Formal boxwood hedges are traditional components of old rose gardens. They are short enough to not obscure the bloom of the roses. Yet, they are dense enough to obscure the less appealing bases of rose shrubs. English boxwood is more common where winter is cooler. Locally, Japanese boxwood, Buxus microphylla, has always been more popular.

Mature specimens generally stay less than three feet tall and wide. They can grow twice as large without pruning. Their glossy evergreen leaves are only about half an inch to an inch long. The foliar texture is quite dense, so is very conducive to formal shearing. Bark is light brown or gray, but is not often visible within such dense foliage. Roots are docile.

Old fashioned Japanese boxwood has somewhat yellowish green foliar color. It remains the most common cultivar within old gardens. Modern cultivars are notably darker green. At least one modern cultivar is even more compact and globular than the simple species. Another is fastigiate. ‘Borderline’ foliage is variegated with light yellow or white margins.