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.
<http://www.bellarmine.edu/faculty/drobinson/LittleleafBoxwood.asp> Accessed 15 April
2015.
Rhodus, T. 2015. Buxus. Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, The Ohio State
University. Online. <naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT87214827/PDF> Accessed 15 April
2015.
USDA National Agriculture. 1971. Growing Boxwoods. Home and Garden Bulletin No. 10.
Online. <http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT87214827/PDF> Accessed 15. April 2015.
This document was authored by Drew Appleby, Department of Agricultural Sciences,
Louisiana Tech University, April 2015.