''Buxus sinica'', the Chinese box or small-leaved box, is a species of flowering plant in the family

Buxaceae The Buxaceae are a small family of six genera and about 123 known species of flowering plants. They are shrubs and small trees, with a cosmopolitan distribution. A seventh genus, sometimes accepted in the past (''Notobuxus''), has been shown by ...

, native to central and southern China, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan. A shrub or small tree, in the wild it is found in a variety of habitats, usually from above sea level. There are a number of cultivars, all derived from ''Buxus sinica'' var.''insularis'' (syn. ''Buxus koreana''), including 'Winter Gem', 'Green Gem', 'Justin Brouwers', 'Wintergreen', 'Chegu', 'Tall Boy', 'Tide Hill', 'Winter Beauty', 'Green Mountain', 'Pincushion', 'Filigree', 'Green Velvet', and 'Sunnyside'. In addition to its use in hedging, it is used in

bonsai Bonsai ( ja, 盆栽, , tray planting, ) is the Japanese art of growing and training miniature trees in pots, developed from the traditional Chinese art form of ''penjing''. Unlike ''penjing'', which utilizes traditional techniques to produce ...

Subtaxa

The following varieties are accepted: *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''aemulans'' – southern China *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''insularis'' – South Korea,

Hiroshima Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūgoku region of Honshu. Hiroshima Prefecture has a population of 2,811,410 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 8,479 km² (3,274 sq mi). Hiroshima Prefecture borders Okayama ...

, Japan *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''intermedia'' – Taiwan *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''parvifolia'' – southern China *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''pumila'' – western

Hubei Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...

*''Buxus sinica'' var. ''sinica'' – central and southern China, introduced to Japan *''Buxus sinica'' var. ''vacciniifolia'' – southern China

References

sinica Flora of North-Central China Flora of South-Central China Flora of Southeast China Flora of Taiwan Flora of South Korea Flora of Japan Plants used in bonsai Plants described in 1980 {{Eudicot-stub