Green Gem Boxwood
Buxus Green Gem grows with a globular shape and doesn’t need as much clipping as other Buxus varieties. New leaves emerge light green and are a great complement for the older, dark green leaves as it grows to 1.2 m tall and the same wide. Buxus Green Gem is commonly trimmed into a small hedge for borders, used for topiary, or maintained in a container. The ideal spacing for a Green Gem box hedge is 25-30 cm apart.
Suited to regions: | All regions |
Plant type: | Shrubs |
Height: | 1.20 m |
Spread: | 1.20 m |
Flowering time: | |
Tolerances: | Coastal, Hardy |
Garden uses: | Containers, Hedging, Living areas, Parks, Patios, Pool areas, Specimen, Topiary |
Garden styles: | Alpine, Architectural, Backyard, City & Courtyard, Coastal, Cottage, Formal, Frontyard, Japanese, Modern |
Easy to grow? | Yes |
Maintenance requirements | Low |
Growth rate | Slow |
Also known as | Green Gem Boxwood |
Buxus Green Gem is a much-loved shrub in NZ gardens. It can be clipped into a small hedge or used to create elaborate patterns as found in formal gardens. It is often used for topiary, added to mixed plantings, or maintained in a container. It is a great complement to a modern or cottage garden, bringing both colour and elegance to a space. It is the gorgeous and bright foliage that makes this Buxus an excellent choice for a NZ garden.
The optimum plant spacing for a Buxus Green Gem hedge is 25 cm between the plants for a 1.5L pot size. You can reduce the spacing to 20 cm between the plants if you want to achieve a dense and narrow hedge faster. If a 5L pot size or larger is purchased, the spacing can be increased to 40 apart as the plants have been manicured to be bushy already. Be sure to use a stringline to get the line straight and start lightly trimming the sides once the plants show active growth.
Buxus Green Gem grows to about 1.2-1.5 m tall and the same wide as a general rule. It tends to grow taller in partial shade conditions compared to when grown in full sun. Similarly, the size also depends on the level of trimming and how well the plant is cared for with regards to fertiliser and watering during dry periods.
The growth rate of Buxus Green Gem is generally considered to be slow relative to other hedging plants but medium when compared to other Buxus varieties. In suitable growing conditions a growth rate of 15-25 cm per year can be expected. However, this growth rate will be influenced by the soil quality, sunlight, moisture levels, and how warm the climate is. Growth will be slower in shade, exposed situations, and on poor soils.
The Plant Company has the best Buxus Green Gem plants for sale in NZ. Our production nursery specialises in growing amazing plants and our logistics team pack them carefully for our customers. The pricing is competitive and the quality is exceptional. Let us look after your Buxus needs and impress you with both our products and service!
Growing a Buxus Green Gem ball takes considerable time and patience but the result can be breath taking. The plant is lightly trimmed in mid-spring and early autumn to create an ever-increasing ball. Often a template is cut into plywood and this is used to check trimming and to get the curvature right. A ball frame can also be used with the plant grown inside the frame but this is less common. The key is to keep the plants healthy and the trimming regular but note that it can take 3-5 years to produce a good-sized ball. If you want to get a head start or don’t have the patience to wait, email your request into shop@theplantcompany.co.nz and the team will help source the right plants for you.
The most important part of caring for Buxus Green Gem is to make sure they have a well-drained soil that does not become waterlogged at any time. This, along with over-watering, are the main causes of these boxwood plants to fail to perform or die. The plants can be lightly trimmed any time but this is best undertaken during spring or summer. The final elements are to feed the plants in spring with a general fertiliser and keep an eye on watering so they do not dry out. Also watch for scale insect and mealy bugs and treat with an appropriate agrichemical if necessary. NB: this variety can develop orange tones during cold weather and this disappears once conditions warm.
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