Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Japanese Boxwood
Japanese Boxwood is the dense, glossy green shrub behind most formal hedges, globes and topiary in Phoenix yards. It takes shearing into squares, rounds or cones and holds the shape. It usually grows 3 to 6 feet tall and wide at a moderate pace, and it stays green all year. It handles Valley heat and alkaline soil with regular water, and it grows well in pots.
Best for: formal clipped hedges, globes, cones and topiary, entry beds and courtyards, and patio containers.
Plant 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, and shear into a square or rounded hedge. The small leaves hold a crisp line along a walk, drive or bed edge.
It adapts to many shapes when sheared, so it is a go-to for globes, cones and topiary in entry beds and courtyards.
It grows well in patio containers and small gardens. Pots dry out faster than beds, so check water often in summer.
It needs more water than desert shrubs and does not like to dry out in summer. In the hottest spots, reflected heat and full afternoon sun can scorch leaves.
- Plant to plant4-6 ft apart, center to center
- Formal hedge4 ft apart for a solid line
Water regularly while it roots in. Keep water consistent through summer heat, since it is not as drought tolerant as desert shrubs. Once rooted, a deep soak every couple of weeks works in milder months.
Shear to keep hedges, globes and cones crisp. It holds the shape well between trims.
It grows in full sun to part shade. In the hottest spots, afternoon shade and steady water help keep the leaves green.
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.
Can Japanese Boxwood handle Phoenix heat?
Yes, with regular water. It handles heat and alkaline soil better than most boxwoods and is a popular hedge plant in Phoenix. Give it some afternoon shade in the hottest spots.
How big does Japanese Boxwood get?
Usually 3 to 6 feet tall and wide, sometimes larger, and it grows at a moderate pace. Shearing keeps it at any size you like.
How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?
About 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center, using the low end for a solid formal hedge. The Spacing tab counts plants for your row.
How often should I water it?
Water regularly while it roots in and keep water steady in summer heat. Once rooted, it does fine with a deep soak every couple of weeks outside the hottest stretch.
Can I shear it?
Yes. It takes shearing well and adapts to squares, rounds, cones and topiary. Trim as needed to keep the shape crisp.
Does it need full sun or shade?
It grows in full sun to part shade. In the hottest Phoenix spots, afternoon shade helps the leaves look their best.
Will it grow in alkaline desert soil?
Yes. It tolerates alkaline soil, one reason it is common in Phoenix. It prefers soil that drains but holds some moisture.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes. It suits patio containers and small gardens. Check pots often in summer, since they dry out faster.
How cold can it take?
About -10°F, far colder than any Valley winter.
When is the best time to plant boxwood?
Fall is the best time to plant shrubs in the Valley, with late winter and early spring next best. Summer is the hardest time to get one rooted.
Japanese Boxwood for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var. japonica) is a small-leaved evergreen from Japan and a common formal hedge plant in Phoenix. It handles heat and alkaline soil better than most boxwoods. This page covers size, hedge spacing, sun, watering, shearing, soil and pots.
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Japanese Boxwood in Phoenix
Japanese Boxwood is a popular hedge plant in Phoenix because it handles heat and alkaline soil better than most boxwoods. It needs regular water and does best with some afternoon shade in hot spots.
How far apart to plant boxwood for a hedge
Plant Japanese Boxwood about 4 to 6 feet apart, center to center. Use 4 feet for a solid formal hedge. The Spacing tab on this page counts plants for your row.
How big does Japanese Boxwood get?
It usually grows 3 to 6 feet tall and wide at a moderate pace. Shearing holds it at whatever size you want.
Watering boxwood in Arizona
Water regularly while it roots in and keep summer water steady. Once rooted, a deep soak about every couple of weeks works outside the hottest weeks.
Shearing Japanese Boxwood
The small leaves take shearing well. It adapts to squares, rounds, cones and topiary and holds a crisp shape between trims.
Japanese Boxwood in pots
It grows well in patio containers and small gardens. Pots dry out faster, so check water often in summer.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.