Paxistima myrsinites
Oregon boxwood, Oregon Boxwood
(c) Peter Stevens, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Celastraceae · Type: Shrub · Native
Paxistima myrsinites (Oregon boxwood) is a native California shrub in the Celastraceae family, recognized by Northwestern distribution, only California representative of this primarily Rocky Mountain genus.
Oregon boxwood is a California native shrub found in northwestern California, the Cascade Range, northern and central Sierra Nevada, northern San Francisco Bay area (Marin County), and the Modoc Plateau in shaded places at elevations of 180 to 2,120 meters. Flowering from May to July, this plant produces small, subtle flowers with ovate petals approximately 1 millimeter long. Growing with prostrate to spreading stems 30 to 100 centimeters tall that are stiff and densely branched, it forms a compact, intricate shape. Its leaves are ovate to oblanceolate, 8 to 34 millimeters long, with tapered bases and rounded to acute tips, creating a delicate green texture. The fruits are small, obovoid structures measuring 4 to 7 millimeters in length.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Northwestern distribution, only California representative of this primarily Rocky Mountain genus
Habitat and range
Habitat: Shaded places
Elevation: 180-2120 m
California counties: Humboldt, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Shasta, Sonoma, Modoc, Trinity, Lake, Marin, Napa, Nevada, Sierra, Yuba, Butte, El Dorado, San Francisco
Outside California: to British Columbia, Rocky Mountains, northern Mexico
Bloom period
Paxistima myrsinites blooms May-Jul.
How to tell it apart
vs Vaccinium: Paxistima has opposite leaves and 4-parted brown flowers; Vaccinium has alternate leaves and bell-shaped white/pink flowers.; vs Buxus: Paxistima has 4-parted reddish flowers; Buxus has tiny greenish-yellow flowers in clusters.; vs Maytenus: Paxistima flowers have 4 parts; Maytenus flowers have 5 parts and larger leaves.; vs Mortonia: Paxistima is evergreen with 4-parted flowers; Mortonia is drought-deciduous with 5-parted white flowers.; vs Euonymus: Paxistima is low (under 3 feet) with tiny leaves and 4-parted flowers; Euonymus is tall with large leaves and 5-parted flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is Paxistima myrsinites native to California?
Yes. Paxistima myrsinites is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Paxistima myrsinites bloom?
Paxistima myrsinites blooms May-Jul.
Where in California does Paxistima myrsinites grow?
Paxistima myrsinites occurs in Humboldt, Siskiyou, Del Norte, Shasta, Sonoma, Modoc, Trinity, Lake and other counties, at elevations of 180-2120 m.
What plant family does Paxistima myrsinites belong to?
Paxistima myrsinites is in the Celastraceae family, genus Paxistima.
What habitat does Paxistima myrsinites grow in?
Paxistima myrsinites grows in Shaded places.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.