# Boxwood (*Tricostularia sp. Boxwood Hill*) Boxwood is a popular bush that can be shaped into fun forms! It has small, shiny leaves that are green all year round. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Gardens and parks - **Also known as:** Boxwood Tree, Buxus ![Boxwood](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771424293/objects/5033.jpg) ## Appearance The Boxwood is a dense, evergreen shrub with small, oval, glossy dark green leaves. Its compact growth habit often forms a rounded or columnar shape, making it distinct from many other garden plants. It produces tiny, inconspicuous yellowish-green flowers. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Streptophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Poales - **Family:** Cyperaceae - **Genus:** Tricostularia ## Interesting facts - Boxwood has been a favorite plant for creating intricate garden maze puzzles for centuries! - Its wood is so fine-grained and dense, it was once used to make musical instruments and woodcut prints! - Some Boxwood plants can live for hundreds of years, making them ancient garden residents! - The tiny, subtle flowers of a Boxwood release a sweet, honey-like scent in the spring! ## Special abilities - **Tough Trimmer:** Boxwood has dense growth and tiny leaves that help it withstand repeated pruning, allowing it to be shaped into various forms. - **Winter Wonder:** Its evergreen leaves are thick and waxy, helping it retain moisture and stay green through cold winter months. - **Slow Grower:** Boxwood grows slowly, allowing it to form very dense, strong wood that resists pests and diseases. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-500 cm - **Spread:** 100-400 cm - **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Moderate - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** European honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — attracted to its tiny, fragrant spring flowers. - **Eaten by:** [Box Tree Moth](https://www.snappit.app/explore/box-tree-moth) (*Cydalima perspectalis*) — larvae chew leaves, a damaging invasive pest. - **Shelter:** [Great Tit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/great-tit) (*Parus major*) — dense foliage offers nesting and hiding spots. - **Depends on:** Humans (*Homo sapiens*) — widely cultivated as ornamental garden plants. ## Traits - [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Longevous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/longevous): This trait characterizes organisms with an exceptionally long lifespan compared to others of their kind. - [Urban Friendly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/urban-friendly): This habitat trait indicates species that can coexist with humans in urban and suburban environments, utilizing man-made structures and green spaces. ## Collections - [Grasses](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses) - [Grasses, Shrubs & Bushes](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/grasses-shrubs-and-bushes) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Explore with care and ask an adult if you’re unsure what to do. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Boxwood? Compare seed heads, stem shape, how leaves attach, and the joint where leaf meets stem. A patch of mown lawn rarely shows enough for an exact ID. Grass Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Boxwood? 100-500 cm ### How wide does Boxwood spread? 100-400 cm ### How big are the flowers on Boxwood? 0.2-0.5 cm ### When does Boxwood bloom? Spring ### Is Boxwood edible? No ### Is Boxwood toxic? Moderate ### What is Boxwood's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Japanischer Garten Kaiserslautern](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/japanischer-garten-kaiserslautern) — Rheinland-Pfalz, DE · Park - [Schloss- und Burggarten (Schwerin)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schwerin-palace-gardens) — Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, DE · Park - [Castrelos Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/castrelos-park) — Galicia, ES · Park - [Großer Garten (Hannover)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grosser-garten-hannover) — Niedersachsen, DE · Park - [Schlosspark Krumke (Osterburg)](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/schlosspark-krumke-osterburg) — Sachsen-Anhalt, DE · Park - [Rosengarten Bamberg](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/rosengarten-bamberg) — Bayern, DE · Park [View all places to see Boxwood](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/boxwood) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Boxwood: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/boxwood)