Buxus microphylla

Littleleaf boxwood is the finer-textured, hardier cousin of common boxwood, and in Western Washington it shows up in foundation plantings, formal hedges, and container gardens where a slow-growing, dense evergreen is the entire design requirement. The leaves are small, noticeably smaller than common boxwood, and the growth habit is rounded and tight, eventually reaching about five feet in spread but doing it so slowly that most people never see it at full size. It takes shearing well, which is why it anchors so many formal plantings in the region.

Littleleaf boxwood handles Western Washington's maritime climate with fewer issues than common boxwood. It is rated Zone 6a through 10b and tolerates the temperature swings that can cause winter bronzing on less hardy boxwood selections. Full sun to part shade, adaptable soils, and a slow growth rate that keeps maintenance to a minimum. The main regional concern with all boxwoods is boxwood blight, a fungal disease caused by Calonectria pseudonaviculata that defoliates and kills boxwood rapidly. It has been confirmed in the Pacific Northwest and is spreading. Good sanitation practices, sterilizing pruning tools between plants, avoiding overhead irrigation, removing and destroying infected material, are the front line of defense. If you are planting boxwood, littleleaf selections offer better disease resistance than common boxwood.