Dee Runk Boxwood

Every landscape design needs the structure and grace delivered by sturdy broadleaf evergreen plants. They are famously said to create “the bones” of a design, and Dee Runk Boxwood (Buxus 'Dee Runk') is a particularly useful variety. You’ll find dozens of places in your yard to accent with this kind of tall, tightly pyramidal column of restful deep green.

Create excitement with this architectural plant. Can you think of an easier way to boost your home’s curb appeal than to plant one on either side of your front door?

Sheared Boxwood plants have defined, formal garden style for many hundreds of years. But it can also be grown as a soft, fluffy, natural plant without much pruning at all. Push the envelope on casual gardening with this trusty narrow workhorse.

Dee Runk is actually a speedy little grower (for a Boxwood!) It can grow up to 6 inches a year if given a spot with at least 4 hours of direct sunlight a day. Give them either full sun, or part sun, in well-drained soils with good air circulation. In full shade, they won't grow as fast or as full.

It won’t be long before you’ll luxuriate in the lush, fine-textured foliage of this taller-growing Boxwood. It stays compact and narrow and will naturally grow a wider bottom than the top.

As the plants develop, they take on the look of living exclamation points!

Dee Runk makes the perfect partner for small, rounded shrubs or perennials. Try them near classic Bobo® Hydrangea, colorful Goldmound Spirea or even the rustic Denim n’ Lace Russian Sage.

Dee Runk can provide a dramatic garden accent in foundation plantings. They can be used in a row as structural columns along the back of a border. Or, they can be grown close together to form a solid hedge, as well.

This is a versatile variety that is tolerant of most soil types that drain well (including well-drained clay). It resists most pests and diseases and is hardy to Zone 5. You’ll have no fuss or muss about soil pH. It even has excellent deer resistance.

Of course, it’s the unique upright, narrow pyramidal form which sets this Boxwood apart from the others. Gift yourself this plant in your landscape. You’ll love the look of its elegant, dark green leaves all year round.

Our growers take great pride in growing our special Dee Runk Boxwood. Order today and fall in love!

How to Use Dee Runk Boxwood in the Landscape

With its narrow upright form, Dee Runk makes an excellent screen in tight spots. Use as a strategic privacy hedge near a patio or to block a garage or shed.

For a solid hedge, plant them 2 feet apart on center. You’ll measure from the center of one to the center of the next. Allow them to grow together as a single plant.

Boxwood can be sheared into a formal, uniform look with minimal effort. There is nothing like a grand, symmetrical planting to grace your home or commercial building.

But just like the barbershop, you can decide how tightly you want to keep your Boxwood trimmed up. You can certainly use a lighter hand and focus only on cleaning up the stray or scraggly branches.

Or, leave your shears in the garage and simply enjoy your upright Dee Runk Boxwood grown naturally. It may take only a simple nip or tuck every other year or so to keep your plants looking nice and natural with a bit more casual styling.

Any way you want to use Dee Runk, it’s going to look amazing. So relax and enjoy!

Try marching a matching set of 3, 5, or 7 individual plants down the center of a rectangular bed that is viewed from both sides. They’ll create a marvelous focal point. Underplant with easy care groundcover plants or Landscape Shrub Roses. Finish off the edge of the bed with a local quarried stone block.

You can easily include an upright Boxwood in large outdoor containers along the patio, or in pots flanking the front door. They are so fun to decorate with Fairy Lights for the Holidays.

Dee Runk also makes a great specimen plant that works especially well to help mark points of transition in the landscape. They’ll ease the flow into an outdoor entertainment area, pool deck, or special backyard garden room.

If you have the room, why not create a symmetrical “allée” in a side yard, or on either side of your front sidewalk? Simply plant 4 or 6 Dee Runk plants in a double row, with 2 or 3 plants on either side. Keep the rows a gracious 8 feet apart, and space the trees 3 - 5 feet apart. As they grow, they’ll heighten your sense of anticipation as you walk to your destination.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Dee Runk Boxwood can be planted in nearly any soil type—even clay!—as long as they drain well. Use a raised bed, or mound additional soil to plant in if you suspect poor drainage in your preferred planting site.

Give Dee Runk Boxwood a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Protect them with a nice layer of mulch spread over the root system to keep it moist and cool. However, once they are established in your native soil, they are quite tolerant.

If needed, you can get rid of winter-damaged tips with a quick snip in early spring. Assess your plant at that time and prepare for the annual pruning. You’ll do the majority of this task after the new growth has elongated late in spring.

Trim back any of the new growth to your preferred level at this time. Remove any horizontal branches that head outward.

Getting too tall? Trim your Dee Runk to the height you want and then create a nice pyramid form by angling the shorter tops to point inward again. Keep them at your preferred height with an annual trim.

If you see a secondary flush of new growth in late summer, they may need a light touch up. However, heavy shearing Boxwood in the fall is not recommended, especially in cold regions.

Who knows? You may find yourself trying your hand at the ancient pruning art of topiary. Dee Runk will love it!

For Zone 5 landscapes, you should consider giving Dee Runk a protected planting site. Broad-leaved evergreens can burn in an open, exposed windy location during hard winters. As a rule, always make sure the plants have good moisture going into winter before the ground freezes to help the foliage stay healthy.

These special plants add so much to your landscape, without taking up much real estate. Take a good look around at your landscape. Where could you use a year-round pop of dark green color, and the drama of a strongly vertical accent?

Order Dee Runk Boxwood today and realize your vision!