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shrub

Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem'

Buxus 'Green Gem'

Preview: plant data is awaiting horticulturist review. A professional horticulturist hasn't reviewed our plant table yet. Lists still follow fixed rules for zone, sun, pets, deer and invasive status.

Buxus 'Green Gem' is a slow-growing evergreen shrub for gardens in zones 4–8. It grows 2–3 ft tall and 2–3 ft wide, so plant it 2.5 ft apart. Give it full sun to part shade and average water. It is grown for its year-round foliage rather than its flowers. In a FloraVista list it usually plays the structure role: a shrub that holds the bed's shape at the back all year. Deer usually leave it alone, and it is toxic to dogs and cats. Our rules leave it out of lists in the Desert Southwest, where summer heat, humidity or mild winters hold it back even inside its zone range.

Facts from our plant table

Botanical name
Buxus 'Green Gem'
Plant type
Shrub, evergreen
Hardiness zones
4 to 8
Sun
Full sun (6+ hours); Part sun (4–6 hours); Part shade (2–4 hours)
Water
Medium
Soil
Needs good drainage; mulch the shallow roots.
Mature size
2–3 ft tall × 2–3 ft wide
Spacing
2.5 ft apart (centre to centre)
Growth rate
Slow
Bloom
Grown for foliage
Roles in a bed
Structure
Styles
modern, classic
Deer resistance
High: deer rarely eat it
Pets
Toxic to dogs and cats. Boxwood is on the ASPCA toxic list (steroidal alkaloids).
Native to
Not native to the US (or a garden hybrid)
Pot size and price
2-gallon pot, typically $20–$35 (easy to find)
Plant in
Spring or Fall
First-year watering
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first summer, more in heat waves, so the root ball never dries out.
Pruning
Holds a ball shape with one light trim after the spring flush.

Sources: Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder; ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant list; Rutgers NJAES deer resistance ratings (A-D); state noxious weed lists / Invasive Plant Atlas of the US; typical 2026 US garden-centre and big-box listings. Not yet reviewed by a horticulturist.

Guides that include this plant

Good companions

The plants our list engine most often puts in the same bed as Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem', across the sun, zone, pet, deer and style combinations it fits.

If you can't find it

Substitutes our engine offers for Dwarf boxwood 'Green Gem': same role in the bed, passing the same rules.

How this page was made

This page was generated from this plant's record in FloraVista's plant table by fixed rules. The companions and substitutes come from the lists our rules engine composes. No named expert has reviewed this page.

Data status: the plant table is awaiting review by a horticulturist. Check each plant with a local nursery or extension office before you buy.

Sources

  • Missouri Botanical Garden Plant Finder, state extension services and the USDA PLANTS database (zones, size, sun, water, bloom, native range)
  • ASPCA toxic and non-toxic plant lists (dog and cat toxicity)
  • Rutgers NJAES and regional extension deer-resistance ratings
  • State noxious-weed and invasive-plant lists and the Invasive Plant Atlas of the US
  • Typical US garden-centre listings (pot size and price band)

Generated . How FloraVista chooses plants