Hi:
We had a boxwood hedge that died last year. I am wondering what alternative short, slow growing bush can be used for a step-over hedge. I was looking for Japanese holly but have not seen it anywhere.
Thanks
Thank you for contacting Toronto Master Gardeners
There are a variety of holly shrubs besides Japanese Holly or Ilex crenata to choose from. This beautiful shrub can be pruned into many shapes. It is a slow growing shrub, tolerating many soil types and conditions.
An alternative evergreen edge can be done using a variety of dwarf cedars; Thuja occidentalis ‘Hetz’s Midget’is a good example or easy-maintenance Dwarf spruce (Picea orientalis ‘Tom Thumb’). Another evergreen alternative is Mountain Laurel, Kalmia angustifolia, a small native shrub with broadleaf leaves; it flowers and stays under 2 feet tall and 2 feet wide. Our website has information on Kalmia shrubs: Mountain Laurel
There is also a Toronto Master Gardener Gardening Guide on “Evergreens Suitable for Hedging” that you may like to look over for ideas: Gardening Guide. It lists boxwood, but also cedar, Ilex, ilex glabra, inkberry, juniper, spruce, white cedar, and yew.
Once you have chosen a new hedge for your location, use our Guide to Planting Trees and shrubs will assist in planting your new hedge. Planting a Tree For Life
Happy Gardening