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Ruscus aculeatus

butcher's broom

© RHS
Sold by 17 nurseries

  • Other common names butcher's broom
    box holly

    knee holly
    knee holm
    kneeholy
    knee hull
    pettigree
    pettigrue
    prickly box
    shepherd's myrtle
    wild myrtle

    see more

  • Family Asparagaceae

  • Genus Ruscus are rhizomatous evergreen subshrubs with flattened, leaf-like cladophylls bearing small pale green flowers, followed on female or hermaphrodite plants by glossy red berries

  • Details R. aculeatus is a bushy sub-shrub to 75cm, with glossy lance-shaped cladophylls 2.5cm in length, flowering in spring, with glossy red berries on female plants in summer and autumn

  • Plant range Europe to Mediterr.

Characteristics

  • Foliage Evergreen

  • Habit Bushy

  • Toxicity Acute ingestion may cause mild stomach upset

  • Hardiness

    Hardiness ratings

    All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

    • H1a - Under glass all year (>15C)
    • H1b - Can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
    • H1c - Can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
    • H2 - Tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
    • H3 - Hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
    • H4 - Hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
    • H5 - Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
    • H6 - Hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
    • H7 - Hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

    H5

Colour

Sunlight

  • Full Sun

  • Full Shade

  • Partial Shade

  • Aspect South-facing or North-facing or West-facing or East-facing

  • Exposure Sheltered

Soil

  • Chalk

    Chalk

  • Loam

    Loam

  • Sand

    Sand

  • Clay

    Clay

  • MoistureMoist but well-drained, Well-drained

  • SoilChalk, Loam, Sand, Clay

  • pHAcid, Alkaline, Neutral

Size

  • Ultimate height 0.5-1 metres

  • Ultimate spread 0.5-1 metres

  • Time to ultimate height 10-20 years

How to grow

Cultivation Dried stems may be used in floral arrangements. Individual shoots are short-lived. Grow in any but waterlogged soils

Propagation Propagate by seed or division

Suggested planting locations and garden types Cut Flowers Low Maintenance Drought Resistant Wildlife Gardens Wildflower meadow

How to care

Pruning Cut out dead stems to the base in spring

Pests Generally pest free

Diseases Generally disease free

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