Lynn Batdorf took nearly 20 years and countless visits to nurseries and botanic gardens to complete his book on Buxus species and varieties entitled “Boxwood: An illustrated Encylopedia”. This hardback reference book contains 343 pages, 335 color photographs and ten appendices. It is a comprehensive account of all of known temperate Buxus species and varieties that includes nearly 1,050 different plants. It contains information on the size, hardiness, habit, leaf shape, stem characteristics, annual growth, site conditions, pests, landscape use, history and common names. The book is published by the American Boxwood Society (ABS) for which he is the Registrar.
Lynn Batdorf is also curator of the National Boxwood (Buxus) Collection at the United States National Arboretum, Washington D.C. This collection contains about 150 different species and varieties. In 2002 Batdorf began exploring for Buxus in Azerbaijan, part of the former Soviet republic that is home to many rare species. During one expedition he discovered Buxus colchica, a very large (30 feet tall) and ancient (over 250 years old) species. In January 2006, Batdorf registered a new Korean semi-dwarf species (Buxus sinica var. insularis), dubbed ‘Wee Willie’, in the “Boxwood Bulletin”, a quarterly journal of the ABS. This species has straight, vertical stems with dense, dark-green leaves and excellent cold hardiness. Other valuable species in the Arboretum's collection includes ‘Vardar Valley’ (Buxus sempervirens) from Macedonia, a variety known for its fragrant flowers, shallow roots, and resistance to leaf miners and mites. Another notable variety is ‘Curly Locks’ (Buxus microphylia), a medium-sized plant with small, curly leaves. Further information: E-mail: info@boxwoodsociety.org www.usna.ars.usda.gov
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