boxwood prominence The first boxwoods were introduced to the United States in the 1650s and have been an important element in landscape design ever since, from colonial gardens to Beatrix Farrand’s 1921 design for the grounds of Dumbarton Oaks, to the knot gardens of today. Boxwoods form buds on old wood in addition to new stems, making them easy to shape as hedges or topiary, and their slow growth and the fine texture of their foliage make them ideal as foundation plantings and as structural backdrops in formal gardens. As slow-growing plants, they are both difficult and profitable for the nursery industry. The current wholesale market value for boxwood nursery production is estimated to be $103 million annually (United States Department of Agriculture, 2010). Major boxwood production states include Oregon, with approx. 200 nurseries growing a variety of boxwood cultivars (Oregon Department of Agriculture, 2012), selling $22 million in 2009, according to the 2010 USDA-NASS Census of Horticulture; California, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois sold $9.5, $8.2, $7.3, and $6.7 million of boxwood, respectively (United States Department of Agriculture, 2010).