When it comes to boxwood varieties, two popular options are ‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Green Velvet’. While they both belong to the same family of boxwoods, they have distinct characteristics that make them suitable for different purposes in gardening and landscaping.
1. Growth Habit:
– ‘Green Mountain’: This variety is known for its tall growing and upright habit. It has a naturally conical shape, making it ideal for creating pyramids or cones in the garden. The branches of ‘Green Mountain’ grow vertically, giving it a formal and elegant appearance.
– ‘Green Velvet’: In contrast, ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood has a more vigorous and fast-growing nature. It tends to have a more rounded and compact growth habit, making it a great choice for creating hedges or balls in your landscape design.
2. Size and Height:
– ‘Green Mountain’: This variety can reach a height of about 3 to 5 feet, with a width of 2 to 3 feet. Due to its vertical growth, it can provide a striking vertical element in your garden. It is taller compared to ‘Green Velvet’, making it suitable for creating focal points or adding height to your landscape.
– ‘Green Velvet’: On the other hand, ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood tends to have a slightly smaller size, reaching a height of 2 to 3 feet, with a similar width. Its compact growth habit allows it to be easily shaped and maintained as a hedge or used for creating rounded forms in the garden.
3. Leaf Texture and Color:
– ‘Green Mountain’: This variety has small, glossy, and dark green leaves. The leaves are slightly elongated and have a pointed tip, adding to its formal appearance. The dense foliage of ‘Green Mountain’ makes it an excellent choice for providing privacy or creating a green backdrop in your garden.
– ‘Green Velvet’: In contrast, ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood has slightly larger, rounder, and softer leaves compared to ‘Green Mountain’. The leaves have a velvety texture, which gives this variety its name. The foliage of ‘Green Velvet’ is also dark green, but it may appear slightly lighter than ‘Green Mountain’ due to its leaf shape and texture.
4. Uses in Landscaping:
– ‘Green Mountain’: Due to its upright and tall growth habit, ‘Green Mountain’ boxwood is often used as a focal point in the garden. Its conical shape makes it suitable for creating formal accents in landscapes, such as flanking entryways or lining pathways. It can also be used to add vertical interest in mixed borders or as a standalone specimen plant.
– ‘Green Velvet’: With its dense and fast-growing nature, ‘Green Velvet’ boxwood is commonly used for creating hedges or borders in gardens. Its compact and rounded form makes it easy to shape and maintain as a formal hedge or low-maintenance border. It can also be used for creating spherical shapes or mass plantings in landscaping designs.
‘Green Mountain’ and ‘Green Velvet’ boxwoods differ in their growth habit, size, leaf texture, and preferred uses in landscaping. ‘Green Mountain’ is tall growing and upright, making it ideal for creating pyramids and cones, while ‘Green Velvet’ is vigorous and fast-growing, suitable for hedges and rounded forms. Both varieties add beauty and structure to your garden, but their distinct characteristics allow you to choose the one that best suits your specific landscaping needs and personal preferences.
