Boxwood is a versatile and well-loved landscaping shrub that is used for both hedging and ornamental purposes, as well as for providing an effective barrier and repellent to deer. With Yorktown, NY falling under the plant hardiness Zone 6a, we’ve selected some species of Boxwood that are perfectly matched to the area and cover a range of uses and characteristics for you to incorporate into your landscape.

American Boxwood

The common form of the species buxus sempervirens and the most common form of boxwood found in the United States. American boxwood is a true classic, most often used in the art of hedge sculpture popularized by television and movies. This particular shrub has an imposing full height of around five feet and a breadth of four feet, giving it a squat, amorphous profile when left untrimmed. However, it can be shaped with light trimming during the winter. This variant can continue to grow for a lifetime, so care should be taken to not allow it to overwhelm its surroundings. The boxwood is evergreen so provides color to your landscape during winter.

6 Best Boxwood Cultivars for your Yorktown Landscape Design

American Boxwood Pyramidalis

The pyramidalis has a strong vertical inclination, growing up to eight feet tall while maintaining the typical breadth of four feet that narrows towards the top. The result is a pyramid or cone shaped plant. Despite its extra height, the pyramidalis maintains the fine, dense foliage and blue green tinge of the common boxwood.

Dwarf English Boxwood

Also known as the Suffruticosa cultivar, the Dwarf English Boxwood is tiny compared to the previous two, growing to only two by two feet. Its size makes it perfect for use as a low hedge, lining property or boundary walls, or for use as a standalone shrub in flowerbeds or small, neat landscapes. It is also an excellent pot-based shrub. Left untrimmed, it maintains a tight, round shape that is low to the ground. This variation is also highly resistant to pests.

Elegantissima Boxwood

The Elegantissima can grow from between four to six feet in height and three to five feet in breadth, but can be tamed to a more manageable size and shape through trimming. The Elegantissima has a slightly looser knit foliage, but what really differentiates this cultivar is its distinct cream tinged leaves. The soft accents are excellent for lightening a flowerbed or providing color variation for your plantings.

Fastigiata Boxwood

The Fastigiata is a tall and slim variation, growing up to eight feet in height while maintaining a breadth of approximately three feet. This makes the Fastigiata an excellent cultivar for tall, narrow hedges, as well as to introduce a level of height variation to your landscape. Its foliage is deep green in color with a creamy white bloom. While pruning can be done to maintain a neat cone-like shape, the Fastigiata can also be left to develop into an impressively tall, rounded column.

Vardar Valley Boxwood

With a height of up to three feet and breadth of up to five, this cultivar of American Boxwood is distinguished by its squat, low to the ground growing habit that resembles a flattened oval. Typically, the shrub is much smaller, maintaining dimensions of three feet by one foot, making it an excellent filler shrub for flowerbeds and to provide volume between taller plants.