Buxus microphylla 'Japonica'
Japanese Boxwood
Family: Buxaceae
Origin: Native to Japan
Hardiness: Hardy to 0 degrees; USDA Zones 7, 8, 9 and 10
Growth: Slow growth to 5 feet
Form: Billowy mound; often sheared into small formal hedges
Leaves: Light green; under an inch long; oval with round tip
Flowers: Not grown for flowers
Exposure: Sun to part shade
Water: Moderate watering; at least once a month in summer
Soil: Any good, well drained soil
Fertilizer: Complete fertilizer in spring and fall
Prune: Minor heading during growing season, or shear for a hedge
Problems: Not common, but check for mealybugs, scale, mites, mildew
Most often used in formal hedges and in topiary, though it makes a nice, fine textured mounding shrub.
© 1997 by Jim Clatfelter.
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