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Paxistima myrsinites
Also called Mountain Lover, Oregon Boxwood, Myrtle Boxleaf, Falsebox, Goatbrush, Mountain Boxwood, Mountain Box
Oregon boxleaf is a low, spreading evergreen shrub native to western North America, often found in forest understory. It is grown in gardens as a groundcover or low hedge, and it does best in cool, shady, moist conditions.
Paxistima myrsinites (Oregon boxleaf, Oregon boxwood, mountain lover, box, or hedge, false box, myrtle box leaf; syn. Pachistima myrsinites) is a species of shrub in the family Celastraceae. It is native to western North America from British Columbia south to northern Mexico and east to the Rocky Mountains, where it grows in forests, often in the understory.
The wild shrub is a good food source for wild animals such as elk and moose, which browse its evergreen leaves in the winter, as well as grouse.
Paxistima myrsinites has been utilized by Native American groups for various medicinal and ceremonial uses.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Paxistima myrsinites by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
