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| Figure 1. Inkberry (Ilex glabra) |
| Boxwoods, with their compact form and dense evergreen foliage, have been landscaping staples for decades. While they provide great structure, they don’t perform any other great “services” in our local ecosystems. Recently they have also had to deal with the boxwood blight, a fungus known as Calonectria pseudonaviculata that causes unsightly splotches and defoliation. In response to the blight, and in an effort to plant more native plants that have a positive impact on our local ecosystems, what can we use in their place? We have a number of great options at the nursery for you to consider! Inkberry (Ilex glabra) is an evergreen holly that is a great native alternative. Growing 5 to 10 feet tall and wide with dense foliage, Inkberries make excellent screens. They prefer wet to average soil in full sun to part shade, tolerating more shade than some of the other plants on our list. These awesome shrubs are dioecious, with male and female flowers occurring on separate plants. Both sexes will produce greenish-white flowers around May to June though, providing floral resources to your local pollinators. In the fall, the female plants will produce black berry-like drupes that will feed hungry birds in the winter. Our Inkberries are just about ready and will be available soon. ‘Hetz Midget’ American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’) is a coniferous evergreen that has been cultivated to create a low-growing shrub. Growing 3-4 feet tall and 4-5 feet wide, they have a dense and globular structure that mimics the shape of boxwoods. Their foliage consists of flattened scale-like leaves, and may host the caterpillars of over 30 species of moths and butterflies. These slow-growers prefer full sun but can tolerate some shade as well. We currently have a great selection of these handsome, well-behaved shrubs. |
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| Figure 2. ‘Hetz Midget’ American Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz Midget’) |
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| Figure 3. Chokeberries (Aronia sp.) |
| Snowberries (Symphoricarpos albus) would be a great option for a site with drier soil. Preferring moist to dry soil, they can grow in full sun or full shade and everything in between, though the flowers and fruit may be much less prolific in full shade. Snowberries grow 4-6 feet tall with dense foliage made up of small oval leaves. The stem structure, however, is quite unlike the familiar boxwoods. Arching, twiggy stems spread out forming a broad, rounded shape. Small pink flowers in June and July precede the white berries that form on the stems and endure into winter. With those adorable tiny flowers and winter fruit, we can forgive this pick for being deciduous. One last thing to note is that this plant does spread by suckering, so it may need more management than boxwoods do. The Snowberries here at the nursery look great and would love a good home! |
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| Figure 4. Snowberries (Symphoricarpos albus) |
| Snowberries (Symphoricarpos albus) would be a great option for a site with drier soil. Preferring moist to dry soil, they can grow in full sun or full shade and everything in between, though the flowers and fruit may be much less prolific in full shade. Snowberries grow 4-6 feet tall with dense foliage made up of small oval leaves. The stem structure, however, is quite unlike the familiar boxwoods. Arching, twiggy stems spread out forming a broad, rounded shape. Small pink flowers in June and July precede the white berries that form on the stems and endure into winter. With those adorable tiny flowers and winter fruit, we can forgive this pick for being deciduous. One last thing to note is that this plant does spread by suckering, so it may need more management than boxwoods do. The Snowberries here at the nursery look great and would love a good home! |
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| Figure 5. Goldie’s Fern (Dryopteris goldiana) |
| Last on our list is a true wildcard, but a great option for that tough-to-solve shady condition: Goldie’s Fern (Dryopteris goldiana). This semi-evergreen fern is the largest of its genus in Ohio, growing 3-4 feet tall. It thrives in part-to-full shade in wet or moist sites, and it has an upright, clump-forming habit that pairs well with lower-growing perennials. The striking, tall-standing foliage could be a great foreground against the base of a home, or as a backdrop for smaller plants as well. Would this tall fern give your garden bed the look that you’re going for? We hope this list has given you some ideas for how to replace any failing or blighted boxwoods, or at least introduced you to some cool new native shrubs! |
Aug/Sept 2023 Newsletter
