Boxwood is making a comeback. A Buxus sempervirens ‘Elegantissima’; B B. sempervirens; C B. s. var. suffruticosa (so-called English boxwood); D B. microphylla var. koreana x B. s. ‘Green Mountain’; E B. m. ‘Peergold’ (syn. ‘Golden Dream’); F B. sinca var. insularis ‘Tide Hill’; G B. sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’; H B. s. ‘Latifolia Maculatum’; I B. s. ‘Rotundifolia’; J B. microphylla ‘Kingsville Dawrf’; K B. sinca var. insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’.

 

The descendant of the French patterned parterre and English knot gardens is found in formal plantings like those of Colonial America. The name boxwood comes from the density of the wood, which has been used to make chess pieces, long-lasting tools, and small containers. The plants will slowly grow large in time. The most popular ones have been the so-called American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) and the English variety (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’). Neither of these plants originated in the countries noted in their common names, but in Eurasia. The English one has been popular for centuries, for its small leaves and shrub size, growing into balls that can be lined up and clipped for a low hedge. (Boxwoods have an endless reserve of dormant buds that sprout when plants are pruned into nearly any configuration.) But in recent times, English boxwood has developed increased susceptibility to pests and decline from environmental stresses.

There are many others that are more rugged but still dwarf in size. Some have tiny leaves and grow to about one foot tall and two feet wide in fifteen years, such as ‘Grace Hendrick Phillips’, ‘Morris Dwarf’, ‘Morris Midget’, ‘Kings-ville Dwarf’, and ‘Tide Hill’. “Spreading” varieties include B. microphylla ‘Jim Stauffer’ and B. sempervirens ‘Vardar Valley’.

A bit taller are medium varieties like B. sinica var. insularis ‘Nana’ and blue-green B. s. var. i. ‘Justin Brouwers’ growing to two feet. ‘Wanford Page’ is gold in spring, ‘Golden Dream’ is variegated yellow and green, and B. sempervirens ‘Elegantissima’ is cream and gray-green and grows to around three feet. There are selections of yet another species, for example, Buxus macrophylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’. Cold hardy hybrids growing taller than two feet include ‘Green Mountain’, ‘Green Velvet’, and ‘Glencoe’. Upright types include the species Buxus sempervirens, conical ‘Dee Runk’, super-hardy columnar ‘Graham Blandy’ (with fragrant flowers), and the narrow ‘Fastigiata’, a superior seletion. ‘Rotundifolia’ is a large-leafed variety that looks like dense privet.

Once established, boxwoods are drought tolerant. The shrubs like a somewhat alkaline soil—similar to lawn grass. A good tip is to never plant them too deep—if anything, higher than they grew in the nursery—a very unusual recommendation. Boxwoods can take a bit of shade, and are nearly deer-proof, which has increased their popularity to the point that they can now be found at the big box stores.

Pruned ‘Green Gem’.