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What is the difference between boxwood (Buxus bodinieri) and Chinese boxwood (Buxus sinica)?

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Leaves: The former is thinly leathery, spoon-shaped, also obovate or narrowly ovate. The latter is leathery, oblong, broadly obovate, broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic. Appearance: The former is a shrub, initially with short soft hairs that later fall off leaving it hairless. The latter has short soft hairs that do not fall off.

I. Leaf differences

The leaves of boxwood (Buxus bodinieri) are thinly leathery, usually spoon-shaped, also obovate or narrowly ovate, widest above the middle, about 2-4 cm long and about 8-18 mm wide. The upper surface is green and rather glossy, while the underside is grayish.

The leaves of Chinese boxwood (Buxus sinica) are leathery, oblong, broadly obovate, broadly elliptic or ovate-elliptic, about 1.5-3.5 cm long and about 0.8-2 cm wide.

II. Appearance differences

Boxwood (Buxus bodinieri) is a shrub, about 3-4 m tall, with cylindrical branches; the smaller branches are four-angled, initially with short soft hairs that later fall off until hairless.

Chinese boxwood (Buxus sinica) is a small tree or shrub, about 1-6 m tall, with cylindrical branches that are grayish-white; the small branches are four-angled, but are entirely covered with short soft hairs, or hairless on two opposite sides.

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