Buxus sempervirens L. var. arborescens
See Buxus sempervirens L. for information on the species. Arborescens is a form that develops into a large shrub or small tree. [Hortus, Hilliers’].
Horticultural & Botanical History
An ancient garden plant, arborescens may be of garden origin. Buxus arborea is recorded in Flora oder Allgemeine botanische Zeitung (1885) and Memoires de l’Academie royale des sciences, des letters et des Beaux-arts de Belgique (1867) [BHL] but is obviously much older.
History at Camden Park
Probably received per ‘Sovereign’ February 1831 as ‘Tree Box’ [MP A2948]. Buxus arborea is also marked with a ‘c’ in an 1836 edition of Loddiges’ Nursery catalogue held at Camden Park [CPA]. In William Macarthur’s code, used and explained elsewhere, this means grown at Camden although it did not appear in the catalogues. There are several fine specimens in the Royal Botanic Garden, Sydney.
Notes
Buxus arborea Procter, an endangered species endemic to Jamaica, was botanically described in 1967 and is not Macarthur’s plant.
Published Apr 02, 2010 - 10:09 AM | Last updated Apr 02, 2010 - 10:12 AM
| Family | Buxaceae |
|---|---|
| Category | |
| Region of origin | Europe, including Britain, to North Africa |
| Synonyms | |
| Common Name | Tree box |
| Name in the Camden Park Record |
Buxus arborea |
| Confidence level | high |