Common Boxwood

Buxus sempervirens

Found in persistent for decades at abandoned homesites, and spreading weakly from dumped hedge trimmings and other cuttings. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

—

Not native

Not native to Virginia. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 5–20 feet
Spread: 5–15 feet
Light: Full sun, Partial shade
Soil moisture: Usually moist

See native alternatives

No photograph yet. Looking for an old drawing…

Plant this instead

Your county or city

Choose your county to list local plants first.

Yaupon Holly
Ilex vomitoria
Sun: Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Green or white.
Similar growth form, height, spread
Different: bloom season
Giant Cane
Arundinaria gigantea
Sun: Deep shade, Full sun, Partial shade. Soil: Somewhat dry to moist. Flowers: Inconspicuous.
Similar height, spread, evergreen or deciduous

Refine these alternatives in the finder

Check a whole list of plants

At a glance

Life cycle: Woody perennial
Leaves: Evergreen
Bloom: July to October

JFMAMJJASOND

Recorded in 17 Virginia counties.

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

4CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including VA

Genus host records with ranges including VA · Buxus

Galasa nigrinodisBoxwood Leaftier
Halysidota tessellarisBanded Tussock Moth, Pale Tiger Moth
Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

—BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Buxaceae
Hardiness: Zones 5a–8b
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Cream or yellow

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “July to October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Cream or yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Hardiness · “Zones 5a–8b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “5–20 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Leaves · “Evergreen” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Life cycle · “Woody perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
primary_flower_color · “yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Occasionally wet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “5–15 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Conservation status

Virginia rank	Not available
Global rank	GNR
VA status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source