English Boxwood vs American Boxwood | What’s Actually Different

English and American boxwood are not separate species — both are varieties of Buxus sempervirens, with American boxwood reaching 10–15 feet tall and English boxwood topping out at 3–4 feet as a slow-growing dwarf.

Walk into any garden center and you’ll see both labels, but the real difference has nothing to do with where each plant comes from. Both are common boxwood — the same species, Buxus sempervirens. The distinction is purely about form and growth. American boxwood (the standard tall clone, often ‘Arborescens’) grows medium-fast into a 10-foot hedge or topiary specimen. English boxwood (‘Suffruticosa’) stays tiny and grows so slowly you’ll measure its progress in inches per year. Pick the wrong one and you either wait a decade for a hedge that never comes, or fight a shrub that wants to be a tree.

Are They Different Species or Just Different Cuts?

Both are the same species — Buxus sempervirens, common boxwood. “American boxwood” refers to the standard, tall-growing clone (Buxus sempervirens ‘Arborescens’), while “English boxwood” is a dwarf variety (Buxus sempervirens ‘Suffruticosa’). They can cross-pollinate and behave the same way botanically. The difference is all in the grower’s selection for size over centuries.

English Boxwood vs American Boxwood: The Key Differences At a Glance

The table below shows what actually matters when you’re deciding which one to plant.

Which Boxwood Should You Plant — And Where?

The right choice depends on what you want the shrub to do and where you live. American boxwood fits tall hedges, privacy screens, and large topiaries. It handles wind and cold better, so it’s the safer pick for exposed sites and northern Zone 6 gardens. English boxwood belongs at ground level — low edging along walkways, parterre knot gardens, or small foundation balls. Its slow growth means less trimming but a longer wait to fill in.

What About Cold and Heat?

American boxwood tolerates extreme cold and harsh winds better than English. Both are rated to USDA Zone 6, but English boxwood is noticeably less hardy in practice and suffers more from heat stress. In warmer states — the South, mid-Atlantic, and Pacific Coast — Japanese boxwood (Buxus microphylla) is a better heat-tolerant alternative. For colder spots with harsh winters, select the American variety ‘Green Mountain’, which is bred for cold hardiness.

What About Blight and Disease?

English boxwood is highly susceptible to Cylindrocladium buxicola (boxwood blight), a devastating fungal disease that has wiped out entire plantings. American boxwood is generally more resistant. If you’re planting in an area where boxwood blight is known — much of the eastern US and Pacific Northwest — English boxwood carries serious risk. Good air circulation and avoiding overhead watering reduce the odds, but the susceptibility is a real drawback Gardenista’s guide to English boxwood covers the trade-offs in detail.

Planting and Care: What Both Boxwoods Need

Both varieties share the same care requirements. Get these basics right and either one will thrive in its zone.

• Light: Partial or dappled shade with 4–6 hours of direct sun daily. Protect from hot afternoon sun to prevent leaf scorch. Full shade (under 4 hours) makes plants open up and lose color.
• Spacing for hedges: Space plants at half their mature width. If mature width is 4 feet, space centers 2 feet apart.
• Soil: Adaptable to most types with a pH of 5.5–7.2. Good drainage is essential — standing water kills boxwood.
• Planting: Dig a hole, backfill with soil, tamp down to remove air pockets, and water well immediately. Apply shredded bark mulch to keep roots cool and suppress weeds.
• Mulch warning: In eastern regions, do not mulch heavily around the base — it traps moisture against the shallow roots and causes rot.
• Fertilizing: Apply an all-purpose shrub fertilizer in spring. One feeding per year is enough.
• Pruning: Shear lightly to shape. Cut out dead or diseased branches. If the outer growth gets too dense, remove older branches selectively to improve air circulation.

Other Boxwood Varieties Worth Knowing

American and English aren’t the only options. These varieties fill specific gaps in cold hardiness, size, and purpose.

Which One to Plant: The Verdict by Use Case

• Need a tall hedge or privacy screen (4+ ft): American boxwood. English won’t reach that height in your lifetime.
• Want a low border along a walkway or garden bed: English boxwood. It stays 8–18 inches tall with minimal trimming.
• Live in a colder zone with harsh winters: American boxwood (especially ‘Green Mountain’). English suffers in extreme cold.
• Live in a hot southern state: Japanese boxwood. American is fine with afternoon shade; English is the weakest choice for heat.
• Concerned about boxwood blight: American boxwood. English boxwood’s high susceptibility is a known problem in the eastern US and Pacific Northwest.
• Planting a formal knot garden or parterre: English boxwood. Its dense, slow growth holds precise shapes for decades.