Of the Ordinary boxwood is usually simply called Boxwood and belongs to the genus of the same name. This evergreen sapling is mainly used as an ornamental wood, but can also occasionally be found in the wild.
Occurrence & cultivation of the boxwood
Of the Boxwood can basically reach a height of up to eight meters, but mostly in the tropics. In this country it usually thrives like a bush up to a height of four to five meters and this comparatively slowly. It is mainly native to southwest and central Europe as well as western Asia and North Africa. The boxwood is evergreen.
The boxwood is characterized by dense and widely branched foliage, which is why it can be used not only as a shrub, but also as a whole hedge. Because it grows so densely, it serves as an excellent privacy screen and is also robust and very easy to care for. The leaves of the boxwood are oblong to oval and dark green with a light green underside.
Between March and June it develops fragrant flower clusters that produce a lot of pollen and nectar, which makes the box tree very attractive to bees. From the end of August, the fruit capsules of the shrub begin to split and then scatter small black seeds, which are picked up and spread by ants. Thus, the boxwood is one of the few native shrubs whose seeds are spread via ants (myrmechory).
Effect & application
The boxwood is a popular ornamental plant and can be used in many ways, be it as a single ornamental tree, as a hedge, as a privacy screen or as an artistically cut figure. Due to its dense foliage, the figures appear very symmetrical and seamless like hardly any other plant.
Boxwood shows all its abilities as an ornamental plant, especially in splendid gardens in the Renaissance and Baroque styles. You can still see him in large numbers in famous castle gardens today. Uncut it can reach a height of up to ten meters and is therefore very decorative for any park or large garden. With the right cut, it can be artistically cut into animal shapes, sculptures, columns or balls.
Boxwood is very decorative when it is planted in terracotta pots, cut into a ball and placed in front of driveways or front doors with a second, identically cut plant. In this way, it contributes to a well-groomed and Mediterranean-looking appearance. Because it has an extraordinary symmetry and is therefore extremely malleable, it is a wonderful way to combine modern architectural style with classic elements of garden design.
If it is planted in a row, it can develop as a dense hedge with a height of one to one and a half meters. Nevertheless, a little patience is required, because boxwood grows much more slowly than other hedge plants - but the wait pays off, because hobby gardeners are rewarded with an evergreen, always densely growing hedge. If the location of the boxwood is not too dry, it can even be cultivated as an undergrowth in shady places.
If hedges with a lower height or flat borders for beds and paths are to be created, then this variety is suitable Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa preferably. This species reaches a maximum height of 50 centimeters and becomes up to 30 centimeters wide.But the box tree can also fulfill decorative purposes outside the garden: Its beautiful, evergreen leaves can be used wonderfully as table decorations in the form of garlands or for Christmas door wreaths or Advent wreaths. Once upon a time, wreaths were made from them in honor of the winter solstice and placed on their heads as they are said to bring good luck.
Importance for health, treatment & prevention
The box tree contains many valuable ingredients, such as essential oils, alkaloids or vitamin C. It is also a medicinal plant, so to speak, and can be used both internally and externally for fever or liver disease. Important: Boxwood, more precisely in the roots and leaves, contains alkaloids such as buxin, which in higher doses are very toxic for animals and humans.
Because of this, boxwood is not as easy to ingest as other plants, but it can, for example, be used for compresses, hand or foot baths and for skin diseases. In rheumatism, it is pain reliever in the form of compresses.
A few decades ago, when natural medicine was even more pronounced because the range of chemically produced drugs was still relatively limited, the boxwood was often used as a tea infusion for fever. To do this, you took two teaspoons of the leaves and poured a liter of hot water over them. With one cup per day, the fever should be effectively reduced.
Although boxwood plays a major role as a medicinal plant in natural medicine and can often have a very positive effect on various ailments, one should in no case use components of the plant without first consulting a doctor. He can give you precise information about which parts of the tree may be used internally or externally.
Symptoms of boxwood poisoning are vomiting, diarrhea, hyperexcitability and cramps. In the case of severe poisoning, paralysis or even death from respiratory paralysis can occur, but this usually only happens if the plant is used incorrectly.
