The Ideal Substitute
he RHS has issued a warning that box caterpillar populations are higher than usual this year after a mild winter and warm spring. Although box can recover from defoliation, the hunt for box substitutes continues. Bloombux ( x ), a robust dwarf cultivar. Bloombux bears pale pink flowers in late spring and early summer, but once it stops flowering and has been pruned, its small leaves come to the fore. It’s very hardy, lime tolerant and will grow as a specimen plant in the garden. Grow it in full sun or part shade.
