Gem Box® Inkberry Holly

Ilex glabra 'SMNIGAB17'

$84⁹⁹

In Stock
Stay Protected with Plant Sentry ™

Plant Size

#2 Container

Product variants

Plant Sentry™

Delivery and Shipping

Understanding Plant Options

Nature Hills offers plants in two main formats:

Container Plants: Grown in pots with soil, sized by container volume and plant age
Bare Root Plants: Dormant plants without soil, sized by height measurements

Container Plant Sizes

Container sizes indicate plant age and growing capacity rather than liquid volume equivalents. Our containers follow industry-standard nursery "trade gallon" specifications, which differ from standard liquid gallon measurements.

Young Plants (6 months to 18 months old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2" x 2" x 3"	0.18 - 0.21 dry quarts	0.20 - 0.23 dry liters
4" Container	0.31 - 0.87 dry quarts	0.35 - 0.96 dry liters
4.5" Container	0.65 dry quarts	0.72 dry liters
6" Container	1.4 dry quarts	1.59 dry liters
1 Quart	1 dry quart	1.1 dry liters
5.5" Container	1.89 dry quarts	2.08 dry liters

Established Plants (18 months to 2.5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
2 Quart	2 dry quarts	2.2 dry liters
#1 Container	2.26 - 3.73 dry quarts	2.49 - 4.11 dry liters
5" x 5" x 12"	3.5 - 4.3 dry quarts	3.85 - 4.74 dry liters

Mature Plants (2-4 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#2 Container	1.19 - 1.76 dry gallons	5.24 - 7.75 dry liters
#3 Container	2.15 - 2.76 dry gallons	8.14 - 12.16 dry liters

Large Plants (3-5 years old)

Container Size	Actual Volume	Metric Equivalent
#5 Container	2.92 - 4.62 dry gallons	12.86 - 20.35 dry liters
#6 Container	5.25 - 6.01 dry gallons	23.12 - 26.42 dry liters
#7 Container	5.98 - 6.53 dry gallons	26.34 - 28.76 dry liters

Bare Root Plants

Bare root plants are sold by height from the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may exceed minimum height requirements.

Common Sizes:

Trees: 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, 4 feet, 5 feet, 6 feet
Shrubs & Perennials: 1 foot, 18 inches, 2 feet

Important Notes

Container Volume Specifications

Trade Gallon Standard: Our containers follow industry-standard "trade gallon" specifications established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI Z60.1) for nursery stock
Volume Variations: Actual soil volume may vary due to plant root systems and growing medium settlement
Age Indicators: Container size primarily indicates plant age and maturity rather than liquid volume equivalents

Growing Conditions

Plant size can vary based on variety and growing conditions
Container size helps indicate plant maturity and establishment level
Larger containers generally mean more established root systems and faster landscape establishment

Seasonal Availability

Bare root plants are available seasonally when dormant
Container plants are available throughout the growing season
Specific varieties may have limited availability in certain sizes

Questions?

For questions about specific plant sizes or availability, please contact our plant experts who can help you choose the right size for your landscape needs.

Plant Highlights

Gem Box® Inkberry Holly highlights at a glance!

Specifications

Brand

Proven Winners ColorChoice
Botanical Name

Ilex glabra 'SMNIGAB17'
Growing Zones

5-9
Mature Height

2 - 3 feet
Mature Spread

2 - 3 feet
Sun Exposure

Full Sun
Moisture

Moderate
Soil

Well Drained
Growth Rate

Slow
Fall Color

Evergreen
Pollinator Required

Yes
Pruning Time

Early Spring
Bloom Period

Early Spring, Late Spring
Photos Provided By

Proven Winners, Inc - www.provenwinners.com

Growing Zones 5-9

Find Your Growing Zone!

Dwarf broad-leaved evergreen stays formal, neat and tidy! If you love the evergreen look of Boxwood but want to step out of the pack a bit, try Gem Box® Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra 'SMNIGAB17')! This Proven Winners® plant is long in style, but short in stature. We're sure you'll appreciate it all year-round!

Dark green, lustrous fine textured foliage sports beautiful red blushed new growth. This is a female cultivar, but currently, no males have been introduced to pollinate it so it is grown as a broadleaved evergreen that does not set fruit. Dense and fluffy, this Inkberry maintains good branching right to the ground, Gem Box® always looks classy and full!

The fine-textured, glossy, lance-shaped leaves bring a year round dark-green sheen and a high-style look to your garden throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9 adding an amazing designer touch to your landscape! It will tolerate several hours of shade a day. That makes it even more versatile to use near ornamental trees, patios, and foundations.

Planting and Application:

Create backdrops, and garden definition, adding formal structure to beds or borders without the designer price tag! Try them in small containers along a walkway or at your entry. Gem Box® Ilex remains neat and tidy, and you'll love using the mounded structural accent in just about any garden bed! These bring a lovely quality to containers and planters.

That steady year-round green just looks so handsome and the dainty dark-green leaves retain that glossy sheen! Fitting into formal beds as well as they do loose country plantings! Evergreen shrubs are amazing facer shrubs to hide the bare legs of your larger foundation plants.

For a solid low hedge, plant them 1 - 3 feet on center. You'll measure from the center of one shrub to the center of the next. As your budget allows, plant them closer together. They'll fill in faster for you! You can also try a staggered zig-zag to create a mass planting on a slope or a large bare patch. The plants will grow to create a low-maintenance groundcover.

Lustrous Green Foliage with Red Tips in Spring
Sophisticated Lance-Shaped Leaves
Dwarf Broad-Leaf Evergreen
Dense Ball-Shaped Plant
Fantastic Small Evergreen Hedge & Gorgeous in Containers!

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Gem Box® Inkberry Holly It also performs beautifully in full sun all day long as well as displaying good shade tolerance! Gem Box® is an excellent alternative to Boxwood, especially in those areas that do not have quite so well-drained soils. Preferring moist acidic soils and appreciating winter watering. Just keep it weeded and fertilized with Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Premium Fertilizer in spring and mid-summer to support that inviting color all year round! A generous layer of mulch helps retain soil moisture as well as insulate the root system from heat and chill.

Full Sun to Part Shade
Most Moist Soil Types
Prune to Shape Late Winter
Nice Alternative to Boxwood
Deer Resistant

Every garden bed needs a strong, architectural anchor, and charming little Gem Box® Inkberry Holly fills the spot perfectly! Order enough to complete your project from Nature Hills Nursery today!