Solved Shrub ID

What is this please? I think I had it in a container about 5-6 years ago, then planted it out in the garden 3 years ago, but have no idea what it is or why I bought it. It's only about 18" high and doesn't have any flowers.

 

Could it be Box? (Buxus)

 

It does look as thought it could be Pete, thanks. Wonder why I bought it?

 

You were going to attempt to make a life sized topiary sabertooth tiger to go beside the front door to deter jehovahs witnesses from knocking?

 

Hmm! Not sure that it is box...Buxus.
Box has leaves opposite on a stem.

http://trees.stanford.edu/images/buxus/01.jpg

This plant has opposite leaves with the next pair of leaves at right angles.
Rather like a Hebe.

http://www.hebesoc.org/hebes_atoz/hebes_atoz.htm

All gardens need evergreen plants.
They help to show off the beauty of other more colourful plants.
I think you are lucky to have this cute well behaved shrub..which does not need pruning or attention...no problem either with Box blight as it is not box!
Enjoy it.
Plant spring bulbs near it they will look great.

 

Funnily, I thought Hebe and thought they were buds but then realised you said it never flowered. I've never known Ss to be wrong.

 

I thought it was a Hebe too....it looks like one I had growing in a pot and it never flowered. Can't for the life of me remember what it was called.

 

The leaves kind of look opposite to me in the pics.

But I do agree that Hebe is an option, I must admit the absence of flowers also put me off the Hebe route.
Box flowers tend to be insignificant.

 

Pete..you are correct ....the leaves are in pairs...but they form a cross...botanically called decussate
eg Coleus.

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=c...fV7AboyYHgDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1536&bih=726

Quote from link below...

"verb tr.: To intersect or to cross.

adjective:
1. Intersected or crossed in the form of an X.
2. Arranged in pairs along the stem, each pair at a right angle to the one above or below."

http://www.wordsmith.org/words/decussate.html

.

 

OK, yep see what you are saying.

 

This is a pic of a box stem from my garden.

Box appears to grow leaves opposite, but also in the form of a cross on strong stems, but in a single plane on others.

I tend to think this link is a bit miss leading as it only shows the one form of growth.http://trees.stanford.edu/images/buxus/01.jpg

 

Pete..Hmm! Tut tut! Didn't do my homework very thoroughly!
It would seem there are Buxus with decussate leaves... humble apologies.
If there is one there must be others.
Thanks for really clear pics.
I searched www and found this under ...

Boxwood plant named 'Wee Willie'

It is about about ...Buxus sinica var insularis "Wee Willie"

There is a article written in 2004 when it was patented...not sure it will open here as it needed adobe...
Quote.. "The cultivar is distinguished by its decussate leaf arrangement",

Quote..."Stems: Are four sided,"
Boxwood plant named 'Wee Willie'
patentimages.storage.googleapis.com/pdfs/USPP17007.pdf
by WE Schubert - ‎2006 - ‎Related articles
20 May 2004 - (50) Latin Name: Buxus sinica var. insularis. Varietal Denomination: Wee ... The cultivar is distinguished by its decussate leaf arrangement,


http://www.google.com/patents/US20050262604

Extract from Patent...
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention related to a new and distinct cultivar of 5 boxwood, Buxus sinica var. insularis (synonym: Buxus microphylla var. koreana) that originated as a branch sport on the variety and was ?rst observed in 1990, and was also asexually reproduced in Austinburg, Ohio. Rooted cuttings have been propagated by extracting cuttings from the current 10 season’s growth. The cuttings are taken in December and inserted into propagation media in ?ats. Rooted cuttings have been propaged by the inventor each year since 1990.

The cultivar is distinguished by its decussate leaf arrangement, with successive pairs of leaves rotated 90 degrees on the stem axis from the previous pair. In this arrangement, its foliage resembles that of the box-leaved hebe, Hebe buxifolia, but we know of no other boxwood that displays this orderly leaf arrangement. Combined with the vertical orientation of the stems, the leaf arrangement gives a unique and attractive texture to this shrub.

The new cultivar is a dense-growing semi-dwarf broadleaved evergreen, reaching a height and spread of 24 inchesby 24 inches in six years from a rooted cutting. This cultivar is propagated from rooted cuttings, and plants propagated by this method consistently and uniformly

 

So, what have I got, hebe or box?

If it is a hebe and hasn't flowered should I move it? Or just leave it where it is as it's harming no one and might be a box anyway. Are you all sorry I asked