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This Plant Could Be Stinking Up Your House
By ADRIANNA MACPHERSON
Ornamental boxwood is a green shrub commonly used in landscaping, and while it may look like your typical herbaceous plant, it can smell terrible. The English boxwood in particular gives off an odor that — to some — smells like cat urine.
The culprit actually isn't the leaves themselves, but rather the small flowers that pop up, typically around late spring. They won’t bother everyone, and the smell will be a lot worse in areas with a lot of humidity and direct sunlight.
There’s nothing you can really do to neutralize or eliminate the smell, but there are other types of boxwood available that don’t smell like cat pee. Some, such as Japanese boxwood, are quite drought tolerant and can be used for low hedges, while others even change color in the winter.