Boxwood ‘Little Missy’

* Common name: Boxwood ‘Little Missy’

* Botanical name: Buxus microphylla ‘Little Missy’

* What it is: If you’re in the market for a durable, low-care evergreen, ‘Little Missy’ is one of the best bets in boxwoods. This variety of little-leafed boxwood is compact, dense, slow-growing, cold-tough, and deer-resistant. Maybe most important, it’s one of the best boxwoods at resisting the new boxwood-blight disease that can kill susceptible varieties.

‘Little Missy’ has a mounded habit and small, dark-green, evergreen leaves that hold color well in winter.

* Size: Grows slowly to about two to two-and-a-half feet tall and three to three-and-a-half feet wide. Can be kept to two feet tall and wide with an annual shearing.

* Where to use: Boxwoods are the classic foundation plant and also are commonly used as rounded evergreens planted in straight or curving low hedges as edging.

They’ll grow in full sun to part shade, in average garden soil. Avoid soggy sites.

* Care: Water regularly the first full season to establish roots, then a weekly soaking is needed only in drought conditions (directly into the soil, never over top of the foliage).

Fertilizer usually isn’t needed, but a scattering of a balanced, organic, granular fertilizer is optional early each spring.

To keep plants neat, full, and to the desired size, shear once or twice a year (end of winter and early summer).

* Great partner: Foundation boxwoods pair well with most any annual flower. Roses also are good partners, as are ornamental grasses. A liriope edging combines to create a low-care, texturally contrasting, semi-formal planting.