Green Gem Boxwood (Buxus 'Green Gem')
BUKS-us 'Green Gem'

Evergreen Perennial Shrub in the Buxaceae Family
 

About Boxwoods

Commonly known as “Boxwoods,” these hardy, prunable, evergreen shrubs are a staple across much of the US. Boxwoods are happy in part shade to full sun (if watered enough) and can grow up to 9” a year, making them a smart option for privacy plantings or anyone who just really loves to prune things. Boxwoods will grow from 1 foot to 20 feet high, depending on the variety and growing conditions.

Boxwoods don’t have to be pruned, but their small, glossy leaves are so dense that you can prune these shrubs heavily without exposing bare branches. Because they’re evergreen, they offer year-round color and texture, privacy, windblock, and the faint but inescapable smell of cat pee (just kidding, that’s only the dwarf English variety ‘Suffraticosa.’)

Buxus ‘Glencoe’ is a reliably cold-resistant variety developed in the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Illinois (shop local, baby!)

Buxus ‘Green Mountain’ is a cone-shaped variety of boxwood that offers bright green foliage and grows slower than most other varieties.

Buxus ‘Green Velvet’ is a short, dense, rounded, winter-hardy variety that retains a vibrant green throughout the cold season.

Buxus ‘Wilson’ is another local legend (developed in Hampshire, Illinois) that turns bluish-green during the warmer months and transitions to a very dark black-green in the cold season.

Buxus sinica var insularis ‘Winter Gem’ turns a bronzed color in the winter, but greens up quickly in early spring.

Pros

  • Evergreen
  • Fast-growing
  • Prunable
  • Deer and rabbit resistant
  • Part shade to full sun tolerant

Cons

  • Prone to Boxwood blight a fungal disease that stays in the soil.
  • Can show “dieback,” which causes bald spots in the shrub
  • Need to be watered often
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 18 - 36 inches tall. 18 - 36 inches wide.
Growth Rate Medium
Sun Exposure Partial Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Medium
Zones 4a - 9b (Usually hardy to -30° F)
Tags Attracts Birds, Container, Deer Resistant, Evergreen, Formal Garden, Full Sun, Good for Asian Garden, Good for Borders, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Hedges, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Medium, Medium, Most Popular, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Allergenic, Rabbit Resistant, Shrub, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Winter Interest Evergreen Shrubs, Hedges, Small Shrubs, Yellow Flowering Shrubs
Foliage Color
 

Related Articles

 

More Info from Experts

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Pricing and Availability History

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Limited Availability

We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!


Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!


No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!