{"id":469,"date":"2009-01-06T19:36:20","date_gmt":"2009-01-07T01:36:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/?p=469"},"modified":"2023-11-20T05:43:22","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T10:43:22","slug":"boxwood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wood-database.com\/boxwood\/","title":{"rendered":"Boxwood"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/i><\/a> > Hardwoods<\/a> ><\/a> Buxuaceae<\/a> > Buxus <\/a>> <\/strong>sempervirens\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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DATA SOURCE(S):<\/a> 8,10,17,20,35,36,40<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"\"<\/a>
Boxwood (Buxus sempervirens)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Common Name(s):<\/strong><\/a> Boxwood, European boxwood, common box<\/p>

Scientific Name:<\/strong><\/a> Buxus sempervirens<\/i><\/p>

Distribution:<\/strong><\/a> Europe, northwest Africa, and southwest Asia<\/p>

Tree Size:<\/strong><\/a> 10-25 ft (3-8 m)<\/span> tall,<\/p>

                     4-6 in (12-20 cm)<\/span> trunk diameter<\/p>

Average Dried Weight:<\/strong><\/a> 60.2 lbs\/ft3<\/sup> (965 kg\/m3<\/sup>)<\/span><\/p>

Specific Gravity (Basic, 12% MC)<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> .80, .96<\/p>

Janka Hardness<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> 2,940 lbf<\/sub> (13,080 N)<\/span><\/p>

Modulus of Rupture<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> 19,800 lbf<\/sub>\/in2<\/sup> (136.5 MPa)<\/span><\/p>

Elastic Modulus<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> 1,779,000 lbf<\/sub>\/in2<\/sup> (12.27 GPa)<\/span><\/p>

Crushing Strength<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> 10,334 lbf<\/sub>\/in2<\/sup> (71.3 MPa)<\/span><\/p>

Shrinkage<\/strong><\/a>:<\/span> Radial: 7.3%, Tangential: 11.2%,<\/p>

                          Volumetric: 19.0%, T\/R Ratio: 1.5<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/i> More images<\/strong><\/a> | <\/i> Identification<\/strong><\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Color\/Appearance:<\/strong><\/a> Color tends to be a light cream to yellow, which tends to darken slightly with prolonged exposure to light. Sapwood not distinct from heartwood.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Grain\/Texture:<\/a> <\/strong>Boxwood has a very fine, even texture with a natural luster. The grain tends to be straight or slightly irregular.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Rot Resistance:<\/a> <\/strong>Heartwood is rated as durable, though it can become stained with dark streaks due to fungal attack. Mixed reports on susceptibility to insect attack.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Workability:<\/strong><\/a> Boxwood tends to be somewhat difficult to work in flat dimensions, though it is superbly suited for turning and carving, where it can hold very fine details. Tearout can occur on pieces with irregular grain during planing and other machining operations. Boxwood has a slight blunting effect on cutters.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Odor:<\/a> <\/strong>No characteristic odor.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Allergies\/Toxicity:<\/strong><\/a> Although severe reactions are quite uncommon, boxwood has been reported as a sensitizer<\/a>. Usually most common reactions simply include eye, skin, and respiratory irritation. See the articles Wood Allergies and Toxicity<\/a> and Wood Dust Safety<\/a> for more information.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Pricing\/Availability:<\/strong><\/a> Usually only available in small quantities and sizes, boxwood tends to be very expensive.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>

Sustainability:<\/strong><\/a> This wood species is not listed in the CITES Appendices, and is reported by the IUCN as being a species of least concern.\u00a0<\/p><\/blockquote>

Common Uses:<\/strong><\/span> Boxwood is well-suited for carving and turning, though the tree’s diminutive size restricts it to smaller projects. Some common uses for boxwood include carvings, chess pieces, musical instruments (flutes, recorders, woodwinds, etc.), rulers, handles, turned objects, and other small specialty items.<\/p><\/blockquote>

Comments:<\/strong><\/span> It’s a shame that the term ‘boxwood’ has become so convoluted and confused in modern times, as there seems to be one particular wood species that has historically been associated with the name boxwood: Buxus sempervirens.<\/em> It is this species that can be considered the original, genuine boxwood.<\/p>

Boxwood’s ability to hold crisp details in carvings and lathe work, in combination with its uniform color and silky-fine texture truly make it a classic.<\/p>

Other species in different genera tend to have similar appearances and working characteristics, (i.e., fine texture, hard, and heavy), and perhaps get marketed under the\u00a0 boxwood name, much like many woods are called by the mahogany name.<\/p><\/blockquote>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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