Buxus S. ‘Nana’ 3Gal

Latin Name: Buxus sempervirens ‘Nana’ (synonym of ‘Suffruticosa’)

Common Name: Dwarf English Boxwood / Edging Boxwood

Zones: 5-8 (some sources list 6-8)

Height & Spread: 1-3 feet tall (often kept to 1-2 feet), spreading 2-4 feet wide

Descriptive Features: A very slow-growing, compact, dwarf form of common boxwood, the classic choice for traditional formal garden edging and knot gardens. Forms a dense, bushy, spreading mound of small, narrow, glossy, dark green leaves, often fresh chartreuse in spring. In April and May, tiny, inconspicuous, yellowish-green flowers appear. Takes clipping beautifully and holds a crisp low hedge, parterre, or topiary shape with little effort. Mature size takes 5-10 years to reach, so it suits small spaces and permanent edgings where little change is wanted. Best in full sun to part shade in moist, well-drained soil, and benefits from mulch and watering during dry periods. Foliage can bronze in severe winters, so a sheltered site is helpful at the cold end of its range. Deer- and rabbit-resistant, but susceptible to boxwood blight, leafminer, and mites, and the plant is harmful to pets if eaten. An excellent choice for low hedges, formal edging, parterres, knot gardens, walkway borders, and containers in full sun to part shade.