Boxwood isan evergreen shrubwith dense, broadleaf evergreen foliage that has been popular in landscaping since ancient times.
There are over 100 types of boxwood plants, making this a versatile option for your landscape yard.
Not only that, boxwood shrubs are low-maintenance, making care a breeze.
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Here are 20 popular types of boxwood shrubs.
What Is a Boxwood?
A boxwood is a key in of shrub that belongs to theBuxusgenus.
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Since the bush responds well to pruning, the classic use of boxwood is in neatly trimmed hedges.
But the smaller, slower-growing types also look great in containers.
Care Tip
Overwatering is a common problem when it comes to caring for boxwoods.
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see to it you keep the soil evenly moist.
Never have the soil be soggy or soaked.
Common boxwood has a slow growth rate.
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If kept trimmed, it has a rounded shape.
It’s average in terms of heat and cold tolerance.
Keep in mind it will take time for common boxwood to reach your desired height, however.
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Wintergreen Boxwood (Buxus sinica var.
It grows more quickly than other types of boxwood.
Japanese Boxwood (Buxus microphylla var.
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japonica)
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Japanese boxwood is a littleleaf boxwood with a slow growth rate.
It is heat-tolerant,making it a good choice for the South.
Its leaves may become bronzy in winter.
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The Korean boxwood is sometimes used to createbonsai.
Dwarf Korean Boxwood (Buxus sinica var.
insularis ‘Nana’)
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All shrubs of this variety exhibit extra cold hardiness.
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But there are also cultivars of this key in that contain different features, meaning you have your choices.
The ‘Nana’ cultivar is a dwarf.
Use it tomake one of those small hedgespopular as borders in formal landscape design.
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A nice feature of ‘Nana’ is its resistance to pests and diseases.
Winter Gem Boxwood (Buxus sinica var.
It also rates highly on pest resistance.
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verify to give it shelter from strong winds.
The margins start out white in spring and turn creamy in early summer, ending up light yellow.
Columnar Boxwoods
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A few cultivars of boxwoods grow with a columnar form.
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These include:
All look good at house corners in afoundation planting.
It does not have to be trimmed to achieve this shape, making it a low-maintenance option.
It has a slow growth rate and is a great choice fordriveway entrances.
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Green Velvet Boxwood (Buxus sinica var.
This hybrid is round-shaped.
It is also naturally upright.
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Turn your boxwood into a standard and display the resultant lollipop as a focal point in your landscape design.
‘Sprinter’ is a rounded shrub that has a fast growth rate.
This is important for some people in creating topiaries.
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It is also disease resistant.
If you enjoy creatingtextural contrastin the garden, juxtapose larger-leaved plants next to your boxwood.
Tip
In landscape design, texture is visual, not something you might feel.
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Plants with smaller leaves are considered to have a fine texture; those with larger leaves a coarse texture.
Placed together in the garden, the resulting contrast draws attention and creates interest.
Another plus of this rounded shrub is its hardiness.
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These traits make it a good choice for Northern gardeners.
A drawback is that it is more susceptible to boxwood blight than many others.
It has a slow growth rate (reducing maintenance) and an upright form.
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Boxwoods are not considered to be high maintenance.
Certain types of boxwoods will spread, yes.
Deer avoid boxwood, making it an excellent choice for those with this concern.
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Common boxwood is one of the most deer-resistant shrubs around.
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