Fastigiata boxwood is an upright, column-shaped boxwood that brings height and structure to the garden. Instead of forming the low, rounded mounds most people picture when they think of boxwood, it grows tall and narrow, like a living green pillar. It is a favorite for flanking entrances, lining formal paths and creating narrow screens where space is tight.
This boxwood is a selection of common boxwood, the classic European hedge plant. It keeps the fine texture and rich green color of its parent while growing in a strongly vertical form. It also offers moderate resistance to boxwood blight, which gives it an advantage over some other tall boxwoods.
Botanical Classification
Fastigiata belongs to the box family, a small group of evergreen shrubs that also includes pachysandra and sweet box. It is a cultivar of common boxwood, the species native to southern and western Europe, North Africa and western Asia.
Its name comes from a botanical term for plants with upright branches that grow close together and point toward the sky. Many trees and shrubs have fastigiate forms, such as Italian cypress and columnar oaks. Fastigiata boxwood is the classic upright form of common boxwood.
Brief History
Common boxwood has been grown in European gardens for more than 2,000 years. Over time, gardeners selected plants with unusual shapes, including weeping, dwarf and upright forms. Upright boxwoods were especially useful in formal gardens, where tall green columns added rhythm and structure.
Fastigiata became one of the best-known upright boxwoods in North America during the 20th century. It was planted in formal estates, public gardens and residential landscapes, especially in the eastern United States. Today, it remains one of the most widely available columnar boxwoods.
Identifying Characteristics
Fastigiata boxwood has small, oval leaves about half an inch to an inch long. They are dark green to slightly blue-green and glossy. The leaves grow in pairs on opposite sides of the stem, densely packed along upright branches.
Its most distinctive feature is its shape. It grows into a narrow pyramid or column, often reaching 10 to 12 feet tall over many years. It usually stays only 3 to 4 feet wide, giving it a slim, vertical outline.
It grows slowly to moderately, often a few inches a year. Its branches grow upward and close together, so it naturally keeps its shape with little pruning. Like other common boxwoods, its leaves have a distinctive musky scent.
In early spring, it produces tiny, fragrant, pale yellow-green flowers among the leaves. They attract bees but are easy to overlook. Small seed capsules follow in summer.
Landscape Uses
Fastigiata boxwood is ideal for vertical accents. A pair placed on either side of a door, gate or garden entrance creates a formal, welcoming frame. Rows of plants can line driveways, paths and garden walls for a classic, structured look.
It also makes an excellent narrow screen or hedge where space is limited. Planted close together, it forms a tall green wall that takes up little ground space. It works well between houses, along fences and in small urban gardens.
In formal gardens, it is often used to add height among low boxwood hedges and parterres. It also grows well in large containers, where it can serve as a living column on patios and terraces. Like other boxwoods, it is deer-resistant, and all parts of the plant are toxic if eaten.
Growing Considerations
Fastigiata boxwood is generally hardy from about USDA zone 5 to zone 8. It grows best in regions with moderate summers and winters, such as the Mid-Atlantic, Northeast, Midwest and Pacific Northwest.
It grows in full sun to partial shade. In hot climates, afternoon shade helps prevent leaf scorch. In colder areas, protection from drying winter winds helps prevent winter burn.
Good drainage is essential. Like all boxwoods, it can develop root rot in soggy soil. It grows best in loose, well-drained soil enriched with compost. It prefers slightly acidic to neutral soil, around pH 6.5 to 7.0.
Its roots are shallow, so a thin layer of mulch, about 1 to 2 inches, helps keep them cool and moist. Mulch should be kept away from the stems. Water young plants regularly, and give established plants a deep watering in fall before the ground freezes.
Pruning and Care
Fastigiata boxwood naturally holds its upright shape, so it needs only light pruning. Trim in late spring after new growth hardens to keep the outline neat. Avoid heavy pruning, which can open up the dense branches.
Snow and ice can bend or split its upright branches. In snowy regions, gardeners often tie the branches loosely together with soft twine in late fall. Gently brushing off heavy snow after storms also helps prevent damage.
Thinning a few interior branches lets in light and air, which helps reduce disease. Light fertilizer in spring is helpful if growth is weak or leaves look pale.
Pests and Diseases
Fastigiata boxwood is rated as moderately resistant to boxwood blight. This fungal disease, first found in the United States in 2011, causes leaf spots, black streaks on stems and rapid leaf drop. While Fastigiata is not immune, it performs better than many common boxwood cultivars, such as English boxwood.
It can still be affected by the boxwood leafminer, whose larvae tunnel inside leaves, as well as boxwood psyllids and spider mites. Root rot can occur in poorly drained soils.
The invasive box tree moth, whose caterpillars can strip boxwoods of their leaves, has spread across Europe and into parts of North America. Gardeners should watch for webbing and chewed leaves in late spring and summer.
Fastigiata vs. Other Upright Boxwoods
Fastigiata is one of several upright boxwoods. Graham Blandy is even narrower, often staying only 1 to 2 feet wide, but it is highly susceptible to boxwood blight. Dee Runk forms a tall column up to about 8 feet and, like Fastigiata, is rated moderately resistant to blight.
Green Mountain, a hybrid boxwood, grows into a broader pyramid about 5 feet tall. It is very cold-hardy but more susceptible to leafminer. For gardeners who want a tall, narrow boxwood with moderate blight resistance, Fastigiata is a reliable choice.
Sources
Virginia Tech, “Boxwood (Buxus species)”