Boxwoods are known for prim and proper hedges, glossy deep green leaves, and their ability to be pruned into topiary shapes. While all of this is true, they can be so much more. Yes, they are very tolerant of heavy pruning. And, yes, they are dense and create lovely hedges. But they also are lovely when they are left to grow naturally and take on their own shape.
Choosing a variety for your garden can be tricky. At first glance, these shrubs look very similar. Of course, when you look a bit further, you will find that there are many sizes, shapes, and even colors.
If you are ready to select a boxwood for your garden, read on! This list offers a range of sizes and shapes and helpful tips on how to use these shrubs.
‘Blauer Heinz’
‘Blauer Heinz’ dwarf boxwood is ideal for containers and hedges and boasts blue-green foliage.
 | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Blauer Heinz’ |
|---|---|
 | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
 | height 1-2 feet |
 | hardiness zones 5-9 |
When choosing dwarf boxwoods, ‘Blauer Heinz’ is a great place to start. This tiny wonder if a shrub is densely covered in blue-green leaves. ‘Blauer Heinz’ is a slow-growing shrub, so consider buying a full-sized plant if you are looking for instant impact.
‘Blauer Heinz’ is perfect for containers and flower beds. Use this boxwood as a low-growing hedge around your patio.
‘Chicagoland Green ®’
This variety excels in winter, keeping its glossy green color, and is versatile for shaping.
| | botanical name Buxus x ‘Glencoe’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
Known for its versatility in gardens, ‘Chicagoland Green®’ is a variety that the Chicago Botanic Garden selected for its ability to withstand chilly winter temperatures. This variety retains its deep green and glossy color throughout the winter, whereas other varieties may take on a tinge of brown or copper.
‘Chicagoland Green®’ is beautiful when left to grow naturally, but it is also very tolerant of pruning and shaping into topiaries or hedges.
‘Dee Runk’
This is a slow-growing, tall, evergreen boxwood with a conical form and blight tolerance.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Dee Runk’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 7-8 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-8 |
If you need a tall evergreen shrub for your landscape, ‘Dee Runk’ is a great boxwood variety. Growing slowly, it will max out at 8 feet in a beautiful conical form. This boxwood tolerates pruning if you desire a more formal look but still holds a conical form if you let it grow naturally.
‘Dee Runk’ shows a high tolerance for boxwood blight. While ‘Dee Runk’ is tall, it fits nicely into gardens of all sizes and maintains its deep-green color year round.
‘Faulkner’
‘Faulkner’ is a small boxwood with an Award of Garden Merit, ideal for hedges or topiaries.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla ‘Faulkner’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-9 |
This pretty small-leaved boxwood is a recipient of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. ‘Faulkner’ is a small boxwood, maxing out at 4 feet. Maintaining its deep green leaves through most of the year, the leaves will take on a coppery tinge during winter.
This size of boxwood suits itself nicely to a mid-sized hedge or a large container. However, ‘Faulkner’ is suited for topiary trimming, most notably cones and sphere shapes.
‘Golden Triumph’
This boxwood provides a colorful touch with slow growth, suitable for warmer climates.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla ‘Golden Triumph’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Golden Triumph’ adds a bonus splash of color to your garden. The glossy green leaves of this boxwood have a lovely golden-yellow border. ‘Golden Triumph’ is a very slow grower and will take up to 10 years to reach its full size.
Plant ‘Golden Triumph’ if you long for a boxwood but live in a warmer climate. Use this shrub as a foundation plant or in a mixed evergreen border for a pop of contrast.
‘Graham Blandy’
This tall, columnar boxwood with deepening green foliage is ideal for many garden uses.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Graham Blandy’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 5-15 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-8 |
‘Graham Blandy’ is a columnar tree-type that will grow to 15 feet tall! The new growth of this shrub is light green but will deepen as the season progresses. This boxwood variety will only grow about two feet wide and will fit nicely into gardens of all sizes.
‘Graham Blandy’ is the winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society. This boxwood is great as a specimen plant but could also be used as a privacy screen.
