According to Master Gardener Ann Bartlett, the new year is the perfect time to consider planting holly.
Holly, the plant that gave Christmas its red and green color scheme, brings year-round interest to the landscape. In winter these evergreen shrubs and trees are focal points for many homes, the red berries brightening the short days. Hollies are dioecious—male and female flowers are borne on different plants. In order to have berries, there must be at least one male plant to pollinate the females. Some female hollies are parthenogenetic, a term from Greek referring to virgin births.
Types of holly to include—and avoid—in your landscape
The very popular holly Nellie R. Stevens bears fruit without male flower pollen. Nellie is a hybrid between Chinese and English hollies. This tree is frequently planted at the corner of a house. Its pyramidal profile, shiny leaves and red berries make it a great specimen plant. However, most homeowners struggle to keep it in bounds: It grows 15 to 25 feet tall and is 8 to 12 feet wide! This is terrific plant to use as a hedge.
English holly is on the noxious weed list in Washington State and considered invasive from California to British Columbia. It is as welcome out West as privet and kudzu are here!
A popular example of a Chinese Holly is the Buford variety. Japanese hollies dislike hot summers so are not good choices for our area. Both Yaupon and American hollies, native to the southeastern forests, do well in our landscapes.
Not all hollies are evergreen. The best known of the deciduous ones is winterberry, Ilex verticillata, the stems of which are covered in red berries throughout winter. It is native to wet woods and bogs from Maryland to Michigan. It tolerates dry sites as well as soggy ones so it can be a real problem-solver in a woodland garden. Winterberry does need annual renewal pruning, done by removing up to one third of the old stems.
How to place and maintain your holly
Hollies are the most broadly adaptable of evergreen tree species. They like a site that is sunny or partly shaded, with slightly acid soil. Plant them in either spring or fall. Not plagued by pests or many diseases, they are easily maintained with a spring fertilization and a layer of mulch. Some leaf loss in spring is normal.
To ensure plenty of fruit on hollies, proper pruning is important. Holly blooms on old wood. A gardening rule of thumb is to prune these shrubs after flowering, but holly flowers are not very showy so you may prefer to prune after the berries appear. Though evergreen, they are dormant in winter. It is ok to use some branches in your holiday decor, or you can wait until later in winter to shape up the shrub.
Holly History
The fossil record tells us that hollies were widespread by the end of the Cretaceous Period though the ancestor of modern species evolved later. Many members of the Ilex clan became extinct at the end of the last ice age. Amazing to think that mammoths and the first Americans were familiar with far more hollies than we are!
About the Hamilton County Master Gardeners
Hamilton County Master Gardeners are here to provide you with the latest university research-based gardening information. Whether it’s plant or pest ID, sick plants or general gardening advice, we are here to help!
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