The winter gem boxwood is an evergreen shrub that is extremely durable and often planted to establish borders, boundaries, or separate spaces in a yard or garden. Its foliage is deep green during the warmer seasons. In the colder months, it maintains an undercurrent of green while taking on a bronze, gold, or brown hue.

Native to Japan, the boxwood is legendary for its hard, solid bark. The bark was historically utilized to make sturdy containers and ornamental boxes. The winter gem variety of boxwood is believed by many experts to have resulted from a mutation in the hybrid boxwood. The scientific name for the winter gem boxwood is Buxus microphylla japonica.

Classified as a type of littleleaf boxwood shrub, this evergreen has small, oval-shaped leaves that withstand the elements with ease. In spring, the winter gem boxwood produces minute, almost invisible, yellowish green buds. These blossoms are generally shaped like a star and situated at the base of the leaves. Their sweet scent is highly attractive to bees and other insects.

Though the flowers of the winter gem boxwood possess a pleasing scent, the same can not be said for the rest of the shrub. The leaves produce a pungent odor akin to the noxious fumes of a skunk. As appealing as the winter gem boxwood is as an ornamental landscaping plant, its distinct aroma is a major drawback for many.

For the boxwood shrub to flourish, it requires full to partial levels of sunlight. It needs to be watered on a weekly basis, and perhaps more during the summer months. After the springtime flowering, the winter gem boxwood may necessitate pruning to maintain its shape.

The winter gem boxwood is a moderately sized shrub. It typically grows to be between 2 feet (about 0.6 meters) and 5 feet (approximately 1.5 meters) tall. As they grow, the shrubs take on a compact, slightly plump appearance.

This hardy evergreen is a popular choice for landscaping. It can be used to delineate different sections of a garden, yard, or property border. It is also widely utilized as a cover-up, hiding unsightly foundations or other unattractive aspects of a property. Many landscapers shear, trim, and shape the winter gem boxwood into stately, formal-looking shrubs. It can be used as a background plant or as a focal point within a garden; plants with red flowers, red leaves, or red berries offer a fashionable complement to the rich green of the winter gem boxwood.