Overview

Introduce a touch of year-round elegance to your garden with the mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant. This distinctive evergreen shrub, scientifically known as Thuja occidentalis ‘Bobazam’, is celebrated for its naturally compact, dense, and spherical growth habit, resembling a perfect green globe. Unlike many other evergreens, the mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant requires minimal pruning to maintain its charming shape, making it an excellent choice for gardeners seeking low-maintenance beauty. Its soft, fine-textured, bright green foliage provides a delightful contrast against other garden elements and remains vibrant through all seasons, offering continuous visual interest even in winter. Ideal for small gardens, rock gardens, borders, or container planting, this versatile compact arborvitae shrub brings a refined structure and lush color to any landscape design.

The ‘Bobazam’ cultivar, commonly known as Mr. Bowling Ball® Arborvitae, is a dwarf variety of the native American Arborvitae. Its slow growth rate and tidy form make it a standout choice for foundation plantings, mass plantings, or as an accent plant. This resilient shrub thrives in a variety of conditions and is known for its hardiness, making it a reliable addition to gardens across many USDA zones. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting, the easy-care nature and enduring appeal of this globe evergreen plant will surely impress.

Key Benefits

The mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant offers a multitude of benefits that make it a favorite among landscapers and home gardeners alike. Its unique characteristics contribute to its widespread appeal and ease of integration into various garden styles.

• Naturally Spherical Shape: This arborvitae naturally grows into a tight, symmetrical globe, eliminating the need for constant trimming to maintain a formal look. This saves time and effort, making garden maintenance a breeze.
• Year-Round Evergreen Foliage: Enjoy vibrant, soft green foliage throughout all four seasons. The consistent color provides a beautiful backdrop for flowering plants and adds crucial winter interest when other plants are dormant.
• Compact and Dwarf Size: Perfect for small gardens, urban landscapes, rock gardens, or container plantings where space is limited. Its mature size makes it an ideal choice for front-of-border placements or pathways.
• Low Maintenance: The mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant is incredibly easy to care for, requiring minimal pruning and being generally resistant to common pests and diseases. This makes it an excellent option for busy gardeners or those new to gardening.
• Versatile Landscape Use: Its distinctive form and texture make it suitable for a wide range of applications, including specimen planting, mass plantings, foundation plantings, and even formal hedging in miniature.
• Hardy and Resilient: Known for its robust nature, this globe evergreen plant can withstand various environmental conditions once established, providing long-lasting beauty and structure to your outdoor space.
• Texture and Contrast: The fine, feathery texture of its foliage offers a wonderful contrast to plants with broader leaves or bolder forms, adding depth and visual interest to your garden design.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant is straightforward, ensuring it thrives and maintains its beautiful form for years to come. This resilient evergreen is adaptable, but providing optimal conditions will encourage the healthiest growth and most vibrant foliage. Proper care ensures your compact arborvitae shrub remains a stunning feature in your garden.

For sunlight, the Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae prefers full sun to partial shade. Full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) will promote the densest growth and best color. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade can be beneficial to prevent scorching. When it comes to watering, consistent moisture is key, especially during the first year after planting. Water deeply once or twice a week, or more frequently during hot, dry spells, ensuring the soil is moist but not waterlogged. Once established, it becomes more drought-tolerant but will still benefit from occasional deep watering during extended dry periods. Good drainage is crucial; avoid planting in areas where water tends to collect.

The ideal soil for this dwarf arborvitae for landscaping is well-draining, moist, and slightly acidic to neutral. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter like compost to improve drainage and aeration. For fertilization, a balanced slow-release granular fertilizer can be applied in early spring before new growth begins. Follow package instructions for application rates. This plant is generally hardy in USDA zones 3-7. While naturally forming a globe, light pruning can be done in late winter or early spring to remove any dead or damaged branches or to lightly shape it if desired, though it’s rarely necessary. Keep an eye out for common pests like spider mites, especially in dry conditions, and treat with horticultural oil if needed.

Size & Details

The mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant you will receive is a vibrant young specimen, typically measuring 4-6 inches in height. It comes pre-potted in a 1 quart container, providing a healthy root system ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger decorative pot. This compact cultivar is known for its slow growth rate, eventually reaching a mature size of approximately 2-3 feet tall and wide, making it an ideal choice for smaller spaces or as a front-of-border plant.

Its naturally rounded, globe-like form is maintained with very little effort, allowing it to serve as a perfect structural element in your landscape. The plant ships in its nursery pot, ensuring minimal transplant shock and providing a strong start in its new home. Expect this resilient shrub to establish quickly and begin contributing its unique texture and year-round green appeal to your outdoor environment. This thuja occidentalis bowling ball offers enduring beauty with a manageable size.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this plant get? A: The mr bowling ball arborvitae live plant is a dwarf variety that typically reaches a mature size of about 2-3 feet in height and width. Its slow growth rate means it will take several years to reach its full size, making it easy to manage in smaller garden areas.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: This plant is shipped in a 1 quart nursery pot. This size is ideal for a young plant, providing enough space for its initial root development before it is ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae is primarily an outdoor plant, highly valued for its landscape use. It thrives in garden beds, borders, and outdoor containers, providing year-round evergreen interest.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: This compact arborvitae shrub performs best in full sun, receiving at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily. It can tolerate partial shade, but full sun encourages the densest growth and best foliage color.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae is renowned for being very low maintenance. It naturally maintains its spherical shape, requiring little to no pruning, and is generally resistant to pests and diseases, making it excellent for beginners.
• Q: What condition will it arrive in? A: Your globe evergreen plant will arrive as a healthy, live plant in its nursery pot, carefully packaged to ensure it withstands transit. We take utmost care to protect the foliage and root system during shipping.
• Q: When is the best time to plant? A: The best times to plant the Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae are in spring or early fall. This allows the plant to establish its root system before the extreme temperatures of summer or winter.
• Q: Will it survive winter in my zone? A: This thuja occidentalis bowling ball is hardy in USDA Zones 3-7. If you are within these zones, it should comfortably survive winter, providing beautiful evergreen color even when snow is on the ground.
• Q: Does it need special soil? A: It prefers well-draining, moist soil that is slightly acidic to neutral. Amending heavy soils with organic matter will improve drainage and create an ideal growing environment for this plant.
• Q: Can I grow it in a container? A: Absolutely! Its compact size and slow growth make it an excellent choice for container gardening. Ensure the container has good drainage and is large enough to accommodate its root ball and future growth.