August 1996
Foliage: Evergreen broadleaf
Height: 15 to 20 feet
Spread: 15 to 20 feet
Shape: Bushy
Small leaves are glossy dark green, sometimes turning brown in winter.
Zone: 5 to 9
Light: Partial shade to full sun
Moisture: Wet, moist, to dry
Soil Type: Sandy or loam
pH Range: 3.5 to 6.5
Suggested uses for this plant include border, hedge, foundation, and specimen plant.
Plant in well-drained soil.
Use balled and burlapped or container grown
plants.
Plant at same depth as grown in nursery.
Protect from harsh summer sun and winter wind.
Tolerates pruning and shearing; prune dead
branches anytime. Easily pruned to any desired
shape.
Water thoroughly, drenching the entire area
around a plant, once a week in hot, dry weather.
Test soil in fall for fertilizer recommendation.
Susceptible to many insects and diseases including boxwood leaf minor, boxwood psyllid, boxwood mite, foliage and twig blights, and Phytophthora root rot.
Consult local sources, including
historic or public
gardens and arboreta, regarding cultivars and related
species that grow well in your area.
Cultivars of BUXUS
SEMPERVIRENS:
`Suffruticosa' (English Boxwood) has dense lighter green leaves and a nice billowy effect. It is a very slow grower.
Related species:
BUXUS MICROPHYLLA (Korean or Littleleaf Boxwood) is the hardiest and easiest to grow.
A popular, broadleaf evergreen in
Virginia.
Leaves tend to loose their color in the winter.
Winter discoloring is less in shady locations.
Boxwoods make excellent specimen plants or
hedges and are also suitable for bonsai.
The PRUNING SERIES videotape can be ordered
through your local Extension office.
The following Extension publications can be
ordered from your local Extension office or
directly from:
Extension Distribution Center
112 Landsdowne Street
Blacksburg, VA 24061
#426-603 "Boxwood in the Landscape"
#426-500 "Winter Injury to Trees and Shrubs"
#426-607 "Selecting Landscape Plants -
Broad-leaved Evergreens"
This material was developed by Carol Ness as part of the Interactive Design and Development Project funded by the Kellogg Foundation. Mary Miller, Project Director. Diane Relf, Content Specialist, Horticulture. Copyright 1989 by VCE.