What is it? Some sort of deformed ugly boxwood? You bought a boxwood??? Ewwww. You are dead to me.
-Well, actually no. Look closer. See the spiny leaves? They actually gave me a rash when I planted it this afternoon.
That’s…a…good thing?
-Well, it does mean that the deer won’t like to eat it. Plus, it has other great features too. It is a broadleaf evergreen that likes dry shade. I mean deep, dark, dry shade that is so dark that it puts the black forest to shame and so dry that the Atacama Desert seems like a lush tropical paradise by comparison… I exaggerate a little, but look I planted it in a place so dark that the camera didn’t even have enough light to focus properly.
It looks fake and plasticy. So, what is it?
-It’s a butcher’s broom. Ruscus aculeatus ‘Wheeler’s Variety’ to be exact. The really cool thing about this plant is that all these leaves…
-…aren’t really leaves. They are modified stems called cladodes. And see those little brown nubbins on the back side of the cladodes?
-Those are flower buds that will bloom and eventually develop into red berries (seen here at Dancing Oaks Nursery). You may recall that I showed another Ruscus with flowers a few weeks ago.
Ok, I have to admit, that is pretty cool. So it is deer resistant and tolerant of dry shade? Sign me up!
The stats
Slow growing broadleaf evergreen from northern Africa, western Asia, and Europe.
Zone 7-9.
Asparagus family (Asparagaceae)
Takes dense shade.
Drought tolerant.
Deer resistant.
Addendum
Ok, the old spiny growth may be deer resistant, but not the succulent new growth!
I was quite lucky to find this rather large plant in a 5 gallon pot size at Dancing Oaks Nursery a few weeks ago. This one is about 18 inches tall and has many stems. Normally, it takes years to get to this size. I planted a little 2 inch band pot with 2 little sprigs about 4 inches tall in 2014. It is 10% the size of this plant….
My advice is to get a bigger plant like this 5 gallon one while you can!