Boxwood have been a cherished landscape ornamental for centuries but are also appreciated by many for the charm they can bring around the house during the holidays. Since landing in America in the colonial era, they have graced our landscapes, been used in instruments, and have become a noteworthy piece of holiday decor. It is a popular holiday tradition to weave sprigs of boxwood together to form wreaths, garland, swags, and small trees for Christmas displays. Live cut boxwood can last several weeks if properly preserved, making them perfect for the holiday season.
This is a specimen plant that has been used for wreath cuttings.
Boxwood will flush from the exposed stems,but will take a while to fill back in entirely.
Many growers have made an industry around this where they grow boxwood specimens to be used as cutting material in these decorative items. Large boxwood are trimmed drastically to provide the material. These branches are bagged and shipped around to different florists and designers who incorporate them into decorative pieces. Though it looks harsh, boxwood shrubs are very tolerant of pruning and will flush from the old exposed trunks, and eventually fill back in.
It is important to remember when using boxwood in decorative items that the original plant is free of boxwood blight. Boxwood blight is a fungal pathogen with sticky spores that survive on desiccated boxwood leaves and branches. These spores can spread to healthy plants if they come in contact, or water splashes from the infected material to the healthy plant. If you are bringing home a beautiful new boxwood wreath, it is important to ask where the plant material came from and be sure it is free of boxwood blight. At a minimum, when the Christmas season comes to a close and it’s time to dispose of the wreath, do so in the garbage and do not compost or place near the boxwood in the landscape.
A truck filled with bags of Christmas greens, including boxwood.
Boxwood decorations have been a part of the Christmas decor for centuries and provide a way to bring parts of the outdoor landscape into the home to beautify any living space.