{"id":8467,"date":"2024-07-08T08:00:37","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T12:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/?p=8467"},"modified":"2024-07-08T16:51:16","modified_gmt":"2024-07-08T20:51:16","slug":"substitute-em","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/substitute-em\/","title":{"rendered":"If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Substitute ‘Em!"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":8469,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","tve_updated_post":"

With Boxwood still in limbo I thought I would give a refresher on some plant substitutions that have been flyin\u2019 out the door as a replacement.<\/p>

I would have to start with Ilex glabras \u2013 seriously! I would have considered these an underused plant, but their time has come to step out in the world! \u201cInkberries\u201d are hardy to a zone 4, not too bothered by wet feet, and can take part shade. They are not as deer-resistant as boxwood but are on the \u2018least browsed\u2019 list. Ilex glabra do not like our alkaline soils and to look their best with an acidic fertilizer applied. (Our alkaline soils are why they get yellow.) They are also salt tolerant. Straight Ilex glabra gets rather leggy and is known to sucker. However, the newer cultivars are an improvement in both leafing all the way down and less suckering (\u2026they say no suckers but\u2026 I don\u2019t always believe what they say.)<\/p><\/div>

\"\"<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>
  • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>Ilex glabra \u2018Shamrock\u2019 is 3-5\u2019 x 3-5\u2019 with upright branching.<\/span><\/li>
  • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I.g. \u2018Compacta\u2019 is 3-4\u2019 x 3-4\u2019 with an oval-rounded shape.<\/span><\/li>
  • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I.g. \u2018Densa\u2019 is very uniform in shape.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>

    There are 3 new ones from Proven Winners. They are bred to have better disease resistance as well as leaves all the way to the ground.<\/p><\/div>

    • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I.g. \u2018Strongobx\u2019  is 2-3\u2019 x 2\u2019 with large leaves. The habit is kinda of a donut\u2026 squat and round.<\/span><\/li>
    • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I.g. \u2018Gembox\u2019 2-3\u2019 x 2-3\u2019 with petite leaves and a globe habit. (\u2018Strongbox\u2019 and \u2018Gembox\u2019 are both females.)<\/span><\/li>
    • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I.g. \u2018Squeezebox\u2019 is male with an upright, dense habit at 4-6\u2019 x 2-3\u2019<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>
      \t

      Fun fact of the day: Why are they called \u201cInkberry\u201d? Civil War soldiers used the sap as ink to write letters home.<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

      Even \u201cMugos\u201d have seen a resurgence. Pinus mugo prefers full sun but is light-shade tolerant. Of all the evergreens it is the one that gets the least winter burn. They will tolerate our heavier soil but prefer something a little sandier. Pinus mugo is also deer-resistant and tolerates salt. Nothing new and fab but some tried and true ones are available\u2026<\/p><\/div>

      • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>Pinus mugo \u2018Compacta\u2019 is a dwarf cultivar reaching about 3-4\u2019.<\/span><\/li>
      • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>P. mugo var mugo gets 4-6\u2019 x 4-8\u2019, but is still considered a dwarf.<\/span><\/li>
      • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>P. mugo var pumilio is a dense somewhat prostrate form with branching heading upwards for a slightly different look. It is still considered a dwarf but reaches 4-5\u2019 tall and 6-10\u2019 wide.<\/span><\/li>
      • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I am expecting to have some P.m. \u2018Sherwood Compact\u2019. They are very dense with leaves that have a slight twist to them. \u2018Sherwood Compact\u2019 will get to be about 3-4\u2019 x 3-4\u2019.<\/span><\/li>
      • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>I am also hoping to get in some Pinus strobus <\/em>\u2018Sea Urchin\u2019, a 2-3\u2019 dwarf with blue-green needles and a tight globe habit.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>
        \"\"<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

        Globe shaped Thuja occidentalis<\/em> have been moving up the popularity ladder for the last several years. The Globe \u201cArbs\u201d have some newer well-behaved cultivars (not that the older cultivars are not well-behaved!!). Thujas will take our alkaline soil as well as wet soils. They prefer full sun but will take part shade.<\/p><\/div>

