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Botanical Pronunciation:
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BUK-sus mik-ro-FIL-la
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Key feature:
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Hedge Plant
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Plant type:
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Shrub
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Garden styles:
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Asian/Zen, Cottage
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Deciduous/evergreen:
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Evergreen
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Cold hardiness zones:
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5 - 9
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Light needs:
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Partial to full sun
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Sunset climate zones:
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3 - 24, 26 - 35, 37, 39
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Water Needs:
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Needs regular watering - weekly, or more often in extreme heat.
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Average landscape size:
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Moderate growing 4 to 6 ft. tall and wide, when unpruned.
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Growth rate:
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Moderate
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Growth habit:
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Compact, Round
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Special feature:
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Deer Resistant
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Landscape uses:
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Border, Container, Mass Planting, Privacy Screen, Specimen, Topiary
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Problem/solution:
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Deer Resistant
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Flower color:
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Yellow
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Blooms:
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Inconspicuous
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Foliage color:
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Green
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Care Information
Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer before new growth begins in spring. For a tidy, neat appearance, shear annually to shape. Pruning time: summer after flowering.
Design Ideas
This is the classic hedge plant. Its dense, evergreen growth makes it perfect for shearing into a small, formal hedge. Ideal for defining different spaces in the garden or for a tidy foundation cover-up. It is especially lovely against red brick. Use as a partition to divide your front yard or driveway from your neighbor's. Also beautiful as background foliage. Creates lovely topiaries, particularly in cone shapes if planted where it snows. An excellent plant for parterres and hedge mazes. Keeps its color over winter.
Companion Plants
Boxwood is so versatile and offers a nice backdrop to a variety of low growing shrubs and perennials. If kept more natural in shape, pair with Lilac, Burning Bush, Smoke Tree and Japanese Rose. For a formal appearance or knot garden, combine with topiary forms, fragrant plants and culinary herbs such as Germander, Rosemary and Sage.
Dig hole twice as wide and just as deep as the root ball. Place the plant into the new hole making sure that the top of the root ball is level with existing soil line. Fill in the hole, using planting mix at a ratio of 2 shovels native soil to 1 shovel planting mix (pack down soil around the root ball so that your soil doesn't settle). With extra soil make a well around the plant to retain water. Don't forget the Seaweed Extract, mix in 1 and ¼ ounces of extract to 1 gallon of water pour around base of plant. In three weeks retreat with Seaweed Extract.
Fertilizing During The Season:
You will want to fertilize in April, June, and September, we suggest Yum Yum its a great organic fertilizer designed for our soil. Don't forget to use a winterizer in November and January to help promote vigorous root systems.
