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Common Boxwood

Buxus sempervirens


Hardiness Zones: 5 - 8   View Map
  • Features leathery, simple leaves that are a lustrous dark green color, persist year-round, are elliptic or oblong and measure ½–1" in length
  • Can be used as a specimen, hedge, mass planting or topiary
  • Grows in a rounded shape
  • Works well for shearing
  • Adapts to many soil types
  • Will discolor in severe winter weather

Tree Details

Shape

Rounded

Growth Speed

Slow

Scientific Name

Buxus sempervirens

Mature Height

15' - 20'

Mature Spread

15' - 20'

Shipping Height

6" - 10"

Shipping Group

Nursery

Highlights

Sometimes called the aristocrat of hedging plants, the boxwood is famous for its use in formal gardens. Crisp, high hedges and ornate topiaries are often the result of nurtured and carefully sheared boxwoods. But don’t let that deter you. It is a versatile landscape shrub that works well as a specimen, hedge, or mass planting — even in the most casual of gardens.

Sun Preference

Full Sun, Partial Sun/Shade

Soil Preference

Acidic, Alkaline, Loamy, Moist, Rich, Sandy, Silty Loam, Well Drained

Wildlife Value

Boxwoods contain a toxic alkaloid that makes them unpalatable. As a result, deer and other wildlife tend not to eat them.

History/Lore

Through the years, the boxwood has been associated with formal gardens. Boxwood parterres and hedges can be seen in many of the great gardens of Europe and America. Colonial Williamsburg, especially around the Governor's Mansion, offers wonderful examples of formal boxwood use.

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