How to Find a Boxwood That Doesn't Smell Like Cat Urine

Sheared boxwood hedges tracing the edges of a curvilinear path.

Boxwoods are beloved for their rich, glossy evergreen foliage and slow rate of growth that suits formal hedging and topiary designs beautifully. Boxwood also has a reputation for an odor produced when the natural oils in the leaves are warmed by the sun. Some find the scent to be musky or resin-like and tolerable or pleasant even. Others are convinced the shrubs have been doused in cat urine and find the odor repellent. A number of factors cause this differentiation, proximity to the shrubs is one, time of day and intensity of sunlight during exposure is another. Species choice is also key as some versions of the plant produce a stronger odor than others.

Instructions

1. Avoid buying or planting the species or any cultivars of Buxus sempervirens, widely known as Common or American boxwood, as they produce the acrid odor that many find offensive. Cultivar names that you may see in your nursery center and should avoid are: Argenteo-variegata, Elegantissima, Inglis, Northern Beauty, Welleri, Graham Blandy, Pendula, Suffrutiosa and Vardar Valley.

2. Seek out the species group Buxus microphylla known colloquially as Littleleaf or English boxwood and sometimes as Japanese Boxwood, as this is where the species originated. This species is known to have a much less-pronounced scent than the sempervirens species.

3. Source boxwood plants clearly labeled Buxus microphylla followed by a cultivar or variety name in the common plant taxonomy labeling format, i.e. Buxus microphylla 'Sunnyside'. Look for varieties and cultivars such as Koreana, Sunnyside, Winter Beauty, Winter Gem, Wintergreen, Green Gem, Green Mountain, Green Mound or Green Velvet.

Tips & Warnings

• Planting your boxwoods away from windows, doors, dining patios, entryways may help to prevent exposure to any fragrance on hot or sunny days.

References

• "Country Living" Magazine: Garden Q&A -The Scent of Boxwoods
• Virginia Tech University Extension: Boxwood in the Landscape
• University of Connecticut Horticulture Department: Buxus Sempervirens
• North Carolina State University Extension: Why I don't like Boxwoods
• University of Wisconsin Extension: Scent in The Garden