Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae

Everyone loves round, evergreen balls. But why spend time clipping and shaping, when you can plant something that grows into a perfect sphere all by itself without help?

Mr. Bowling Ball® Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis 'Bobazam') is a dwarf, rounded cultivar of the species. Also known as White Cedars, these pretty shrubs are native to the upper northeast United States.

This hardy plant has all the wonderful characteristics of an Arborvitae. But it grows in a unique, compact, perfectly globe-shaped form.

It requires little or no shearing and needs no pruning to remain neat and tidy!

Mr. Bowling Ball's lacy, fine-textured foliage is soft to the touch. It fills in all the way to the ground, and retains its rich, green color year-round.

Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae is a dwarf conifer that is adaptable to a variety of soils and conditions, including urban pollution and salt. It's an outstanding selection where space is limited.

It has no significant disease or insect problems. Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae is long-lived and a great investment for your landscape.

Order from the expert growers at Nature Hills today!

How to Use Mr. Bowling Ball® Arborvitae in the Landscape

Many people like to use this plant in their foundation plantings. But their small size and low maintenance nature make them a wonderful addition just about anywhere!

We recommend using an odd number of plants for the best visual results. Curved lines will look more natural than stick-straight rows.

Create an excellent low hedge with multiple plants. Space them two feet apart on center. You’ll measure from the center of one to the center of the next.

They’ll make a wonderful “ribbon” of steady green color to define garden areas. They add a formal touch, but have a fine-texture that looks soft and pleasing.

Try them as a mass planting in areas that periodically stay damp. Use a staggered, zigzagging planting pattern, two feet on center. Mulch between plants and keep newly installed mass plantings weeded until they grow together and touch.

Have fun with Mr. Bowling Ball! Why not create geometric patterns for a living maze, labyrinth or game board? Kids would love to run all around them. Let their creativity run wild as they burn off some energy.

Add to a special collection in rock gardens, or as part of a privacy planting. It looks terrific planted at the base of everything from taller American Arborvitae to flowering shrubs.

Use them as an easy-care "Thriller" in exterior containers. Place one on either side of your front door to elevate them and increase their impact.

March a series of ultra-modern containers along the length of your pool deck for a very high-end look. Run drip irrigation to keep the containers watered, and get your weekends back!

#ProPlantTips for Care

Plant Mr. Bowling Ball in full sun. While it’s a rugged plant, it would appreciate some afternoon shade in hot summer areas of Zone 6 and 7.

It loves rich, moist, well-drained soils. However, it will adapt to most soil types, including clay or alkaline. It can even tolerate soil that periodically remains wet.

Give it a moderate amount of water on a regular basis. Add a thick layer of mulch to maintain even moisture and cool the root system in the heat of summer.

Mulch is beneficial for many reasons. It breaks down to add nutrients for healthier plants and pulls the visual look of the landscape together.

Mr. Bowling Ball remains evergreen year-round. However, older interior foliage may shed as part of a normal renewal cycle in fall. Overall, your plants will always be a vibrant, mid-toned green.

Apply a fertilizer formulated for evergreens in early spring according to the directions. Top-dress with compost every other year to improve your soil quality over time.

Don’t be surprised if you fall in love with these cute, little evergreen shrubs. Order the low-maintenance, charming Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae for your landscape this year!