Family: Buxaceae
Author: L.
Bibliography: Sp. Pl.: 983 (1753)
Year: 1753
Status: accepted
Rank: species
Genus: Buxus
Vegetable: False
Observations: Europe to N. Iran, N. Africa
Description
The Caucasian boxwood, scientifically known as Buxus sempervirens, is a significant evergreen shrub that has been captivating botanists and gardeners since its first documented description in 1753. Authored by the renowned botanist Carl Linnaeus, this resilient plant belongs to the Buxaceae family.
This durable and robust plant is indigenous to a broad geographical expanse, spanning from Europe to Northern Iran, and extending into Northern Africa. Its adaptability to various climates and conditions makes it a popular choice for gardens and landscapes around the world.
Caucasian boxwood is well-loved for its dense, green foliage, which retains its vibrant color throughout the year. This characteristic makes it an excellent choice for hedges, borders, and as an ornamental plant in diverse garden designs. The small, rounded leaves are not only aesthetically pleasing but also contribute to the plant’s reputation for being low-maintenance and enduring.
In addition to its visual appeal, Buxus sempervirens is prized for its ability to be easily shaped and pruned, allowing gardeners to create intricate designs and topiaries. Its slow growth rate ensures that the shapes and forms created with it remain intact for long periods, requiring minimal upkeep.
Moreover, the Caucasian boxwood’s historical and cultural significance cannot be overlooked. It has been used for centuries in European gardens and has played a traditional role in creating formal hedge designs. Its wood was historically valued in woodworking for its fine grain and smooth texture, making it a sought-after material for various applications.
Overall, the Caucasian boxwood is a versatile and enduring plant that continues to be celebrated for its ornamental value, ease of maintenance, and wide range of uses in both historical and modern landscaping.
Common Names
Dan: almindelig buksbom, kirsebær-kornel, kløver-silke, purpur-pragtsnerle
Deu: buchs, buchsbaum, europäischer buchsbaum, immergrüner buchs
Eng: caucasian boxwood, common box, european box, french boxwood, persian boxwood, turkish boxwood, box, boxtree, boxwood, boxwoodtree, common boxwood
Swe: grovsnärja, klöversnärja, körsbärskornell, purpurvinda, buxbom
Ces: krušpán vždyzelený
Nld: buxus, palmboompje
Cym: bocys, bocyswydden, coed bocs, pren bocs, pren bocys, prenau bocs, ysbeinwydden
Fra: buis
En: Caucasian boxwood, European box, Persian boxwood, Turkish boxwood, Boxtree, Boxwood, Boxwoodtree, Box, Common box, Common boxwood, French boxwood, American Boxwood, Box Tree, Dudgeon
Hy: Տոսախ կոլխիդյան
Az: Kolxida şümşadı
Bg: Колхидски чемшир
Ca: Boix, Boix comú
Cs: Krušpán vždyzelený, Zimostráz vždyzelený
Da: Almindelig buksbom, Kirsebær-kornel, Kløver-silke, Purpur-pragtsnerle
Nl: Buxus, Palmboompje, Buksboom
Fi: Isopuksipuu
Fr: Buis, Buis commun, Bois béni, Bois d’Artois, Buis sempervirent, Buis toujours vert, Guézette, Ozanne
Ka: Კოლხური ბზა
De: Buchsbaum, Gemeiner Buchs, Gemeiner Buchsbaum, Gewöhnlicher Buchs, Gewöhnlicher Buchsbaum, Immergrüner Buchs, Immergrüner Buchsbaum, Kolchischer Buchsbaum, Buchs, Europäischer Buchsbaum, Beetzaun
It: Bosso comune, Bossolo, Mortella
Fa: بوکسس کاچیکا
Pl: Bukspan ogrodowy
Pt-br: Buxinho, Buxo, Árvore-da-caixa
Ru: Самшит колхидский
Sk: Krušpán vždyzelený
Es: Boj, Buxo
Sv: Buxbom, Grovsnärja, Klöversnärja, Körsbärskornell, Purpurvinda
Tr: Gürci şimşiri
Cy: Bocys, Bocyswydden, Coed Bocs, Pren Bocs, Pren Bocys, Prenau Bocs, Ysbeinwydden
Synonyms
- Buxus angustifolia (Mill.)
- Buxus handsworthii (K.Koch)
- Buxus sempervirens var. prostrata (Dallim.)
- Buxus sempervirens var. arborescens (L.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. rotundifolia ((Baill.) Schelle)
- Buxus sempervirens f. handsworthiensis ((Dallim.) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens var. grandifolia (Müll.Arg.)
- Buxus sempervirens var. glauca (G.Kirchn.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. bullata ((G.Kirchn.) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens var. angustifolia ((Mill.) Gray)
- Buxus sempervirens var. pendula (C.Pynaert)
- Buxus sempervirens f. latifolia (Sennen & Elías)
- Buxus sempervirens f. microrrhina (Cuatrec.)
- Buxus mucronata (Baill.)
- Buxus aurea (Steud.)
- Buxus arborescens (Mill.)
- Buxus fruticosa (Borkh.)
- Buxus elegantissima (K.Koch)
- Buxus sempervirens pyramidalis (Simon-Louis)
- Buxus sempervirens var. rotundifolia (Baill.)
- Buxus cucullata (K.Koch)
- Buxus sempervirens f. pendula ((C.Pynaert) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens f. myrtifolia ((Lam.) C.K.Schneid.)
