Taxon:  Buxus sempervirens L.



Summary
Genus:
Buxus
Family:
Buxaceae
Nomen number:
8212
Place of publication:
Sp. pl. 2:983.  1753
Verified:
09/09/1986 ARS Systematic Botanists.
Accessions:
284 (249  active, 2  available) in National Plant Germplasm System.  (Map it)
Other conspecific taxa
Conservation Status

Reference(s)
  1. University of Georgia Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health
  2. Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
  3. APHIS. Agricultural Risk Management System United States Department of Agriculture.
  4. Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
  5. Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
  6. Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
  7. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  8. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
  9. Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
  10. Eriksson, O. et al. 1979. Flora of Macaronesia: checklist of vascular plants, ed. 2.
  11. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). 2010. Ecocrop (on-line resource).
  12. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  13. Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
  14. Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire. 1931-1941. Catalogue des plantes du Maroc.
  15. Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
  16. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  17. Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
  18. Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
  19. Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
  20. McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
  21. Meyer, F. G. et al. 1994. A catalog of cultivated woody plants of the southeastern United States
  22. Personal Care Products Council. International Nomenclature Cosmetic Ingredient
  23. Quézel, P. & S. Santa. 1962-1963. Nouvelle flore de l'Algerie.
  24. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  25. Rehder, A. 1949. Bibliography of cultivated trees and shrubs.
  26. St. John, H. 1973. List and summary of the flowering plants in the Hawaiian islands
  27. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
  28. Yunnan Inst. Bot. & Kunming Inst. Bot. Acad. Sci., eds. 1977-. Flora yunnanica.
  29. Zohary, M. et al. 1980-. Conspectus florae orientalis.
  30. 1961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
  31. 2018. Mid-Atlantic invasive plant species (on-line resource)
Common names
LanguageNameAlternate namenoteseqCitation
Englishbox  1Botanical Society of the British Isles. BSBI taxon database (on-line resource).
Englishboxtree  1Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
Englishboxwood  11961. Webster's third new international dictionary.
Englishboxwoodtree  1Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
EnglishCaucasian boxwood  1Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
Englishcommon box  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
Englishcommon boxwood  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
EnglishEuropean box  1Mabberley, D. J. 1997. The plant-book: a portable dictionary of the vascular plants, ed. 2
EnglishFrench boxwood  1Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
EnglishPersian boxwood  1Batdorf, L. R. 2004. Boxwood: An illustrated encyclopedia
EnglishTurkish boxwood  1Liberty Hyde Bailey Hortorium. 1976. Hortus third. A concise dictionary of plants cultivated in the United States and Canada
Portuguese (Brazil)árvore-da-caixa  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)buxinho  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Portuguese (Brazil)buxo  2Groth, D. 2005. pers. comm. Note: re. Brazilian common names
Swedishbuxbom  2Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson. 2012. Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource)
Distribution
order_codeStatusContinentSubcontinentCountryStateNoteReference
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaAlgeria  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaLibya  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAfricaNorthern AfricaMorocco  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeAsia-TemperateCaucasusAzerbaijan  Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaIran n.Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
1NativeAsia-TemperateWestern AsiaTurkey  Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeAustria  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeBelgium  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeGermany  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeMiddle EuropeSwitzerland  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeNorthern EuropeUnited Kingdom  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeAlbania  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeFormer Yugoslavia  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeGreece  Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSoutheastern EuropeItaly incl. SardiniaGreuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeFrance incl. CorsicaTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropePortugal incl. AzoresTutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
1NativeEuropeSouthwestern EuropeSpain  Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
2Cultivated    also cult. 
4Naturalized    natzd. elsewhere 
Native
Africa
  • NORTHERN AFRICA: Algeria, Libya, Morocco
Asia-Temperate
  • WESTERN ASIA: Iran (n.), Turkey
  • CAUCASUS: Azerbaijan
Europe
  • NORTHERN EUROPE: United Kingdom
  • MIDDLE EUROPE: Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany
  • SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE: Former Yugoslavia, Albania, Greece, Italy (incl. Sardinia)
  • SOUTHWESTERN EUROPE: Spain, France (incl. Corsica), Portugal (incl. Azores)
Cultivated (also cult.)
Naturalized (natzd. elsewhere)

Reference(s)
  1. Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
  2. Greuter, W. et al., eds. 1984-. Med-Checklist.
  3. Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934-1964. Flora SSSR.
  4. Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.
  5. Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964-1980. Flora europaea.
Economic Uses
UsageTypeNoteReference
Environmentalornamental Encke, F. et al. 1984. Zander: Handwörterbuch der Pflanzennamen, 13. Auflage
Materialswood Davis, P. H., ed. 1965-1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands.
Medicinesfolklore Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs
Medicinesfolklore McGuffin, M., J. T. Kartesz, A. Y. Leung, & A. O. Tucker. 2000. Herbs of commerce, ed. 2 American Herbal Products Association, Silver Spring, Maryland.
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Kingsbury, J. M. 1964. Poisonous plants of the United States and Canada. Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Cooper, M. R. & A. W. Johnson. 1998. Poisonous plants and fungi in Britain: animal and human poisoning Note: poisonous
Vertebrate poisonsmammals Lampe, K. F. & M. A. McCann. 1985. AMA handbook of poisonous and injurious plants Note: poisonous
Cite as: USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2026. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland.
URL: https://npgstest.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomydetail?id=8212. Accessed 15 April 2026.