- Mature height
- Maintained as a clipped pyramid
- Mature width
- Maintained as a clipped pyramid
Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' Pyramid is a pre-clipped formal topiary pyramid of Faulkner Box, ready to place. The reason to choose Faulkner over English Box is colour in the sun. It holds a deep glossy green through full sun and summer heat in positions where Buxus sempervirens bronzes off, browns at the tips and thins on the exposed side.
The leaves are small, rounded and high gloss, carried on short internodes. That gives a tight, solid clipped surface with no gaps in the outline, and a tapered pyramid that reads as a clean architectural shape rather than a shrub that has been trimmed into one. Each specimen is grown and clipped to form before it leaves the nursery.
Growth is slow, which is why it holds the shape between trims. Two light clips a year is enough to keep the taper crisp. Faulkner is frost hardy, drought tolerant once established, and noticeably less susceptible to box blight than English Box, which makes it the safer choice where box has struggled before.
Use it in pairs at an entry, as repeated markers down a driveway or path, in pots on a terrace, or as the vertical accent in a parterre or clipped garden bed. It works in full sun where most formal topiary will not.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner' Pyramid
What is Buxus microphylla 'Faulkner'?
'Faulkner' is a named cultivar of Japanese Box, selected for its glossy rounded foliage and dense compact habit. It is the most widely planted box in Australian formal gardens because it holds colour and density in conditions that mark English Box.
How is it different from English Box?
Sun and heat tolerance, and blight. English Box bronzes and browns in full sun and hot summers, and is the box most affected by box blight. Faulkner keeps its glossy dark green in the same position and is far less susceptible to blight. English Box gives a slightly finer leaf, so it still has a place in shaded or cool positions.
Will it hold the pyramid shape?
Yes. Each plant arrives already clipped to a formal pyramid on a dense frame. Growth is slow, roughly 10cm to 20cm a year, so the outline stays crisp for months at a time and only needs light trimming to hold.
How often does it need clipping?
Two light clips a year, in spring and again in late summer. Trim little and often rather than hard. Cutting back into bare old wood reshoots slowly and can leave a gap in the taper for a season.
Is it frost hardy?
Yes. Faulkner survives heavy and frequent frost without damage, so it suits the tablelands, Ballarat, Bendigo and the alpine fringe as well as coastal and metropolitan gardens.
Where does it grow best in Australia?
Almost anywhere outside the wet tropics. It performs from subtropical Queensland through coastal and inland New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. It needs free-draining soil and will not tolerate waterlogging.
How do I care for it?
Water deeply through the first growing season, then only in extended dry periods. Feed with a slow-release fertiliser in early spring. Clip twice a year to hold the taper. Mulch annually and keep the mulch clear of the stem. In pots, water more often and repot or top dress every second year.
