Strongbox Inkberry Holly (Ilex glabra 'ILEXFARROWTRACEY' STRONGBOX)
EYE-leks GLAB-rah 'ILEXFARROWTRACEY' STRONGBOX

Evergreen Perennial Mounded, Rounded in the Aquifoliaceae Family
A compact, mounded evergreen holly that keeps its boxwood-like good looks through winter with minimal care.

Strongbox® is a dwarf, boxwood-alternative selection of native inkberry holly (Ilex glabra), bred by Michael Wayne Farrow for Spring Meadow Nursery and patented in 2019 (US PP30147). It forms a dense, broadly rounded mound only 2–3 ft tall and wide, holding its small, glossy, evergreen leaves all the way to the ground rather than dropping lower foliage with age, a common flaw in older inkberry cultivars. Small white flowers appear on old wood in spring and are attractive to bees, but like all inkberry hollies, Strongbox is dioecious and this is a female selection — berries only form if an unrelated male inkberry such as Squeeze Box is planted nearby.

Pros

  • Dense, compact mound keeps its shape with little pruning
  • Evergreen leaves reach the ground, unlike older inkberry types
  • Deer resistant and tolerates both wet and dry sites once established
  • A true boxwood alternative, including where boxwood blight is a concern

Cons

  • Female only, needs an unrelated male inkberry nearby to set berries
  • Shallow, fibrous roots benefit from a steady mulch layer
  • Patented; propagation restricted to licensed growers
 

Plant Data

Mature Size 24 - 36 inches tall. 24 - 36 inches wide.
Sun Exposure Partial Shade - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance Dry - Wet: Tolerates both consistently wet soil and periods of drought once established; average garden moisture is ideal.
Zones 5a - 9b (Usually hardy to -20° F)
Tags Attracts Bees, Attracts Birds, Attracts Pollinators, Container, Deer Resistant, Disease Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Edging, Evergreen, Formal Garden, Foundation, Fragrant, Full Sun, Good for Accents, Good for Borders, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Hedges, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rain Garden, Insignificant Flowers, Low Maintenance, Medium, Mounded, Native to North America, Normal Soil, Partial Shade, Partial Sun, Perennial, Potentially Toxic, Shrub, Tolerant of Acidic Soil, Tolerant of Hot Dry Site, Tolerant of Moist Soil, Well-Drained Soil, Wet, Wet Site Tolerant, Winter Interest, Woodland Garden
Bloom Period May to June
Flower Color White
Foliage Color
 

Most Popular Plants

Commonly Planted with...

Pairs well with other moisture-tolerant native shrubs and perennials, such as summersweet (Clethra alnifolia) or swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), for a wildlife-friendly planting that handles wet or variable soils.
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Pricing and Availability History

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Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants

Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.

Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.


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To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.

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No Pricing or Availability Right Now

We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.

Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!