‘Green Beauty’
Mid-sized and resilient, ‘Green Beauty’ maintains glossy green foliage year-round.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla var. japonica ‘Green Beauty’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-5 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-9 |
‘Green Beauty’ is a mid-size variety of boxwood. This shrub will have deep-green and glossy leaves throughout the year. While this shrub remains dense into the winter months, it does take on a bronze tint.
‘Green Beauty’ is tolerant of hot and humid climates. This variety also shows good tolerance to boxwood blight. Protect ‘Green Beauty’ from winter winds. This tough boxwood is an excellent choice for heavily trafficked areas such as a walkway.
‘Green Gem’
This is a popular, reliable boxwood with emerald green leaves that is suitable for low hedges.
| | botanical name Buxus x ‘Green Gem’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
‘Green Gem’ is a variety that has been growing in popularity due to its dependability and stunning emerald green leaves. You should expect some bronzing of the leaves in winter, but don’t worry; the green will return in the spring.
This small boxwood is perfect for low-growing hedges or containers. No matter how you plant a ‘Green Gem,’ protect it from winter winds to prevent substantial wind burn.
‘Green Mountain ’
This boxwood variety, not tall and skinny, grows five feet tall and wide, suitable for hedges or topiaries.
| | botanical name Buxus x ‘Green Mountain’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4-5 feet tall |
| | hardiness zones 4-9 |
‘Green Mountain’ is a lovely upright growing boxwood. This is not a tall and skinny type. ‘Green Mountain’ will grow to five feet tall and three feet wide, making it a great choice for a hedge or privacy screen.
The soft green leaves will maintain their color throughout the winter months. Plant ‘Green Mountain’ in large containers for a dramatic display, or you can even shape them into topiaries.
‘Green Tower ®’
Tall and narrow, ‘Green Tower’ suits tight spaces, maintaining its green color year-round.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Monrue’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 7-9 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Green Tower’ is a tall and skinny boxwood, perfect for tight garden spaces. Growing up to nine feet tall and two feet wide, ‘Green Tower’ has small and narrow emerald green leaves. Unlike other varieties of boxwood, ‘Green Tower’ will not lose its green color in the winter.
Aside from using the ‘Green Tower’ as a privacy screen for tighter spaces, you can also plant this shrub in large containers or as a specimen plant in your foundation or woodland gardens.
‘Green Velvet’
This boxwood, naturally mounded, stays green year-round and requires minimal pruning for a neat shape.
| | botanical name Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
‘Green Velvet’ is a mounded boxwood, growing into a beautiful globe shape without much pruning on your part. This is a great boxwood variety for your gardens if you want a plant that stays green year-round.
Give ‘Green Velvet’ little haircuts as needed to keep the shape looking pristine. Plant these boxwoods as a hedge or as part of a mixed evergreen border.
‘Justin Brouwers’
A low-growing and tough variety, ‘Justin Brouwers’ forms a rounded hedge ideal for any garden.
| | botanical name Buxus sinica var. Insularis ‘Justin Brouwers’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-8 |
‘Justin Brouwers’ is a lovely, low-growing boxwood. The natural shape of this boxwood is rounded, but it is very tolerant of harsh pruning and will shape nicely into a hedge. Growing only to 2 feet tall, this versatile variety can be added to just about any garden.
Maintaining its deep-green color year-round, ‘Justin Brouwers’ is a tough plant and will beautify the front of your home or walkway instantly.
‘Little Missy’
This disease-resistant boxwood with deep green leaves is versatile for containers or low hedges.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla ‘Little Missy’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Little Missy’ is a popular variety of boxwood that has shown great disease and insect tolerance. This shrub is densely covered in deep green leaves that will last throughout the year.
Growing to a maximum of three feet in height, ‘Little Missy’ is versatile in your garden. Use this boxwood in large containers or plant in a group to create a low-growing hedge or privacy screen.
‘Nana’
Ideal for containers or low hedges, this dwarf boxwood shrub features slow growth and vibrant foliage.
| | botanical name Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Nana’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
‘Nana’ is an excellent dwarf boxwood shrub. Dwarf boxwoods have a place in containers or as low hedges in our gardens. ‘Nana’ is slow-growing and will not need too much pruning from you, possibly just a small haircut for an unruly branch or two.
