Gymnosporia buxifolia is a very showy plant when in flower and can grow into an interesting and shapely small tree over time. It can be pruned to form a dense, spiny, evergreen hedge. It is a very cold- and drought-hardy plant, so it will be good in areas prone to these conditions.Gymnosporia buxifolia takes the form of a large shrub of about 3 m high, or a small, weather-beaten, evergreen tree, up to 7 m tall. It has simple variable leaves that are obovate with a rounded apex, sometimes notched, and a wedge-shaped base. The margin is unequally toothed towards the tips. Leaves are alternate or clustered in arrangement. The bark is light brown and smooth, becoming very dark, rough, corky and fissured as the tree ages. It is armed with sharp, slender to robust spines, about 3.5–100 mm long, on the branches.
