# Buxus colchica

Buxus colchica, also known as the Colchic Boxwood, is a lovely green shrub that can grow in many shapes. It is often used in gardens to make pretty hedges and borders.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Urban areas

![Buxus colchica](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Buxus_colchica_1.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Rainer Burkard, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Buxus_colchica_1.jpg)

## Appearance

The Buxus colchica is a dense, evergreen shrub with small, oval, glossy dark-green leaves. Its new growth emerges a vibrant light-green, creating a striking contrast. Unlike many shrubs, its foliage remains lush year-round.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Buxales
- **Family:** Buxaceae
- **Genus:** Buxus

## Interesting facts

- Ancient Romans loved to use its relatives for creating elaborate garden mazes.
- Even its tiny flowers make a subtle, sweet honey scent, attracting early spring bees.
- Its incredibly dense wood is so heavy it can actually sink in water!
- Some Boxwoods are so old they have quietly watched centuries of history pass by!

## Special abilities

- **Evergreen Energy:** Buxus colchica can keep its small, glossy leaves all year, helping it make energy even during cold winters.
- **Poison Protector:** Buxus colchica has toxic compounds in its leaves and bark that help it defend against hungry animals.
- **Tough Rooter:** Buxus colchica can grow in rocky or poor soils, helping it anchor firmly and survive in challenging mountain habitats.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 200-1500 cm
- **Spread:** 150-1000 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.2-0.5 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** High
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Insect

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** [Box Tree Moth](https://www.snappit.app/explore/box-tree-moth) (*Cydalima perspectalis*) — Larvae feast on its leaves.
- **Pollinates:** European Honeybee (*Apis mellifera*) — Attracted to its small flowers.
- **Shelter:** [Common Blackbird](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-blackbird) (*Turdus merula*) — Dense foliage provides nesting sites.

## 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.
- [Shade Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shade-tolerant): Shade tolerant plants are adapted to grow and thrive in areas with low light levels, requiring less direct sunlight.
- [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

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always wash your hands after touching plants, just to be safe!

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Buxus colchica?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Buxus colchica?

200-1500 cm

### How wide does Buxus colchica spread?

150-1000 cm

### How big are the flowers on Buxus colchica?

0.2-0.5 cm

### When does Buxus colchica bloom?

Spring

### Is Buxus colchica edible?

No

### Is Buxus colchica toxic?

High

### What is Buxus colchica's lifecycle?

Perennial

## 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*)

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Source: [Buxus colchica: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/buxus-colchica)