Ilex Gem Box® Holly

A Proven Winners® ColorChoice® Flowering Shrubs variety, Ilex Gem Box® Holly.

Refined and resilient, Ilex Gem Box® Holly offers year-round interest with minimal effort. This Proven Winners® ColorChoice® variety is a dwarf inkberry holly that naturally forms a compact, rounded shape reminiscent of boxwood—but with improved durability and environmental benefits. Its glossy dark green foliage is accented by fresh red tips each spring, lending it subtle seasonal interest while maintaining a formal, polished appearance all year long. Growing just 2 to 3 feet tall and wide, Gem Box® is an ideal foundation shrub, hedge, or container specimen.

A female selection of Ilex glabra, Gem Box® may produce berries when a compatible male is nearby. Its dense branching structure eliminates the leggy look often found in older hollies, making it a visually appealing choice for mass plantings or low borders. Gardeners appreciate its versatility in traditional and naturalized settings, where it supports wildlife while maintaining a neat silhouette. Stolons, horizonal stems, allow Gem Box to slowly spread, helping to fill in planting beds.

Gem Box® grows best in acidic, consistently moist soils and adapts well to sunny or partly shaded locations. A true native species, this inkberry holly is naturally suited to rain gardens, woodland edges, or wet, low-lying sites. It's salt tolerant, deer resistant, and requires little to no pruning—just a light trim in early spring to encourage fresh growth. For gardeners who appreciate structure and ecological value, Ilex Gem Box® is a dependable and stylish solution.

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