Bulbs
Flower Basics
Flower Beds & Specialty Gardens
Flower Garden
Garden Furniture
Garden Gnomes
Garden Seeds
Garden Sheds
Garden Statues
Garden Tools & Supplies
Gardening Basics
Green & Organic
Groundcovers & Vines
Growing Annuals
Growing Basil
Growing Beans
Growing Berries
Growing Blueberries
Growing Cactus
Growing Corn
Growing Cotton
Growing Edibles
Growing Flowers
Growing Garlic
Growing Grapes
Growing Grass
Growing Herbs
Growing Jasmine
Growing Mint
Growing Mushrooms
Orchids
Growing Peanuts
Growing Perennials
Growing Plants
Growing Rosemary
Growing Roses
Growing Strawberries
Growing Sunflowers
Growing Thyme
Growing Tomatoes
Growing Tulips
Growing Vegetables
Herb Basics
Herb Garden
Indoor Growing
Landscaping Basics
Landscaping Patios
Landscaping Plants
Landscaping Shrubs
Landscaping Trees
Landscaping Walks & Pathways
Lawn Basics
Lawn Maintenance
Lawn Mowers
Lawn Ornaments
Lawn Planting
Lawn Tools
Outdoor Growing
Overall Landscape Planning
Pests, Weeds & Problems
Plant Basics
Rock Garden
Rose Garden
Shrubs
Soil
Specialty Gardens
Trees
Vegetable Garden
Yard Maintenance
The Difference Between Boxwood & Small-Leaf Holly
The Difference Between Boxwood & Small-Leaf Holly. A lot of people can’t tell the difference between boxwood (Buxus spp.) and small-leaved hollies (Ilex spp.), especially Japanese holly (Ilex crenata). Both kinds of plants have small, dark green leaves, are evergreen and grow into compact shrubs that take pruning well. However, once you look...
A lot of people can’t tell the difference between boxwood (Buxus spp.) and small-leaved hollies (Ilex spp.), especially Japanese holly (Ilex crenata). Both kinds of plants have small, dark green leaves, are evergreen and grow into compact shrubs that take pruning well. However, once you look more closely, it’s easier to tell which is which.
Leaves
The leaves on boxwood branches are arranged opposite from each other, making pairs. The leaves on holly occur alternately. While boxwood leaves always have smooth edges, holly leaves, even the small, oval ones, sometimes have tiny scallops along the edge. The leaves of holly usually are slightly darker green and shinier than those of boxwood.
Flowers
Both holly and boxwood flowers are tiny. Boxwood, which has both male and female flowers on the same plant, has chartreuse, star-shaped flowers but does not produce berries. The flowers grow in clusters with one female flower in the center, surrounded by male flowers with yellow anthers. Hollies have tiny white flowers and need a separate male and female plant for berries to occur on the female plant. If pollinated, Japanese holly produces small, blue-black berries.
Habit
Small-leaved hollies grow faster than boxwood, with a more rigid, branching habit. Most have a mounded habit, reaching 4 to 8 feet tall. "Sky Pencil" (Ilex crentata "Sky Pencil") is a narrow, upright cultivar that grows to 10 feet. Japanese hollies thrive in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 6 though 9. Boxwood tends to grow in a rounded, compact form, although American boxwood (Buxus sempervirens) can reach 20 feet tall. English boxwood (Buxus sempervirens suffruticosa) is a slow-growing dwarf cultivar that reaches 3 feet. Little-leaf boxwood (Buxus microphylla), also a dwarf, has smaller leaves. Boxwood grows in USDA zones 5 through 9.
Culture
Both holly and boxwood thrive in acidic, well-drained soil in full or part sun. They both benefit from regular pruning, and boxwood takes shearing exceptionally well. Some boxwoods turn a copper color in winter, while hollies stay dark green. Both plants look best when protected from drying winter wind.
