Big Ol' Boxwood

[thams]

So yesterday I spent about 4 hours wrestling with a boxwood in my neighbor's yard. They are re-landscaping and told me that if I wanted the boxwood, then I had to take it right then. Not ideal, I know. It's a little early in the season to collect, and I didn't have the appropriate soil on hand to feel good about potting it up. I had to use a heavily organic soil with a good bit of perlite mixed in. The branches were hard pruned as well as the roots to get it to fit in the biggest pot I had on hand. The foliage was a good foot or so from the trunk before chopping. I know boxwoods can have issues back budding, so I'm curious to see what happens. I can only hope it has enough stored energy to push buds and establish itself. With the amount of abuse it's taken, I plan to give it at least 2-3 years before working it again, if it survives at all. Everyone say a collective prayer for it to pull through. The trunk is massive and could make a wonderful bonsai some day. Any advice welcome!

The good news is that there's an even better boxwood the neighbors plan to pull out, but I convinced them to wait so I could prepare a better home for this next one. I would prefer to wait another month until the freeze danger has passed.

 

[rockm]

I don't think that's a boxwood...looks like a Yaupon holly...

 

[Nicholas Box]

Yeah, doesn't appear to be a box. Interesting tree though. Hope it survives!

 

[CWTurner]

Whatever, its money!
CW

 

[thams]

I don't think that's a boxwood...looks like a Yaupon holly...

Rock, don't toy with my emotions. I would MUCH rather it be a yaupon holly. I've just never seen one so dense or with such small leaves before (size of my pinky nail). Here is a shot of it before extraction and a closeup of its foliage. Maybe this will help with a conclusive ID. Thanks for the reply.

 

[August44]

With the needles around the leaves, I would vote holly also, but I want that shovel. Where'd you get that? Peter

 

[thams]

With the needles around the leaves, I would vote holly also, but I want that shovel. Where'd you get that? Peter

It's called the root assassin (there are several different models) - I picked it up at Lowes. It's great at slicing through roots when trenching around the plant. At $40 it wasn't cheap, but worth every penny IMHO.

 

[substratum]

If you name your trees, may I recommend, "Jabba"?

Looks like it has great potential! The Root Assassin is now on my wish list.

 

[Mellos]

@thams I believe rockm is right about this one, nice score either way.

 

[rockm]

Definitely Yaupon. It ain't no boxwood-bark and leaves are wrong for boxwood. Both are "right" for yaupon.

 

[thams]

Definitely Yaupon. It ain't no boxwood-bark and leaves are wrong for boxwood. Both are "right" for yaupon.

You made my day for confirming. Fingers crossed it pulls through. Thanks!

 

[cbroad]

Only thing I'd add is to keep it out of direct wind, otherwise awesome score!

 

[cbroad]

Boxwoods will always have "entire" leaf margins (smooth edges with no serrations). It's a very common mistake to make

 

[choppychoppy]

Ilex shilling

I have dozens and have collected dozens more. Super common landscape material in SE.

 

[Boerboel313]

Rock, don't toy with my emotions. I would MUCH rather it be a yaupon holly. I've just never seen one so dense or with such small leaves before (size of my pinky nail). Here is a shot of it before extraction and a closeup of its foliage. Maybe this will help with a conclusive ID. Thanks for the reply.
View attachment 225829View attachment 225830

What about a compacta Jap Holly? I like it non the less

 

[Dalsom]

Definitely not a boxwood. None of my yaupons have serrated leaved but that definitely looks like some kind of holly. If it’s a variety as vigorous as a yaupon, you can do much more aggressive branch/trunk reduction now. Getting it’s basic structure in place now will save you years down the road. I trunk chop all my collected yaupon down to final basic outline and severely prune roots to fit final pot right at collection with final bonsai soil mix. One of the few non-deciduous trees I do that to.
They respond is Spring with shoots sprouting on every exposed surface. I leave the whole cluttered mess to drive good root regeneration then thin shoots later in season.
By the way, it looks like you have 2 trees fused together. Does it look that way in person? If so, it might be possible the pry them apart and make two better trees. I would do it now though if you decide to do so.

 

[penumbra]

Its a no brainer from plant ID 101. Boxwood have opposite leaves and holly has alternate leaves. Could it be an Ilex crenata? That would have been my first guess. I guess you will know if it survives when it has berries.