Job's Nursery and Pumpkin Patch LLC

Helping Tri-City Gardeners Grow Since 1940!

Job's Nursery LLC is a family owned nursery and tree farm that offers a wide selection of outdoor plants that are hardy for our area. We are located just north of Pasco on Columbia River Road.  It's a short trip to a beautiful location to escape the hustle and bustle of your everyday life.

 

 

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Boxwood, Winter Gem

Buxus microphylla 'Winter Gem'

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Boxwood, Winter Gem (Buxus microphylla 'Winter Gem') at Job's Nursery

Boxwood, Winter Gem

Boxwood, Winter Gem

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  4 feet

Spread:  4 feet

Sunlight:  full sun  partial shade 

Hardiness Zone:  4b

Other Names:  Littleleaf Boxwood; Japanese Boxwood

Description:

This compact boxwood is great for smaller areas; foliage bronzes in winter adding seasonal interest; an extremely versatile shrub that's ideal for small and formal hedges or topiary, takes pruning exceptionally well

Ornamental Features

Boxwood, Winter Gem is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has rich green evergreen foliage. The small glossy oval leaves remain green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Boxwood, Winter Gem is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and can be pruned at anytime. It is a good choice for attracting bees to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Boxwood, Winter Gem is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Rock/Alpine Gardens
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Topiary
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Boxwood, Winter Gem will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 30 years.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. This plant should be periodically fertilized throughout the active growing season with a specially-formulated acidic fertilizer. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Boxwood, Winter Gem makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

Special Attributes

Evergreens need to be watered during the winter. Our desert climate especially in late winter to early spring evergreens can suffer during next growing season. An easy way to remember check for dryness on the holidays Halloween, Thanksgiving, New Year's Day, Valentines Day & Easter.

 
 
Hardiness Zone Plant Height Minimum Sunlight
Characteristics
Massing  Rock  Edging  Garden  Topiary  Container 
Applications
Plant Form  Winter Value  Attracts Wildlife 
Ornamental Features