Littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'
Buxus microphylla var. japonica 'Winter Gem' · Buxaceae Popular
A dense, rounded boxwood with small, glossy leaves. It bronzes in a cold winter and is among the first to turn green again in spring.
- Size
- 4 ft tall, 4 ft wide
- Zones
- 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Flowers
- Grown for its leaves
- Pets
- Toxic (moderate)
- Job in a bed
- Anchor
A bed built around littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'
The planner designed this bed around littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' when this page was made: a 12 × 6 ft (3.7 × 1.8 m) formal bed in zone 6, part sun. It chose the other plants from the 708 that suit those conditions, and says below why littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' stands where it does.
The plants
- 1 Littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' × 1, dark green leaves
- 2 Leadwort × 21, blue
- 3 Shooting star × 13, pink
- 4 Scarlet coral bells × 6, red
- 5 Sicilian honey garlic × 4, cream
- 6 Martagon lily × 4, purple
Why this plant
- The only plant grown for its leaves. Leaf lasts all season, where a flower lasts a few weeks.
- The bed's only structure. Shrubs and grasses keep their shape when the perennials die down, and it is the only one here.
- The only fine leaves here. The rest are medium. A change of leaf keeps plants distinct when nothing is in flower.
Why here
- At the back. At 4 ft it is seen over leadwort (10 in) in front of it, and has nothing behind it to hide.
- One plant, alone. A shrub is seen as an object, and needs clear ground around it.
Why now
- Here for its leaves, all year. They cover the 17 weeks between early March and late November when nothing on the plan is in flower.
- The only leaves in winter. From November to March it is what there is to look at.
Planned as a formal bed: 49 of the 49 plants (100%) are mirrored across the middle of the bed: each stands on the middle line or has a twin of its own kind opposite it. Heights step up from about 14 in at the front to 3½ ft at the back. Leadwort is planted in four places along the bed, which gives it rhythm.
The planner's own design check: 6 Excellent, 11 Good.
Open this bed in the planner Change its size, the sun or the style, move plants about, or swap one for another.
Where littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' goes in a border
At 4 ft it belongs at the back of a bed. In the planner's ten height classes it is moderately tall (3 to 4 ft).
Its job: anchor. A shrub that gives the bed permanent structure. Planted singly, as soon as the front edge is laid; everything else is arranged around it.
Evergreen geometry gives a loose planting something to lean against: a clipped ball or a low hedge makes the flowers around it look intentional. It grows faster than English boxwood.
- Low hedges and edging
- Clipped balls and formal shapes
- Evergreen structure in a border
What to plant with littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'
Plants recorded as good partners for it, and what each pairing does:
- Catmint 'Walker's Low': adds the flowers, mid May to mid September; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (24 in) to stand in front of it.
- Cranesbill 'Rozanne': adds the flowers, early June to early October; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
- English lavender 'Hidcote': adds the flowers, late June to late July; spires rising out of its mound; low enough (18 in) to stand in front of it.
Questions about littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'
Does littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' need sun or shade?
Littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day), part sun (4 to 6 hours of sun, including some afternoon sun) and part shade (2 to 4 hours of sun, mostly in the morning).
It wants ordinary well-drained soil, of average fertility, and a good soak in dry spells.
What zones does littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' grow in?
USDA zones 5 to 9. It is hardy to zone 5, which means it survives winter nights down to about −10 °F (−23 °C).
Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.
How far apart should littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' be planted?
3 ft (90 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 4 ft (120 cm), so a group knits into one patch.
It grows 4 ft (120 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.
How many littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' plants do I need?
At 3 ft apart, set out in staggered rows:
- 1 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
- 4 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
- 4 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own
In a mixed border, plant it as one, planted singly: it is the bed's structure, and everything else is arranged around it.
In the bed above, the planner used one in one group.
Is littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' poisonous to dogs and cats?
Yes: moderate toxicity to people, dogs, cats and horses. All parts cause vomiting and diarrhoea if eaten, and the sap can irritate skin.
Rated from NC State Extension and the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.
Is there a pet-safe plant like littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'?
These come closest to doing what littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:
- Box honeysuckle 'Baggesen's Gold': the same job in a bed; 4 in wider.
- Globe arborvitae 'Little Giant': the same job in a bed; 4 in wider, wants moist soil.
- Alpine currant: the same job in a bed; 12 in taller, 4 in wider.
Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.
Do deer eat littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem'?
Mostly not. NC State lists it as resistant to deer and rabbits. No plant is proof against a hungry deer in a hard winter, but this one is low on the menu.
What does littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' look like in winter?
Littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' keeps its dark green leaves all winter, so it is one of the plants that hold a bed together from November to March, when the perennials have gone.
Is littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' good for bees and butterflies?
Littleleaf boxwood 'Winter Gem' is visited by bees.
More Buxus
- Boxwood 'Green Gem' Buxus 'Green Gem'
- Boxwood 'Green Mountain' Buxus 'Green Mountain'
- Boxwood 'Green Velvet' Buxus 'Green Velvet'
- Common boxwood Buxus sempervirens
- Dwarf English boxwood Buxus sempervirens 'Suffruticosa'
- Korean boxwood 'Wintergreen' Buxus sinica var. insularis 'Wintergreen'
In these guides
Every fact on record
- Type
- Shrub
- Size
- 4 ft (120 cm) tall, 4 ft (120 cm) wide
- Plant
- 3 ft (90 cm) apart
- Height class
- Moderately tall (3 to 4 ft)
- Place in the bed
- Back
- Flowers
- None: grown for its foliage
- Leaves
- Fine texture, evergreen; dark green
- Shape
- Rounded, clumping
- Hardy in
- USDA zones 5 to 9
- Light
- Full sun, part sun, part shade
- Soil
- Average, well-drained
- Water
- Moderate
- Feeding
- Light, in spring
- Family
- Buxaceae
- Comes from
- Japan
- Attracts
- Bees
- Stands up to
- Deer, rabbits
Checked against NC State Extension and ASPCA poison lists. Flowering times are for zone 5: later in colder zones, earlier in warmer ones. Toxicity and spread information is a general gardening guide, not veterinary or medical advice, and invasive status varies by region. If a person or pet eats a plant, contact poison control or a vet. Check your local invasive species list before planting anything with a spread warning.