Identification: Shrub with recurved dark green very tough opposite leaves

These two shrubs opposite the firehall in my 'hood, an apartment building planting, are notable for their very attractive dark coloured leaves, maybe 3 cm long or less - a little hard to tell because the leaves are all curled back (but also because I forgot to measure them). The leaves are opposite, and very tough, and the few flowers I found are hard, like wood. Leaf margins are entire. Young leaves and stems are softer and hairy, seen in the last photo. The branches seem squared off.

I did take habit photos of both shrubs, but one photo has disappeared. The first photo here, taken for the trunk, is the individual from which the detail photos were taken. I've thought of privet, but those larger flowers have me confused.

 

Box (Buxus)

 

Didn't think of that for a minute. Thanks. I see that the common name might come from the "square stems of young plants". Buxus microphylla - Plant Finder. These were noticeable on the young branches. I don't think this is a young plant.

I finally found a "curly leaf privet": Ligustrum japonicum 'Rotundifolium': Curly Leaf Privet Ligustrum japonicum Rotundifolium from Taylor's Nursery
Descriptions listed that match are:

• Crinkled, green leaves
• Upright, stiff habit
• Mature Height:
  4-6 ft
  
  Mature Spread:
  3-4 ft
  
  Zone:
  7-11

What doesn't seem to match is that it looks like all the spent flowers, or are they undeveloped flowers, were bunched up in the leaf axils, with one successful flower in some groups almost leaf-sized and sessile. [I have to edit this, as I obviously got lost, having got excited by leaves and habit that seemed to match, but without realizing I'd switched to Ligustrum]. Well, that's because that's what Buxus flowers are like, except for the single over-sized one. Ah, I see a photo of "ripening female flowers", and it was one flower in a cluster of small spent flowers, so Buxus is monoecious, and that's just what my photo shows.

What I have not found is a curly leaved box. Are my beautiful shrubs just like that because they're diseased? I don't know. I saw a video of some box branches blowing in the wind. These branches and leaves are very stiff, and I haven't read anything yet with a description like that. But I've learned quite a bit.

 

In addition to foliage characters fruits shown in original post are those of box. There are many kinds - about his 2004 monograph Boxwood, An Illustrated Encyclopedia the author says

In this effort, there are nearly 1,050 Buxus taxa which are thoroughly examined.

Publications – The Boxwood Guy

So that as many people as possible would have access to it I bought a copy and gave it to the Miller Horticultural Library in Seattle after it came out. I assume it is still present in their collections, if no publicly accessible library there in the Vancouver area has it.

 

You see fruits? I thought they were all dried flowers. 4th and 6th photo are fruits? 5th photo is flower?

 

Clearly discernible fruits are visible in 4 and 6.

 

Ditto to Box; maybe Buxus sempervirens, as that is generally the commonest in cultivation.

The English name is from Greek Πυξός, by way of Latin Buxus. I'd be dubious about the square stems claim.

 

Only about 70 species; not many more taxa (subspecies, varieties) than that. Presumably most of those 1,050 are cultivars? Cultivars are not taxa, of course.

 

I'm going to remember it anyway - I needed something to help me identify that genus, and that works just fine. I will try to remember not "teach" anyone else about it.

 

At least his website doesn't mention curly leaves related to some disease or pest.

 

4-angled twigs are characteristic of Buxus microphylla var. japonica.

 

Well, today I have found Buxus microphylla 'Curly Locks'. Buxus microphylla 'Curly Locks' | plant lust
It's not all that convincing. Doesn't mention the stiff branches; one contributor to the page does say glossy dark green leaves, but two others say yellow-green leaves. And maximum height is supposed to be 2 or 3 feet - both of the ones I photographed were closer to 6 feet or 2 meters or a little less, but well over 2 or 3 feet.

I'm disappointed to read that - I'd thought it meant Buxus in general had that characteristic. Thanks.

 

Just checked some Buxus sempervirens; the twigs are weakly 4-angled, but it isn't a very conspicuous feature.

 

No, I wouldn't expect these to be 'Curly Locks' either.