Live Boxwood Topiary Plants & Trees
Live boxwood topiary brings clipped, living shape to a front porch, an entrance or a formal garden. These are real boxwood topiary trees, in balls, cones, spirals and pom poms, and they keep growing, so they want a light trim once or twice a year. Check two things first. Your winter zone and the afternoon sun on the spot decide which boxwood will thrive, and we can help you choose.
Live Tiered Triple Ball Boxwood Topiary, 48-50 in
Quoted with delivery
Built to order, 4 to 10 weeks
Boxwood Poodle Topiary, Buxus ‘Rotundifolia’, 4-5 Ft
Quoted with delivery
Built to order, 4 to 10 weeks
Live Boxwood Spiral Topiary, 58-61 Inch Thick Spirals
$1,295.00delivery quoted separately
In stock, ships by freight
Need a size or shape you don’t see?
Tell us the space and the height. We will suggest pieces and quote them with delivery to your ZIP.
Buying guide
Choosing a live boxwood topiary
- From
- $155
- Heights
- 12 in – 17 ft
Read next: Ball topiarySpiral topiaryCare guide by zone
These are real, live boxwood topiaries for sale: growing plants clipped into balls, cones, spirals and pom poms. Most buyers want them for a front door, a porch, a formal bed or a business entrance. Nearly every plant here is boxwood. The one exception is a 17-foot arborvitae spiral.
Check two things before you pick a shape. The first is your USDA hardiness zone, especially if the plant will spend winter outdoors in a pot. The second is how much afternoon sun the spot gets.
Shapes and sizes of live boxwood topiary
Heights below are the range in the listings today. Each shape has its own page.
Balls and globes: 12 inches to 65 inches, plus balls on a stem up to 84 inches, double and triple balls, and a half-moon. See live boxwood balls.
Cones: 15 inches to 71 inches, in green or variegated boxwood. See live boxwood cones.
Spirals: 24 inches to 9 feet in boxwood, plus the arborvitae. See live spiral topiary.
Pom poms: 35 inches to 12 feet. See pom pom topiary.
Animals: a 4 to 5 foot ‘Rotundifolia’ poodle and a 45 to 48 inch sitting bear.
Choosing a boxwood for your zone and light
Where a listing names the boxwood, it is ‘Green Beauty’, ‘Wintergem’, ‘Rotundifolia’ or a variegated boxwood. As a general guide, ‘Wintergem’ is rated for zones 5 to 9 and ‘Green Beauty’ for zones 6 to 9. ‘Rotundifolia’ is a common boxwood, rated for zones 5 to 8. The variegated boxwood is safest in zones 6 to 8.
A pot changes the answer. Roots in a container are far less hardy than the top of the plant, so a potted plant that stays out all winter should be rated one zone colder than yours. The boxwood care guide by USA zone matches plants to zones.
Boxwood grows in sun or part shade, but it looks better with shade in the afternoon. Keep variegated boxwood out of afternoon sun altogether. Deer usually leave boxwood alone.
Prices, parcel and freight
Prices start at $155 for a small ‘Green Beauty’ globe or the half-moon. The 9-foot ‘Green Beauty’ spiral is $5,500. Ten listings go in the cart, some in selected sizes only. The other 31, and anything over $750, are quoted with delivery.
Plants up to about 42 inches ship UPS Ground in a custom box. Taller ones go by freight, upright and braced, because a tall plant laid on its side for three days arrives damaged.
Looking after a live topiary
Unpack it the day it arrives and water deeply until the water drains. After that, trim once or twice a year, starting after the last spring frost, and thin the inside every year or two so light and air reach the middle. Receiving your plant covers the first month.
Questions about Live Boxwood Topiary
Are these real, live boxwood topiaries?
Yes. Every plant here is a living boxwood, apart from the arborvitae spiral. It keeps growing, so it needs water, light and a trim once or twice a year. If you want no upkeep at all, artificial boxwood holds the same shapes.
Can a live boxwood topiary stay outdoors in winter?
Yes, within its zone. In the ground, match the plant to your zone. In a pot, choose one rated one zone colder than yours, because the roots are exposed on every side. Water well before the ground freezes. The care guide by zone has the details.
Can boxwood topiary take full sun?
It can, but it does better with afternoon shade. Boxwood facing south or southwest suffers more winter burn, which turns the leaves orange or yellow-brown. Variegated boxwood should get no afternoon sun at all. For a shady spot, see topiary for shade and low light.
How often does a live topiary need trimming?
Once or twice a year, after the last spring frost. Do not cut in late summer or early fall, because new shoots may not harden before the cold. Every year or two, thin the canopy as well. A topiary year sets out the calendar.
Is boxwood safe around dogs and cats?
No. The ASPCA lists boxwood as toxic to dogs, cats and horses; eating it can cause vomiting and diarrhea, and colic in horses. Place it where pets will not chew it. Deer, on the other hand, usually leave boxwood alone.
Can you deliver live topiary near me?
Yes, across the US. Plants up to about 42 inches go UPS Ground. Taller ones go by freight and are quoted with delivery: someone must be there to sign, and a liftgate is billed by the carrier. Note any damage on the receipt before signing and call us within 24 hours.
Do you sell live topiary wholesale?
Yes. Landscapers, designers and businesses can ask for a price on several plants or a whole job through our wholesale topiary page. Large plants travel by freight, so the quote includes delivery.
