Overview
Uses: Low hedges, edging, foundation plantings, mass plantings, and containers.
Benefits: A dwarf native inkberry with tiny, glossy leaves and a dense, round shape that looks more like boxwood than a typical inkberry. Branches stay full to the ground and hold their form without shearing.
USDA Hardiness Zones: 5–9
Sun: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Life Cycle: Broadleaf Evergreen Shrub
Growth Habit: Rounded — dense ball, branched to the ground.
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Mature Height: 2–3 feet
Mature Width: 2–3 feet
Growth Rate: Slow
Summary
The neat, compact evergreen look of a boxwood, from a shrub that grows wild in North America.
Inkberry is a native holly of eastern wetlands and pine barrens. Most inkberries grow open and leggy with age, but Gem Box® was selected for the opposite: a tight, rounded form with leaves so small and closely set that it reads as a boxwood from a few steps away. New growth comes in tipped with red each spring before settling to a glossy dark green that holds through winter.
It stays small, about 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, and keeps its branches full right down to the soil, so a row of them makes a clean low hedge or edge without bare legs at the bottom. It also fits foundation beds, the front of a border, and large patio containers.
Because it is a holly, not a boxwood, it is a natural choice for gardeners who want the boxwood look in a planting of natives. Deer tend to leave it alone, and it takes the moist, acidic soil that many evergreens dislike.
Care
Gem Box® Inkberry Holly Care
Plant in full sun to partial shade. It grows in shade, but the plant is fuller and the leaves have better color with at least a few hours of sun.
Give it moist, slightly acidic soil. Inkberry is comfortable in damp ground and grows fastest with steady moisture. Avoid alkaline soil, which can yellow the leaves.
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first growing season while roots establish, and during dry spells after that. A layer of mulch keeps the shallow roots cool and moist.
Feeding needs are light. A slow release fertilizer made for acid-loving plants in early spring is plenty.
Gem Box® holds a round shape without regular shearing. If you want a crisper hedge line, trim lightly in late spring after the new growth has hardened.
Growing in Containers
Its small size and slow growth make it a good evergreen for patio pots. Use a container with drainage holes and a quality potting mix. Container plants dry out faster than plants in the ground, so check the soil often in summer. Feed lightly each spring. Plants hardy in the ground may require winter protection when grown in containers in colder zones.
Size
What Size is the Gem Box® Inkberry Holly for Sale Online?
Our Gem Box® Inkberry Holly ships in a greenhouse-grade grow pot and is appropriately sized for its container at the time of shipment. If you have specific sizing or planting questions, please contact us.
How Large Does Gem Box® Inkberry Holly Grow?
Expect about 2 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide at maturity. For a low hedge, space plants about 2 feet apart so they knit together into a continuous row.
Additional Information
What is the botanical name of Gem Box® Inkberry Holly?
The botanical name is Ilex glabra Gem Box® ‘SMNIGAB17’. Browse more Proven Winners® plants.
What are some common names for this plant?
It is most often called inkberry or inkberry holly, and is also known as gallberry.
Can it replace boxwood?
For most low hedges and edging, yes. It has the small leaves, tight round shape, and evergreen color people plant boxwood for. It is a holly rather than a boxwood, so it belongs to a different plant family, and it prefers moist, acidic soil where many boxwoods struggle.
Is Gem Box® Inkberry Holly native?
Yes. Inkberry is native to eastern North America, from Nova Scotia to Florida. Gem Box® is a selection of the native species, often called a nativar. Browse more Native Plants of North America.
Is it deer resistant?
Deer tend to leave inkberry alone, which makes it a useful evergreen where boxwood alternatives are needed in deer country. See more Deer-Resistant Shrubs and Evergreens.
