The genus of evergreen boxwood (Buxus) includes around 30 different species, two of which are particularly interesting for the home garden: the native common boxwood and the small-leaved boxwood from Asia.
The small-leaved boxwood can also be divided into several varieties
Common boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)
Buxus sempervirens has been cultivated for thousands of years: Even the Neanderthals value the shrub for its extremely hard wood, from which excellent digging sticks could be made. In the Roman Empire, this type of boxwood was already a popular garden tree and was used for edging, among other things. The Romans took the tree with them on their campaigns of conquest and thus imported it from the Mediterranean region to other parts of Europe. However, the book's real career did not start until the 16th century, when the gardeners of Versailles fashioned artistic figures out of it.
| variety | growth rate | growth width | growth height | leaves | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Angustifolia | 15 to 20 centimeters / year | 80 to 100 centimeters | 100 to 120 centimeters | dark green | compact, for solitaires |
| Aurea | 5 to 10 centimeters / year | 40 to 150 centimeters | 50 to 200 centimeters | golden yellow | for hedges and solitaires |
| Blue Heinz | 5 to 10 centimeters / year | 10 to 60 centimeters | 10 to 60 centimeters | blue green | lowest grade |
| Elegantissima | 4 to 6 centimeters / year | 50 to 100 centimeters | 100 to 150 centimeters | dark green with a creamy white edge | attractive leaf color |
| Green Gem | 5 to 10 centimeters | 40 to 60 centimeters | 60 to 80 centimeters | dark green | undemanding and robust |
| Handsworthiens | 10 to 25 centimeters / year | 100 to 200 centimeters | 200 to 300 centimeters | dark green | fast growing, for high hedges |
| marginata | 10 to 20 centimeters / year | up to 200 centimeters | up to 250 centimeters | with a yellow border | fast-growing, for high hedges |
| Rotundifolia | 10 to 20 centimeters / year | 250 to 350 centimeters | 250 to 400 centimeters | dark green | must be cut often |
| Suffruticosa | 3 to 5 centimeters / year | 30 to 60 centimeters | 50 to 100 centimeters | light green | for bed edging |
Small-leaved boxwood (Buxus microphylla)
Buxus microphylla, on the other hand, is widespread in Asia and is one of the traditional plants in a Japanese garden. The species is somewhat slower growing than Buxus sempervirens and is also considered less sensitive to the harmful fungus Cylindrocladium buxicola, which causes the dreaded dieback of shoots.
| variety | growth rate | growth width | growth height | leaves | particularities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| faulkner | 5 to 15 centimeters / year | 100 to 200 centimeters | 100 to 200 centimeters | dark green | natural spherical shape |
| Herrenhausen | 8 to 15 centimeters / year | 50 to 70 centimeters | 30 to 60 centimeters | dark green | heat and drought tolerant |
tips
For shape and figure cuts, you should use medium- or vigorous-growing varieties such as 'Globosa' and 'Rotundifolia'.