- Buxus arborescens var. aureolimbo (Weston)
- Buxus sempervirens var. putata (Gaudin)
- Buxus sempervirens f. marginata ((Loudon) Rehder)
- Buxus arborescens var. aureovariegata (Weston)
- Buxus colchica (Pojark.)
- Buxus suffruticosa (Mill.)
- Buxus marginata (Steud.)
- Buxus arborescens var. argenteovariegata (Weston)
- Buxus salicifolia (K.Koch)
- Buxus sempervirens var. suffruticosa (L.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. prostrata ((Dallim.) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens var. subfrtuticosa (Gray)
- Buxus sempervirens var. humilis (Mérat)
- Buxus sempervirens var. handsworthiensis (Dallim.)
- Buxus caucasica (K.Koch)
- Buxus sempervirens f. glauca ((G.Kirchn.) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens var. bullata (G.Kirchn.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. aureovariegata ((Weston) Schelle)
- Buxus sempervirens var. emarginata (Sennen)
- Buxus sempervirens var. pendula-variegata (C.Pynaert)
- Buxus sempervirens subsp. hyrcana ((Pojark.) Takht.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. macrocarpa (Sennen)
- Buxus rosmarinifolia (Baill.)
- Buxus crispa (K.Koch)
- Buxus vulgaris (Bubani)
- Buxus myrtifolia (Lam.)
- Buxus argentea (Steud.)
- Buxus sempervirens var. rosmarinifolium (Baill.)
- Buxus sempervirens var. myrtifolia ((Lam.) Loudon)
- Buxus sempervirens f. pyramidalis ((Simon-Louis) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens f. angustifolia ((Mill.) Rehder)
- Buxus hyrcana (Pojark.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. suffruticosa ((L.) Rehder)
- Buxus sempervirens f. rosmarinifolium ((Baill.) C.K.Schneid.)
- Buxus sempervirens f. argenteovariegata ((Weston) Schelle)
- Buxus sempervirens var. fruticosa (Gaudin)
- Buxus sempervirens var. marginata (Loudon)
- Buxus variegata (Steud.)
- Buxus tenuifolia (Baill.)
- Buxus arborescens var. angustifolia ((Mill.) Weston)
Distribution
- Albania (native)
- Algeria (native)
- Austria (native)
- Belgium (native)
- Corse (native)
- France (native)
- Germany (native)
- Great Britain (native)
- Greece (native)
- Iran (native)
- Italy (native)
- Libya (native)
- Morocco (native)
- North Caucasus (native)
- Portugal (native)
- Sardegna (native)
- Spain (native)
- Switzerland (native)
- Transcaucasus (native)
- Turkey (native)
- Turkey-in-Europe (native)
- Yugoslavia (native)
- Alabama (introduced)
- Assam (introduced)
- Azores (introduced)
- Bulgaria (introduced)
- Ecuador (introduced)
- Madeira (introduced)
- New York (introduced)
- New Zealand North (introduced)
- New Zealand South (introduced)
- North Carolina (introduced)
- Ohio (introduced)
- Pennsylvania (introduced)
- Rhode I. (introduced)
- Romania (introduced)
- Tennessee (introduced)
- Turkmenistan (introduced)
- Uzbekistan (introduced)
- Virginia (introduced)
- West Virginia (introduced)
Additional Images
Leaf
Taken Dec 10, 2021 by Michel AMBROISE (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 8, 2021 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 13, 2018 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 7, 2018 by Marcos Rivas Campoamor (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 7, 2019 by Cruz Fer (cc-by-sa)
Habit
Taken Jan 19, 2022 by Irmgard Groß (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jan 19, 2022 by Irmgard Groß (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 30, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 27, 2021 by Alain Bigou (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 8, 2021 by Sabina Hartmann (cc-by-sa)
Flower
Taken Apr 26, 2018 by Marcos Rivas Campoamor (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 13, 2018 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 7, 2019 by Cruz Fer (cc-by-sa)
Taken Feb 7, 2019 by Cruz Fer (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 13, 2018 by Fejul Xeto (cc-by-sa)
Bark
Taken May 5, 2017 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 21, 2020 by Cristina (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 31, 2019 by Annina Bornstein (cc-by-sa)
Taken Sep 1, 2022 by Eliott Guillaume (cc-by-sa)
Taken Dec 30, 2021 by Tristan Jaton-Maria (cc-by-sa)
Fruit
Taken Nov 21, 2020 by Cristina (cc-by-sa)
Taken May 5, 2017 by Llandrich anna (cc-by-sa)
Taken Aug 26, 2021 by Raffaella D’Ambra (cc-by-sa)
Taken Jul 3, 2017 by Alfred Yves Vonnez (cc-by-sa)
Taken Oct 30, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Other
Taken Nov 2, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 2, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Mar 21, 2017 by Beverly Patrick (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 2, 2016 by Yoan MARTIN (cc-by-sa)
Taken Nov 19, 2017 by Gym Skuteč (cc-by-sa)
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
© copyright of the Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
Sources
- WFO (No URL)
- IPNI (No URL)
- GBIF (https://www.gbif.org/species/2984671)
- POWO (http://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:340317-1)
- PlantNet (https://identify.plantnet.org/species/the-plant-list/Buxus sempervirens L.)
Specifications
Growth habit: Tree, Shrub
Growth
Ph maximum: 8.0
Ph minimum: 7.5
Light: 5
Atmospheric humidity: 3
Bloom months: [‘mar’, ‘apr’]
Soil nutriments: 4