Side by side
Box or box-leaved honeysuckle? How to tell them apart
Buxus sempervirens · Lonicera nitida
How to tell them apart – box: blunt, thicker leaves on green, square twigs, grows much more slowly; box-leaved honeysuckle: evergreen shrub with tiny, glossy leaves on long, thin shoots, widely used for low hedges.
How do you recognise them?
- Box
- Evergreen shrub with small, glossy, opposite leaves: the classic low hedge.
- Compared with box-leaved honeysuckle: blunt, thicker leaves on green, square twigs; grows much more slowly.
- Box-leaved honeysuckle
- Evergreen shrub with tiny, glossy leaves on long, thin shoots; widely used for low hedges.
| Box | Box-leaved honeysuckle | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Opposite, 1–2.5 cm, oval, untoothed and leathery; paler underneath. | Opposite, 6–15 mm, oval, glossy dark green (golden yellow in ‘Baggesen’s Gold’). |
| Flowering | Inconspicuous, fragrant, yellowish-green flowers in March–April (March–April). | Small, cream-coloured, fragrant flowers in pairs in April–May (April–May). |
| Fruit | Small capsules with three little horns. | Glossy purple berries; not edible. |
| Bark | Young shoots green and square; the wood is very hard and yellow. | Thin, arching shoots; older stems with peeling bark. |
| Shape and height | Shrub, 1–5 m | Shrub, 1–2 m |
| Site | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun to shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | No, planted |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | Little | Yes, for birds |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Yes, take care with children and pets | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | May–June and August–September | May–September |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Box is poisonous to people and pets: take care with children and animals.
- Box is native: it feeds more insects and birds than a non-native species. If in doubt, choose this one.
Read on
- Plant profile: Box
- Plant profile: Box-leaved honeysuckle
- Box: when and how to prune
- Box-leaved honeysuckle: when and how to prune
- Identification key: the question that separates them
Also looks like
Identify by feature
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.