Baby Gem is a compact boxwood with tiny, densely packed leaves that hold true green through winter. It grows slowly into a naturally tidy sphere, which makes it a natural for knot gardens, low borders, and pairs of pots flanking a door.

Plant it in sun to part shade in well-drained soil, and mulch to keep the shallow roots cool. It needs only a light shear, if any, to stay formal. In Birmingham, morning sun with afternoon shade keeps the color rich.