        \"\"<\/span><\/div>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2019Golden Globe\u2019 is very dense and a 2-4\u2019 dwarf with soft yellow coloration.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Firechief\u2019 Do you remember \u2018Rheingold\u2019?? \u2018Fire chief\u2019 is a mutation of a \u2018Rheingold\u2019. It has a better orange-red coloration and gets 4\u2019 x 4\u2019.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Linesville\u2019 or \u2018Mr. Bowling Ball\u2019. \u2018Mr. Bowling Ball\u2019, also known as \u2018Linesville\u2019, is a dense 2-3\u2019 x 2-3\u2019 globe with blue-green foliage that is soft to the touch.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Hetz Midget\u2019 is a slow cultivar eventually reaching 3-4\u2019 x 4-5\u2019. The foliage is blue-green.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Little Giant\u2019 is another slow-growing cultivar with dense dark green foliage.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Woodward\u2019. They get big! They grow to 4-10\u2019 x 8-15\u2019 eventually. Landscape size will be on the smaller end, because these are very slow growers (reaching 4-5 x 8\u2019 in 10yrs.) They have dark green needles.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Anna\u2019s Magic Ball\u2019 As per the Proven Winners website these are nifty! (I like that word.) I agree, a nifty little plant 2-3\u2019 x 3-4\u2019 with bright yellow foliage.<\/span><\/li>
        • <\/path><\/svg><\/div><\/div>T.o. \u2018Danica\u2019 I know this one is the love of everyone\u2019s life, but it is incredibly difficult to find! I grab everyone I can! \u2018Danicas\u2019 only get to about 2\u2019 x 2\u2019 with dense emerald green foliage.<\/span><\/li><\/ul><\/div>
          \"\"<\/span><\/div><\/div><\/div>

          There is one more \u201cGlobe Arb\u201d to mention. T.o \u2018Aurea\u2019 (group). They are kind of a mishmash of yellowish foliage globe arbs. They usually only reach about 2-3\u2019 x 2-3\u2019<\/p>

          I hope I\u2019ve given you enough alternatives to think about.  If that\u2019s not enough, there are a few other options \u2013 Mirobiota, Myrica, \u201cChamy\u2019s\u201d or even \u201cBarberry\u201d. Maybe I\u2019ll delve into those suggestions in a future article.  But for now, check out the above varieties. <\/p>

          Until next time!<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

          \"Kim<\/span><\/div>","tve_custom_css":"@media (min-width: 300px){[data-css=\"tve-u-19093a96f15\"] { width: 683px; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093b5a990\"] { line-height: 1.5em !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093be0767\"] { margin-top: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093be85db\"] { padding-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c05632\"] { line-height: 1.5em !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c1d554\"] { line-height: 1.5em !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c29123\"] { max-width: 49.9991%; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c2d9d2\"] { margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c3292f\"] { line-height: 1.5em !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c4041a\"] { margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c41002\"] { padding-bottom: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c433d8\"] { margin-top: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c54bb7\"] { padding-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c5a81e\"] { margin-bottom: 1px !important; margin-top: 10px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c69378\"] { width: 683px; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c6c3e2\"] { margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c6cf6d\"] { padding-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093c6e825\"] { margin-top: 0px !important; padding-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093cc3e23\"] { width: 683px; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093cfad15\"] { width: 683px; margin-top: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093cfd5e5\"] { margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093cfe22f\"] { padding-top: 0px !important; padding-bottom: 0px !important; }[data-css=\"tve-u-19093d189b5\"] { width: 600px; margin-top: 0px !important; }}","tve_user_custom_css":"","tve_globals":{"e":"1","font_cls":[]},"tcb2_ready":1,"tcb_editor_enabled":1,"tve_landing_page":"","_tve_header":"","_tve_footer":""},"categories":[112,22,6],"tags":[34],"class_list":["post-8467","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-112","category-landscaping","category-plants","tag-kim-roth"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8467","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8467"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8485,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8467\/revisions\/8485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.christensensplantcenter.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}