Common Name: Littleleaf Boxwood
Scientific Name: Buxus microphylla
Order: Euphorbiales
Family: Buxaceae
Description Littleleaf boxwood has a flat, thin, green leaf. The leaf is about 2 ½ inches long in most cases. The leaf has no hair and being the plant is an evergreen it stays green year around. Littleleaf boxwood produces a very small clumped to gather flowers. The flowers are similar to that of most grasses and are generally unnoticeable. It contains both female and male parts so it can reproduce without pollination from another plant located nearby. From the flower a very small fruit is produced. The fruit when matured has a green color and smaller than a dime. The fruit from the littleleaf boxwood is shaped much like an acorn and is very dry. The fruit is undesirable to birds, squirrels, and other small animals.
Growth Habit Littleleaf boxwood is a woody shrub it can range from 3-10 Feet tall. It is not found in the wild and is grown as a shrub hedge so is often kept trimmed back. Littleleaf boxwood has a brown bark that does not flack. The plant does not have thorns as most plants do especially in the immature stage so it is a good use around the home. The diameter of the trunk does not exceed the size of a coffee mug. Under its leafy exterior are many small tangled branches can be found growing mangled.
Hardiness Zone(s) Littleleaf boxwood originated from the continent of Asia. According to the USDA Boxwood Report, littleleaf boxwood grows best in USDA zones 7, 8. Littleleaf boxwood can be grown in USDA zones 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. Only certain hardy plants originating from Korea can survive in the colder climates of USDA zone 5 and 6. Anywhere with a climate colder than that of USDA zone 5 is too cold for the plant to survive.
Culture Boxwoods are tolerant of shade and sunlight. It is best to plant them somewhere close to a house or structure where they receive direct sunlight for part of the day and shade for the other part of the day. Boxwoods are a hardy plant that can thrive in many different soil types they can grow in soil types from heavy clay to sandy loom. Best results can be found when planted in a heavy clay with high organic mature. Boxwoods need the equivalent of one inch of rain every ten days. During the summer months watering may only be required every few weeks. Boxwood needs to be in a well-drained soil. If the desired area is not well drained a smaller hole should be dug allowing dirt to be mounding up around the remaining exposed roots. The best time to fertilize Boxwoods is in late fall or early spring. The recommended fertilizer is 10-6-4 applied at a rate of two pounds per hundred square feet of surface soil. The Boxwood is a very dense plant and should have the outer layer trimmed so that the inner shoots can receive light and air. At least once a year the debris should be removed from the plant; this can be done most times by simply shaking the bush. If the debris is not cleaned out it can promote fungus growth in the bush.
Diseases & Insects There are three different types of diseases that affect the littleleaf boxwood, one that affects the leaf, stem, and the root. All diseases that affect the plant are fungus related funguses. Multiple insects infect the leaves of the littleleaf boxwood. The main pest of this plant is the boxwood mite. The boxwood mite is the larva of a small fly that hollows out the leaf as it eats it. Pesticides can be used to prevent and kill the insects that threaten the littleleaf boxwood.
Landscape Value Littleleaf boxwood is primarily used as a hedge. It has been grown for thousands of yours dating back to the ancient Egyptians. With proper care and pruning the littleleaf boxwood can make and excellent hedge for your home or other landscape area.
References Downs, A. and E. Blain. 2004. Littleleaf Boxwood. Bellarmine University. Online.
This document was authored by Drew Appleby, Department of Agricultural Sciences, Louisiana Tech University, April 2015.