Boxwood Size

12 Inches High

• "Tide Hill" (Buxus sinica var. insularis) is a very short Korean boxwood suitable for using as ground cover or to make foundations more interesting. Tide Hill grows between 9 and 12 inches, but can spread out over 20 years as much as 5 feet. Tide Hill is evergreen and it is cold hardy to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plant hardiness zone 5. Morris Midget, a Japanese boxwood cultivar, grows slowly, gaining about 1 ¼ inches each year. It is tolerant to plenty of pruning, but even without it, Morris Midget will only become about 30 inches tall. Most landscapers use this form as an edger shrub in formal gardens or to make low hedges, keeping it about 12 inches high.

2 to 4 Feet High

• Locate Saint Genevieve next to foundation or employ this 4-foot tall common boxwood cultivar as a hedge. The shrub grows 4 inches per year and like most boxwood, has no problem with pruning to keep it in shape. Saint Genevieve grows in USDA zones 5 through 8, but in zones 5 and 6, keep it out of exposed spots where winter winds may damage it. The Korean boxwood cultivar Wintergreen displays more cold hardiness than most boxwood, adapting to USDA zone 4. Wintergreen grows between 2 and 4 feet tall, and the shrub generates green-yellow April flowers. Wintergreen does best in damp, sandy loam.

4 to 7 Feet High

• More height -- in the range of between 4 and 7 feet -- is a feature of Henry Shaw, but this common boxwood type lacks the ability to withstand cold. It is suitable for USDA zones 6 through 8, where you can plant it as a specimen species or make hedges with it. Henry Shaw grows slowly, taking as long as 20 years to reach 4 feet high. Pullman is a similar cultivar of common boxwood, but it grows to 4 feet in 10 years, eventually getting as big as 7 feet. Pullman is evergreen, but sometimes takes on a bronze color in winter. Pullman is cold hardy to zone 5.

Over 7 Feet High

• Leave National unpruned and this Japanese boxwood grows as tall as 12 feet. National is an upright boxwood form, producing cream-white flowers in early spring. You can use it to make tall hedges. The conical, tree-like nature of Fastagiata makes this common boxwood cultivar useful as a specimen plant. Fastagiata grows between 10 and 12 feet tall, but it is just 5 feet wide. The evergreen shrub features dark bluish-green foliage. It is a safe choice for USDA zones 6 through 8, but try to remove any heavy snow from around the shrub in winter to prevent the twigs and limbs from breaking, advises the Missouri Botanical Garden.