy with little work.
How far apart to plant Boxleaf Euonymus
For a low hedge or edging, plant 24 to 36 inches apart, center to center. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
Boxleaf Euonymus vs boxwood
Boxleaf Euonymus is often used for a boxwood look. Its tiny leaves shear into low hedges, edging, knot gardens and topiary.
Watering Boxleaf Euonymus in Phoenix
Water about weekly, and more often in extreme heat. Let the top few inches dry between soaks, since soggy soil rots the roots.
Shearing a Boxleaf Euonymus hedge
Do the main shearing in late winter or early spring. Keep trims light in summer and skip heavy cuts in extreme heat.
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