Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae perfectly round, soft texture dwarf Arborvitae.
Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae perfectly round, soft texture dwarf Arborvitae.
All media depicts mature plants.

Mr. Bowling Ball® Arborvitae (Thuja)

Shrub

  • Dwarf-evergreen shrub grows into a perfect sphere!
  • Golden foliage adds interest all year.
  • Perfect for rock gardens, hedges, small spaces, and containers.
  • Zones 3-8, sun to part sun, 1-2.5' tall and wide at maturity.
  • ZONE
  • EXPOSURE
  • HEIGHT

More info on plant sizes

Size: One Quart
$33.00
Sale: $33.00 Each
Total: $33.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee
Hand-Picked at Our Greenhouse
Shipped to Your Door
Arrives as a Young Plant
60 Day Risk-Free Guarantee

Description

Compact, perfectly round, and oh-so-satisfying, Mr. Bowling Ball Arborvitae (Thuja) is a perfect addition to any small gardening space. Place Mr. Bowling Ball in full sun and make sure to keep the soil moist and well-drained to maintain its simply-soft texture. Low-maintenance in nature, Mr. Bowling Ball needs no special pruning; however, sheering before the onset of new growth can help increase longevity. This adaptable dwarf Thuja grows up to 1-2.5 feet tall and wide, making it a perfect space-saving and evergreen addition to any garden. Just be sure you’re keeping these shrubs at least 3 feet apart to keep from any hedge overlap.

Fast-growing and impressive, arborvitae maintains its green-bluish hues color year-round. Add major curb appeal by creating a privacy fence, planting in rock gardens, or adding perennial beds to fill bare and boring spaces. In addition, its variety of sizes makes it an easy way to customize based on your unique gardening goals. Just make sure these shrubs and trees see lots of sunlight!

Details

Botanical name: Thuja occidentalis 'Bobozam'
Common name: Arborvitae Zone: 3 - 8
Sun exposure: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Height x width: 1'-2.5' tall and wide
Foliage color: Green
Season of interest: Year-round
Features: Space savers, proven winners, native, evergreens, container plants, cold tolerant, best sellers
Uses: Specimen, rock gardens, containers

How to Grow

Soil: Grow in any moist but well-draining soil. Avoid very wet sites; tolerates some dryness once established.
Light: Sun (> 6 hours sun) to part-sun (4-6 hours sun)
Water: Average.
Space: 2' apart.
Fertilizing: Apply a granular rose or garden fertilizer in early spring if desired.
Winterizing:A good 2-3" layer of mulch is recommended; Avoid extreme dry soil in autumn, which can cause the evergreen foliage to dry out in winter.
Maintenance: No pruning is required, but can be trimmed if desired.

Your Questions on Arborvitae, Answered

Learn the best times to plant arborvitae, how to prevent winter burn, whether you should trim them, and everything else you need to know to grow them like a pro.

Grow with confidence

Plant spacing is based on the ultimate width of the plants. This figure is normally given as a range; for example, 3-5’. If you live in a cold climate and/or want plants to fill in more quickly, plan to space at the shorter end of the range. If you live in a warm climate, are on a limited budget, or are willing to wait longer for plants to touch, use the higher end of the range. Using the larger number is recommended when calculating distance from a building or structure. There’s really no such thing as "maximum spacing": if you don’t want your plants to touch, you can space them as far apart as you’d like. All plant spacing is calculated on center, or in other words, the centers of the plants are spaced one half of their eventual width apart:

bush distance

Unless you are planting in a straight line, as you might for hedges or edging, space your plants in a staggered or zig-zag pattern for a more interesting and naturalistic look:

bush distance zigzag

Not sure just how many plants will fit in your garden? Our calculator gives you the exact amount of plants required for your space. Simply update the values and the calculator will re-calculate accordingly. Spacing information can be found in the 'How to Grow' tab on each plant's page.

Plant Spacing Calculator

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  • 5 stars: 1 (33%)
  • 4 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 3 stars: 0 (0%)
  • 2 stars: 1 (33%)
  • 1 star: 1 (33%)
D
D.R. (Massachusetts)

Received the two “Bowling Ball Arborvitaes”was very disappointed in the size of one of the shrub. It was half the size of the second one. Planted as instructed. The larger on is doing great. The small one has turned totally brown(dead). This is my second time purchasing from Great Garden Plants. Thank you

We’re sorry you’re not satisfied with your plants! On each product page and our plant sizes page, we note that all of our plants are young. The size of our plants varies depending on the time of year and whether they were recently trimmed. The most important thing when purchasing plants, online or in garden centers, is a full and robust root system, which we prioritize. Trimming only encourages stronger root development! All orders are covered by our 60-day guarantee, so please reach out to [email protected] to start the claims process if necessary.

J
J.M. (Tennessee)
worst plants in over 50 years of gardening

I reached out to customer service, since photos of the stubbs they called shrubs. They were rude and stated they do not take returns to protect their nursery.
I have reported you to the BBB

Hello! We are sorry that you're unsatisfied with your plants and our service. Our customer service team is always here to help in any way they can. We always are sure to be respectful in order to best help our customers. We would love to hear more about your experience with your order. Please email pictures of the plants and a detailed account of your experience to [email protected], making sure to put your order number and name in the subject line so that we may provide the best assistance possible. Rest assured, we have a guarantee on all our plants. Our fall guarantee covers plants received after September 1 until May 2024! If you received your plants within that time frame, we would happily apply your warranty once we receive the pictures. Thank you so much for your feedback!
Happy Gardening!
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/our-guarantee

A
A.H. (Ohio)
Great product

The plants were pack with such care none of them were damaged. Size was as expected from the description give. I love my plants. We ordered again.

J
J.

My zip code is 44147, I might be zone five, but I’m not positive positive
I would like to buy the Mr. bowling ball bushes, but I would like to know when is the best time to plant them. Would it be spring or fall?

Great Garden Plants

Hi! According to your zip code, you're considered zone 6. The fall is an ideal time to plant since soil temperature and moisture levels are usually at a level that promotes root growth. With roots already established in the fall, plants are bigger the following spring. Make sure to plant at least 6 weeks before the first hard frost so roots can establish themselves before winter.

B
B.P.

How do the come when you purchase these. Are they small?

Great Garden Plants

Hi there! We ship young plants with strong, healthy root systems. They will be small since they are young and they come in a one quart pot.

C
C.

Are Mr. Bowling Ball deer resistant?

Great Garden Plants

There are some plants that deer love to go after and arborvitae is one of them. If you're looking for deer resistant plants, check out our blog on plants to avoid if you have deer and alternatives to plant instead:

https://blog.greatgardenplants.com/five-plants-to-avoid-if-you-have-deer-and-what-to-plant-instead/

A
A.B.

How do I see what your sending, I don't want a baby baby plant

Great Garden Plants

Hello! Here is a link to the plant sizes:
https://www.greatgardenplants.com/pages/sizes

We do note we ship young plants. The important thing when it comes to purchasing plants, whether online or in a garden center, is that they have a full, robust root system, and that's what we prioritize in our growing. The more roots a plant has, the more energy it can put into growing once it is planted in your garden.

B
B.

Will these survive in partial sun?

Great Garden Plants

As long as they get at least 4 hours of sun a day they should be happy!