When to plant and prune Box
Box flowers from early April to late April and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Box is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| South Coast and Channel | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| South East and Home Counties | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| East Anglia | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Wales and West Coast | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Northern England | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Northern Ireland | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early September to late October | early April to late April | early August to late August |
Growing notes
Be realistic before planting box: box blight and box tree caterpillar are now widespread across much of the UK and in bad areas they can make box effectively impossible to grow well. Ilex crenata, Euonymus and Podocarpus are the usual substitutes for low hedging and topiary, though Ilex crenata dislikes hot, dry, sandy sites. Left untrimmed box eventually reaches 5m.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 35 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 100 cm
- Eventual spread
- 60 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Shade tolerant
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 15 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 4 out of 5
Feeding
Mulch with organic matter over the root zone in spring or autumn; a general feed in spring only if growth is weak.
Pruning: what to avoid
Avoid trimming in early summer. It forces a flush of soft growth that scorches in sun and wind and is very vulnerable to box blight, which is why the RHS recommends the main trim in August. Do not cut hedges between March and August without checking first: under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, and the main UK nesting season runs from about early March to August.
Pruning group
Trim established box into shape in August; young plants cut back by a third in May, with further trims May to August
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to late February. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- box blight
- box tree caterpillar
- leaf scorch after early-summer trimming
- bronzing in cold, exposed winters
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for box.