Ilex Strongbox® #3

Native alternative to boxwood.

Love boxwood but struggle with disease or winter damage? Plant Strongbox® inkberry holly instead. This native evergreen naturally grows as a broadly rounded mound, and keeps its leaves all the way to the ground for the lush, dense look you love. It can be pruned or shaped as you desire, or left to attain its neat natural shape. It's also much faster growing than boxwood, and offers good deer resistance, too. Grows 2-3' tall and wide, and is a bit broader and less rounded than Gem Box®. Information on this variety indicates that it is good in full sun to part shade, but our guess is that it is best in afternoon shade. Hardy to Zone 5.

Little care is needed to enjoy Strongbox inkberry holly in your landscape. It has shallow roots, so a 2-3" layer of mulch is a good idea. If you wish to trim or prune it, do so in mid-late spring, after the new growth has emerged.