The Cost of a Boxwood Shrub

Last Updated on December 29, 2023
Written by CPA Alec Pow | Content Reviewed by CFA Alexander Popinker

The boxwood shrub or the Turkish cranberry is a shrub with very thick foliage, widespread in forests that grow in calcareous areas, but it is also a beautiful ornamental shrub used for decorative purposes, especially for hedges. The leaves of this plant are oval, very bright green, which in autumn turns red and orange and the flowers have a shade of yellow. This shrub is part of the Celastraceae family and can live up to 600 years.

How Much Does a Boxwood Shrub Cost?

The average price of a one-gallon-sized boxwood shrub is anywhere between $15 and $25, while a packet containing 100 seeds would cost $5 to $8. When you budget by the gallon, be prepared to spend $8 to $15 for one gallon, but the cost depends on the size. The larger the shrub is, the higher the cost will be.

For instance, for a large shrub, that is 26 to 30 inches tall you would pay anywhere between $110 and $160, while a boxwood shrub that is taller than 33 inches will set you back $160 to $210. In the table below you will find the price estimates for some of the most popular types of boxwood shrub that you can find at a local nursery.

If you want to purchase a boxwood shrub from Lowes, be prepared to pay around $25 for a 1.5-gallon common boxwood shrub.

According to a member of the Gardenweb.com forum, the price of a 15 to 20-gallon boxwood that is around 36 inches tall is almost $110.

On the DavisDayLilyNursery.com website, you can find a wide range of boxwood shrubs, where you would pay around $40 for a five-gallon shrub and almost $15 for a one-gallon shrub. However, most of the shrubs are sold for almost $220, but there are some boxwood shrubs that are 75 years old that can be bought for more than $1,100.

What are the extra costs?

It is recommended to purchase fertilizer and some organic potting mix for the younger plants. The price of one bag of each would be around $7.

In order to protect the roots in both hot and cold weather, mulching is recommended.

You might also like our articles about the cost of lemon trees, pine trees, or oak trees.

Depending on the distance traveled, you will have to pay the delivery fees from a local nursery, which can start at almost $55. Although, most of the time they will waive this fee if you place the required minimum order.

Important things to consider

There are four common types of boxwood shrubs that can be found in yards: Korean, English, Japanese and American.

The boxwood shrub can reach a maximum height of 26 feet, but this happens within 20 to 50 years.

This ornamental shrub can be grown both in sunny areas and in those with partial or total shade. It can also be placed without problems in any cardinal point of the garden. Moreover, boxwood shrub grows in any type of soil, but it is preferable for it to be well-drained. One of the risks of planting boxwood shrubs is that they can be dried by too strong sunlight, but also by a strong and constant wind.

For planting, you should choose a moist place, but one that drains well. In addition, you should constantly put an organic mix at the base of the plant to control moisture and weed growth. Moreover, the boxwood shrub can be cut periodically, for faster growth. However, specialists recommend not pruning this shrub before winter comes, to prevent problems with its development.

Boxwood shrub is sensitive to some insects, such as termites. Its flowers are pollinated by bees and they are blooming from April to May. Boxwood shrub flowers have also been used over time in beer production in France. They have a special smell, but they are not extremely beautiful.

For medicinal purposes, phytotherapists recommend the use of young branches of this ornamental shrub, which contain important active substances – tannins, vitamin C, resins, and buxenin – an alkaloid with a strong inhibitory action on the development of cancer cells, which helps strengthen the immune system – in the form of tea, infusion, decoction or tincture.

Boxwood shrub is a toxic plant as it contains a substance called cyclobuxin, which is a tetanizing poison. So, imprudent and accidental use of plant products can cause severe intoxications manifested by diarrhea, vomiting, pulmonary congestion, respiratory centers. It is mandatory to follow the recommended doses.

How can I save money?

You may be able to score a good deal when you purchase nursery items at the end of the season.  Pay attention to discounts and look for sales on social media or official website pages of the selling nurseries.

You might be able to save money when buying more as the majority of the nurseries offer bulk discounts.

In order to save on the shipping cost, buy your boxwood shrubs locally.