English vs. American boxwoods -

How to tell the difference

One of the most frequent questions we get is "How can I tell the difference 
between an American (Buxus sempevirens 'Arbvorescens') and an English
boxwood (Buxus sempevirens 'Suffruticosa').
There are a couple of differences in the growing habits of the two which 
make them easy to distinguish. The American boxwoods in the photo below
grow faster, are much less dense and often-times can be seen through as in 
the plant on the left.  

The fact that they grow faster makes them more 
"leggy" even if they cannot be seen through.  This "leggy-ness" and the 
irregularity of the overall surface of the plant  can be seen in the 
American below.

Contrasted to American boxwoods are English Boxwoods
which grow much slower, and are tighter and more compact. 
In the picture below, the English in the foreground can 
be contrasted to the American in the background.

A closer view of an English boxwood shows 
the smoothness of the surface compared to the 
more undulating surface of the American.

The leaves of the two are also shaped very differently. The photos below 
show that the leaves of an American are very pointed, much like a spear, 
and the openness, characteristic of  the entire American plant, is evident 
even on these small branches.

The leaves of an English are much more rounded and oval shaped,
and many times, but not always, a small notch can be seen in the tip of the leaves.  
Close inspection of the photos below will show this notch in some of the leaves. Note 
also the denseness of the branches of the English which characterizes the entire plant.

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