The new foliage of ‘Nana’ emerges in a bright, nearly lime green before settling into its classic deep-green and glossy shade. Keep your eyes peeled for any boxwood leafminers. Remove infected leaves and treat as needed.
‘Newport Blue’
This columnar and adaptable boxwood transitions from bluish-green to deep green leaves.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Newport Blue’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 5-6 feet |
| | hardiness zones 6-9 |
‘Newport Blue’ is a lovely columnar growing boxwood. When new growth emerges in the springtime, it will be a soft shade of bluish-green before settling into the famous deep-green and glossy leaves.
Use ‘Newport Blue’ as a hedge or privacy screen. This variety is also very tolerant of heavy pruning and can be shaped into whichever shape suits you and your garden style.
‘NewGen Freedom’
This boxwood is bred for blight and leafminer tolerance, grows quickly, and requires annual pruning.
| | botanical name Buxus x ‘SB300’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-4 feet tall |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘NewGen Freedom’ is a boxwood variety bred to be specifically tolerant to boxwood blight and boxwood leaf miner. These deep-green-leaved shrubs will maintain their color throughout the summer before taking on a tinge of bronze in the winter.
‘NewGen Freedom’ is a quick-growing boxwood, a desirable quality. However, that means you must prune these green beauties annually. Plant them in your foundation garden for an elegant statement.
‘North Star®’
This globe-shaped and cold-tolerant boxwood maintains its green color throughout winter.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Katerberg’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘North Star’ is a globe-shaped boxwood with deep green and glossy leaves. You will not need to worry about this boxwood losing its green color throughout the winter, as you may with other varieties.
‘North Star’ has shown excellent cold tolerance. Plant this variety in containers or as a low-growing hedge throughout your property. You do not need to prune ‘North Star’, but it is tolerant of pruning for shaping.
‘Petite Pillar’
This is a dwarf and low-maintenance boxwood that keeps its green color and is ideal for containers or pruning.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘MonAlex’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-3 feet tall |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Petite Pillar’ is a beautiful and low-maintenance boxwood variety. It is a dwarf variety that maintains its soft green color year-round. As this rounded shape grows, it will take on a more columnar shape.
Small enough for any garden of any size, the ‘Petite Pillar’ will also grow beautifully in containers. Allow this boxwood variety to grow naturally, or prune it into a hedge or topiary shape.
‘Sprinter’
This boxwood variety features quick growth and a mounded form perfect for hedges.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla ‘Bulthouse’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Sprinter’ is a perfectly pretty boxwood with deep green and glossy foliage that lasts year-round. This variety of boxwood is a new and improved version of the ‘winter gem’ variety.
‘Sprinter’ gets its name from its quick-growing nature. This variety is mounded and upright, filling in very quickly. Use ‘sprinter’ as a low-growing hedge or privacy screen.
‘Suffruticosa’
‘Suffruticosa’ is a dependable mid-size boxwood that is disease-tolerant and perfect for foundations or walkways.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 2-3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
If you are looking for a mid-size boxwood, ‘Suffruticosa’ is a beautiful and dependable choice. This mounded shrub is made up of small and ovate leaves that are a mid-shade of green with a little hint of gloss.
‘Suffruticosa’ is tough and tolerant to many diseases and insects. This variety will make a great addition to a foundation garden or spruce up a walkway quickly. Think twice before heavy pruning, as this is a slow-growing shrub, and you do not want to remove too much growth!
‘Tide Hill’
This variety is spreading and untidy, with bright green leaves, and responds well to pruning.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla ‘Tide Hill’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
‘Tide Hill’ is a beautiful spreading variety of boxwood. If you do not wish to have a tidy boxwood, ‘Tide Hill’ is perfect for you. Rather than growing into a globe shape, the branches of this variety reach out and creep up to four feet wide.
‘Tide Hill’ has bright green leaves that hold their color all winter long. This variety is slow-growing, like many other boxwood varieties. If you wish to keep this boxwood neat, it responds well to pruning or smaller haircuts.
