Japanese Spindle 'Jean Hugues'

'Jean Hugues' is an increasingly popular alternative to Box (Buxus) for low-to-mid height hedging in the UK. This evergreen shrub is highly regarded for its dense, upright habit and small, glossy, dark green leaves that closely resemble Buxus but with the added benefit of being resistant to Box Blight and Box Moth. It is slow-growing and very easy to maintain with an annual clip, making it ideal for formal parterres, garden divisions, or neat boundary hedges. While it rarely flowers prominently, its architectural form and reliable year-round foliage are its main draws. It is particularly well-suited to coastal gardens as it is highly tolerant of salt spray and windy conditions. It thrives in most well-drained soils and can handle positions from full sun to quite deep shade, though growth will be slower in the latter. Its hardiness is reliable for most of the UK.

Sun: Full sun to partial shade.

Soil: Any well-drained soil.

Hardiness: H5 — down to −15°C.

Flowering: May, Jun.