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Buxus × 'Green Velvet'

green velvet boxwood

Buxaceae Hybrid origin (Canada, cultivated)

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterMedium · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 5–8

Overview

Buxus x 'Green Velvet' is a compact broadleaf evergreen shrub reaching 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) tall and 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) wide on a densely branched rounded framework. Leaves are opposite, oval, 0.5-0.8 inch (1.3-2 cm) long, glossy dark green throughout the year with minimal winter bronzing in zones 5-7. Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear in clusters at leaf axils in April; flowers carry a pungent scent and are not ornamental. Stems are stiff and densely branched with smooth gray-green bark on young growth. Annual growth runs 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) per season after establishment, slower than Buxus sempervirens cultivars. Cold tolerance to -25°F (-32°C) extends the cultivated range one zone colder than English boxwood. Resistance to boxwood blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) is partial; disease can establish in heavily infected plantings under wet humid conditions. Boxwood leafminer can damage foliage in eastern North America from May through July. Lifespan in landscape settings runs 50-100 years on well-drained sites. Plants tolerate hard pruning and topiary shaping; mature specimens recover from heavy renewal pruning over 2-3 seasons.

Native Range

Buxus x 'Green Velvet' is a hybrid cultivar developed by Sheridan Nurseries in Ontario, Canada in the 1960s as a cross between Buxus sempervirens (common boxwood, southern Europe) and Buxus microphylla var. koreana (Korean boxwood, northeast Asia). It has no native range; the hybrid combines the dark green foliage of common boxwood with the cold tolerance of Korean boxwood for use in zones 5-7.

Suggested Uses

Planted in low formal hedges spaced 18-24 inches (45-60 cm) apart for a continuous 2-3 foot (60-90 cm) wall, in foundation beds, and as rounded specimens in mixed shrub borders. Used as the structural backbone of parterre and knot garden designs at 15-18 inch (38-45 cm) spacing for low borders trimmed to 12-18 inches (30-45 cm). Container plantings require pots of at least 5 gallons (19 L) with daily summer watering and sheltered placement to reduce winter wind exposure.

How to Identify

Compact rounded evergreen shrub 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) tall and wide with glossy dark green oval leaves 0.5-0.8 inch (1.3-2 cm) long held opposite on stiff densely branched stems. Distinguished from Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa' (English boxwood) by greater cold hardiness (zone 5 vs zone 6) and a more rounded mature form. Distinguished from Buxus x 'Green Mountain' (sister hybrid) by rounded habit rather than upright pyramidal form. Sheridan Nurseries Green Series tag identifies the cultivar.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 3'

Width/Spread2' - 3'

Reaches mature size in approximately 10 years

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~2 weeks

Spring

Inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers appear in April, clustered in leaf axils for 1-2 weeks. Flowers are not ornamental and carry a pungent scent that draws bees and small flies for pollination. The cultivar is grown for evergreen foliage rather than flowers.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

glossy dark green year-round

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 4-8 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.5 - 7.5(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Medium

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

8-12 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Water deeply weekly during establishment for the first two growing seasons, applying about 1 inch (2.5 cm) at the root zone per session. Mature plants tolerate 3-4 weeks without rain in zones 5-7 once established. Boxwood blight (Calonectria pseudonaviculata) develops in warm humid conditions and causes circular leaf spots followed by defoliation; spacing plants 24 inches (60 cm) apart for air circulation reduces incidence. Boxwood leafminer larvae mine inside leaves from May through July in eastern North America, causing blistered yellow patches. A 2-3 inch (5-7.5 cm) layer of organic mulch maintains even soil moisture and reduces shallow root damage from cultivation. Fertilize once in early spring with a balanced slow-release formula at the rate listed on the label.

Pruning

Light shearing for shape is done in early summer (June) and again in late summer (August) for formal hedges. Renewal pruning to reduce overall size is done in late winter or early spring before new growth, removing up to one-third of the canopy in a single season. Shearing in fall is omitted because new growth produced afterward is damaged by winter cold. Removing dead or blight-affected wood is done at any time, with disinfection of pruners between cuts to prevent disease spread.

Pruning Schedule

summer