Dwarf Box hedging plants – Buxus ‘Rococo’ (Buxus Microphylla ‘Rococo’) is a less familiar dwarf growing Box variety that most gardeners may not have heard of before. It is a type of Japanese box (the same family as Buxus ‘Faulkner’) and has tiny evergreen leaves, almost like a miniature Japanese Holly.
Rococo is a dense and compact plant with very bushy growth and is becoming increasingly acknowledged as the closest replacement for the traditional Dwarf Box, (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ – which we no longer stock due to its susceptibility) that has been decimated by box blight in recent years. ‘Rococo’ is noted by several sources and in a number of articles as having a promising level of resistance to Cylindrocladium blight. It has a suitable habit of growth for the smallest hedges and edgings from 15cm up to around 60cm in height, often seen with a rounded top as this little Buxus likes to grow into a cloud shape naturally although it can also of course be trimmed to a square profile.
Buxus microphylla ‘Rococo can also be planted as an alternative (and very low maintenance) ground cover plant, or a a ‘Box Lawn’ where the beauty of its glossy evergreen foliage can be appreciated and will grow into a dense weed supressing carpet.
Box hedges will grow in any well prepared soil that has good drainage. When planting they appreciate the incorporation of organic matter like well-rotted manure or compost together with an annual spring mulch of organic material to counter dry spells of weather. Box is a surface rooting plant and will appreciate a cool moist root run. To keep the foliage healthy and dark green, use an evergreen fertiliser each spring that is naturally high in magnesium, and your dwarf box hedge will stay in tip top condition.
As with all Box hedging varieties, we recommend you trim Buxus ‘Rococo’ in early summer, choose a dry breezy and overcast day so that the cut edges dry quickly preventing the ingress of fungal spores. If possible use a sharp pair of hedging shears instead of a hedge trimmer as this will leave fewer cut edges. Rococo grows 5-10cm per year and therefore is a low maintenance plant.
When planting Box hedges we recommend digging the area over throroughly and incorporating a generous quantity of organic matter such as garden compost or well rotted manure as the fleshy roots of Box really appreciate this. Adding some Bone Meal at planting time (well mixed with the soil) is a cost effective and organic way of feeding your hedge during the first season releasing its nutrients to the hedge plants slowly. Rootgrow is also an excellent product giving new hedges of all types a head start. Click here for our guide on how to revive your Buxus Plant
All of our Dwarf Box hedging plants are pot grown meaning there is no root disturbance and so they may be planted at any time of year with excellent results. We grow all our Dwarf Box here on our award winning nursery in Kent under the watchful eye of our horticulturalist team. Our top quality Dwarf Box hedging plants are selected from the growing beds, packed carefully and despatched to customers the same day ensuring you receive fresh, top quality plants every time.
You may also like to consider other varieties in our Box hedging range, we have the Common Box, Box Faulkner and Variegated Box types in a wide range of sizes. For larger designs, our Dwarf Box hedging plants could be combined with alternative species from our list of small ornamental hedges to provide contrast of texture and colour within a formal design.
Dwarf Box hedging can ocassionally be susceptible to infection from fungus, which can be potentially fatal for your plants. However. this can easily be prevented with help from our handy guide on dealing with Box Blight.
We offer generous quantity discounts for all our Dwarf Box hedge plants and free delivery on all orders over £50 (ex VAT).
For any other questions about our Dwarf Box hedging plants please do give our experienced sales team a call on 01580 765600.
Delivery leadtimes update- March/April 2024
We are working at maximum capacity to fulfil all orders as quickly as possible but owing to unprecedented demand some orders will take longer:
– Orders containing only bare root plants – delivery is currently within 5-7 days
– All other orders – delivery is currently within 2-3 weeks
Delivery is free for most orders above our free delivery thresholds, these are displayed above our prices in the product listings and summarized below. If you don’t need that many plants it’s not a problem, you can choose to pay our delivery charge and only order what you need.
Delivery is convenient – no signature is required so you don’t need to wait in, we will leave your parcel in the safe place that you nominate.
Delivery is fast – because we pick orders daily from our own growing beds your plants only travel the small hop to our packing shed before being sent to you, they are usually delivered within 3-7 days.
Delivery is reliable – we have been selling and delivering Hedging Plants to our customers nationwide since 1992. We have a lot of experience in packing them safely and only use tried and tested delivery partners.
Smaller Plants (Parcel Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £90 | £15.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £90 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £24.00 |
Heavy Plants (Pallet Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Up to £420 | £72.00 |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £420 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | £72.00 |
Tall Plants 2.5m+ (Specialist Delivery)
| Location | Order Value | Price |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Under £1800 | Please call us |
| UK Mainland excluding Highlands | Over £1800 | Free |
| Scottish Highlands and Isle of Wight | All orders | Not available |
Exceptions to our delivery charges are Scottish Highland and Isle of Wight delivery areas where we need to charge a little extra to cover the cost of deliveries to these outlying areas. We don’t currently delivery to other offshore addresses including Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland.
Tall plants over 2.5 metres have to be delivered by our own specialised transport, our delivery area is limited to mainland England and Wales only.
Please note there is a minimum order value of £50 for orders containing smaller plants and £250 for orders containing heavier plants
Complete delivery information can be viewed on our Delivery Information page
