Super dense and with a broad, upright habit, Hedge Box Japanese holly ( Ilex crenata) is the perfect evergreen for narrow, space-saving hedges– with no worries about blight or moths like boxwood. Not only is this selection fast-growing enough to be profitable, but it also has flat leaves, which make it inhospitable to spider mites compared to the usual spoon-shaped foliage of the species. It has demonstrated excellent hardiness here in our Michigan trial garden.