‘Vardar Valley’
With blue foliage turning emerald, ‘Blue Emerald’ is suitable for hedges.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Vardar Valley’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
‘Vardar Valley’ has a beautiful mounded growth habit. Only reaching two feet in height, this shrub produces beautiful blue foliage, giving the entire shrub a soft appearance. When the summer rolls around, this foliage will turn to a rich emerald green, which will last through the winter.
If you desire to plant a low-growing hedge ‘Vardar Valley’ is a great choice. This boxwood also lends itself nicely as a specimen plant in your foundation or woodland gardens combined with informal roses.
‘Variegata’
Variegated boxwood stands out with creamy-edged leaves, ideal for topiaries or natural growth.
| | botanical name Buxus sempervirens ‘Variegata’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 5-8 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
In a world of boxwoods, getting lost in the sea of green is easy. The variegated boxwood offers the same dependable shrub with beautifully variegated leaves. The green leaves on this boxwood have a beautifully creamy edge to them.
Prune the variegated boxwood into topiaries or let it grow naturally. This boxwood variety makes a stunning hedge along the front of your home or a walkway.
‘Wedding Ring’
A variegated boxwood, ‘Wedding Ring’ is compact and hardy, with green leaves and lime-green edges.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla var koreana ‘Eseles’’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-3 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Wedding Ring’ is a pretty variegated boxwood. This small and compact variety has deep green leaves with lime-green edges that will mature into golden yellow as fall approaches.
The ‘Wedding Ring’ variety is a hardy shrub that responds well to pruning. Plant this boxwood in containers or grow it as a low-growing hedge or front border of a foundation or woodland garden.
‘Wee Willy’
‘Wee Willy’ is a small, cold-tolerant boxwood, perfect for small gardens or containers.
| | botanical name Buxus sinica var. Insularis ‘Wee Willy’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 1-2 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
If you are truly looking for a small boxwood variety, ‘Wee Willy’ is the perfect choice. The leaves of this boxwood remain emerald green all year long. ‘Wee Willy’ is very cold tolerant, and you do not need to worry about any tinging of the green leaves.
This is an excellent variety for small gardens that need some structure or for growing in containers. Feel free to prune ‘Wee Willy’ into a topiary, but know that if you leave this shrub to its own devices, it will remain beautiful in its natural state.
‘Wintergreen’
‘Wintergreen’ boxwood, rapidly growing to four feet, is ideal for hedge or foundation use.
| | botanical name Buxus sinica var. insularis ‘Wintergreen’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 3-4 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-8 |
This Korean boxwood is quickly growing and will grow to four feet tall in your garden rapidly. ‘Wintergreen’ is the perfect boxwood if you have space you want to be filled ASAP. Use ‘wintergreen’ as a hedge or as an anchor in your foundation gardens.
‘Wintergreen’ boxwood is a beautifully rounded shrub with light-green glossy leaves. This boxwood will maintain its color for the most part, with only minimal winter color changing. While pest tolerant, keep your eyes peeled for scale or mites.
‘Winter Gem’
This boxwood variety is versatile for hedges or topiaries and showcases bronze winter foliage.
| | botanical name Buxus microphylla var. Japonica ‘Winter Gem’ |
|---|---|
| | sun requirements Full sun to partial shade |
| | height 4-6 feet |
| | hardiness zones 5-9 |
‘Winter Gem’ is a lovely boxwood variety. Growing to a perfect six feet tall, this shrub has many uses throughout your garden. Spending most of the season with soft green leaves, ‘winter gem’ will take on a bronze hue in the winter.
Plant this boxwood as a hedge or as a specimen plant in a larger garden. While the natural shape of ‘Winter Gem’ is rounded, it handles pruning into topiary shapes very well.
Final Thoughts
With so many boxwood varieties on the market, selecting the right variety for your garden may be tricky. First, ensure you have the right light exposure to encourage a happy growing boxwood. Full sun to partial shade is best. Next, decide how much space you have and what your goals are. Are you planning on growing a hedge or using boxwoods as specimen plants?
Once you have these bits of information, you can head to the garden center knowing the size and shape of the boxwood you are looking for. These shrubs are easy to grow and provide year-round beauty to your yard, so you really cannot go wrong.
