Buxus

Buxus, also known as Boxwood, make very fine model trees. I really like the look of these evergreen bushes which can be trimmed easily to represent beautiful miniature trees. I have seen very convincing examples, some even holding miniature swings or tree-houses.They are somewhat ' Bonzai' like.
The plant is very strong. I brought several of Buxus from my old garden when I moved to my current location without any problem.

Unfortunately I don't own much of them anymore because of its nemesis: the feared Buxus Moth.
This little bugger was very active in my neighborhood during the summer of 2018, causing the loss of some beautiful hedges and artistic shaped plants in multiple gardens in the area. The caterpillar settles itself in the plant causing it to turn brown and eventually die. The caterpillar does not have any natural enemies beside some birds. Before I realized it almost al my Buxus were gone. Only three little ones survived as they were hardly big enough for a caterpillar to hide!

March 2018. This could have been a nice miniature forest by now...

March 2018

 June 2019

A moth survivor. June 2019. But it will take a while to become a 'tree' again...

Depending on how things develop with the Buxus moth I perhaps buy some of these lovely plants again (I assume when there are almost no Buxus left in the neighborhood, the population of the moth must have been reduced also...). Otherwise I must find a nice alternative for it, like Ilex Crenata. 

-o-