Habitat

• native to Japan
• zone 6, to zone 4 with proper cultivar selection

Habit and Form

• 3' to 4' tall with equal spread
• evergreen shrub with dense branching
• compact, rounded or broad habit

Summer Foliage

• opposite leaves, leathery
• 0.3 " to 1" ; long, approx. 0.25" wide
• leaf apex notched
• medium green color
• leaves broadest at or above the middle

Autumn Foliage

• foliage tends to turn yellow-green or brownish in fall and winter
• evergreen

Flowers

• male and female flowers
• blooms in April, but not showy
• fragrant and attractive to bees

Fruit

• insignificant 3-celled dehiscent capsule

Bark

• new stems green with square shape
• older stems become brown, but hidden by foliage

Culture

• prefers moist, cool soil with mulch around roots
• best in site with full sun or light shade, but protect from winter winds, sun and cold.
• tolerant of pruning
• provide newly planted shrubs with shade for best establishment
• best establishment form containers
• dislikes environmental extremes
• grows slowly

Landscape Use

• low hedge plantings
• foundation plant
• mass plantings
• exhibits good deer resistance

Liabilities

• lack of cold hardiness without proper selection of cultivars
• boxwood psyllid, boxwood leaf minor, boxwood mite, nematodes and phytophthora root rot can be problems
• foliar injury during harsh winters
• foliage turns an unpleasant yellow-green in the cold months, although newer selections are better at retaining dark green foliage
• slow growth; both a liability and an asset

ID Features

• opposite leaves distinguish it from Ilex crenata which has alternate leaves
• small elliptical or rounded leaves with notches in the apex
• distinctly square green stems
• dense growth, low habit, evergreen
• yellowish green leaf color in winter
• foliage has a distinct odor

Propagation

• cuttings root readily

Cultivars/Varieties

There are numerous cultivars, but the following discussion will be limited to selections with exceptional cold hardiness and/or good green winter foliage color.

var. koreana - An exceptionally cold hardy geographic variety which can take -20 to -25^o F without significant injury. Unfortunately, its foliage turns an unpleasant yellow-green or brown in the cold winter months. Grows to 3' tall.

'Sunnyside' - Has large-sized leaves and exceptional cold hardiness. Fast growing to 6' by 6'. Foliage will bronze and yellow some in the winter.

'Winter Beauty' - A mounded form with dark green foliage. Requires little pruning. Will bronze in the winter, but its version of bonzing is considered to be attractive. A var. koreana selection.

'Winter Gem' - A var. koreana selection, growing to 4' tall and wide. Very similar to 'Winter Beauty' and may be a renamed cultivar.

'Wintergreen' - Has bright green leaf color and small leaves. Has performed well in cold climates. Leaves do not discolor in the winter. 2'-3' tall.

B. microphylla var. koreana x B. sempervirens hybrids - (Sheriden hybrids from Sheriden Nursery, Ontario, Canada) Possess cold hardiness of var. koreana and leaf color of sempervirens.

• 'Green Gem' - 2' by 2' mound or rounded ball
• 'Green Mountain' - wide oval form, upright 5' tall by 3' wide
• 'Green Mound' - 3' by 3' mounded habit
• 'Green Velvet' - 3' by 3' rounded habit