“Man’s oldest garden ornamental,” American Boxwood Society. Boxwood is a versatile evergreen with a broad range of forms and sizes. It is the aristocrat of plants. The Latin name Buxus sempervirens was given to boxwood by Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus in 1753. Buxus means “box” sempervirens means “evergreen.” More than 200 cultivars of boxwood have been identified. Go to Boxwood Garden’s varieties page to see some of these cultivars. The origin of boxwood dates back to well before biblical times. Fossilized boxwood leaves and fruit have been discovered that date as far back as 22 ˝ million years. In the first century B.C. in Greece, villas of many affluent Romans were landscaped with formal boxwood plantings. The plants were often shaped into topiary form. In England pollen grains of boxwood have been found in charcoal dating back to 2000 B.C. The original boxwood was all removed by the glacial epoch. The Romans are credited with reestablishing boxwood in England. Since that time, boxwood had become naturalized in some areas in England. The wood of boxwood is highly regarded. It is firm, smooth grained, strong, uniform, has great elasticity and its shrinkage is minimal when dried. The ancient Greeks and Romans used it to make beautiful jewel boxes, combs, wood inlays, carved ornaments, utensils, tablets, and flutes. It was the wood of choice in England for the power loom. In North America, it is believed, boxwood was first planted by Nathaniel Sylvester. He built a manor on a Long Island plantation in 1652. Buxus sempervirens was planted. There are many classic plantings of boxwood in colonial gardens, such as Williamsburg and Mount Vernon, Virginia. Boxwood has been and remains a treasured plant in the garden. It is used to frame garden spaces, such as paths, door ways, parterres, rose gardens, knot gardens. Sculpted plants or topiary is another use for boxwood. The shapes act as anchors, finials, and ornamentation in the garden. Boxwood is stately and versatile in any garden. | 
