Hollies are easily recognized by their alternate leaves. The flowers are generally inconspicuous with sexes on separate plants. It is essential to have both staminate and pistillate plants in the same general vicinity to insure proper pollination. Poor fruiting on hollies is a problem many gardeners experience. This could be due to poor pollination, young immature plants, high nitrogen levels in the soil, or a late spring frost which injures flowers.
Good drainage is required, especially on the Japanese (crenata) hollies. Chinese (cornuta) and dwarf yaupon (vomitora nana) seem to tolerate wet feet much better. Plenty of organic matter, especially in sandy soils, will also be helpful. Holly beds should be well-mulched and fertilized with a complete fertilizer to remain healthy. The soil pH should be between 5.0 and 6.0.
Maintenance requirements will include pruning of the vigorous growing cultivars, and controlling leaf miner, Japanese wax scale, and redmites. Root rot diseases are a problem with several Japanese cultivars.
The following is a partial list of Hollies which grow well and are versatile in North Carolina landscapes.
Botanical Name
and Common Name Landscape Remarks
Ilex x altenuata 'Fosteri' Cross between 1. cassine x
FOSTERI HOLLY opaca. Favorite upright,
small tree form, good fruit
production. Popular as
foundation planting on
corners of structures.
Ilex aquifolilum Lustrous, dark green, spiny
ENGLISH HOLLY leaf. Many cultivars
available.
Ilex cassine Excellent tree form, hardy
DAHOON HOLLY Zone 9, red berries.Good for
eastern N.C. landscapes.
Ilex cornuta Hardy to Zone 7. Typically
CHINESE HOLLY reaches 9-12' in height,
medium to coarse texture.
Favorite cultivars include:
'Burfordii' - heavy fruit
crop, can get very large.
'Dwarf Burfordii' - 5-6',
does not fruit as heavily as
'Burfordii'.
'Carissa' - dense, dwarf,
3-4' high.
'Rotunda' - compact, dense,
spiny leaves; to 5' if not
maintained.
Ilex crenata Hardy to Zone 6, can reach
JAPANESE HOLLY 9-12' in height, medium to
fine texture (smaller leaves
than cornuta). Dense, multi
stem evergreen shrub.
Favorite cultivars include:
'Compacta' - globose form,
requires little pruning, to
6'.
'Convexa' - very hardy,
dense, can grow to 9'.
'Green Luster' - dark green,
lustrous foliage.
'Helleri' - low spreading, 3'
height x 5' width.
'Hetzi' - more compact than
'Convexa'.
'Kingsville Green Cushion' -
very low-spreading form.
'Microphylla' - hardy Zone 5
very small leaves.
'Rependens' - small, narrow
leaves; maintained at 3'
easily.
'Rotundifolia' - rounded
form, easily reaches 8-12'.
'Stokes' - not as hardy as
'Helleri' but remains
compact.
Ilex decidua Deciduous large shrub (30')
POSSOMHAW HOLLY with crenately-toothed
leaves. Fruits bright red or
orange and very showy in fall
and winter.
Ilex glabra Grows 6-8' tall, rounded
INKBERRY form, hardy all across
N.C. Slow growth rate, black
berries produced, showy in
fall.
Ilex x 'Nellie R. Stevens' Upright, pyramidal, dense
small tree form. Hybrid
between 1. aquifolium x 1.
cornuta. Hardy to Zone 6.
Ilex opaca Grows 50-60' tall, medium to
AMERICAN HOLLY coarse texture. Females
fruit heavily in fall, needs
1 male for every 2-3 females;
pyramidal form. Many
cultivars available.
Ilex 'pernyi' Pyramidal, upright habit.
PERNY HOLLY 9-12' tall, hardy to Zone 6.
Ilex verticullata Deciduous shrub; withstands
SPARKLEBERRY wet conditions, active to
swampy areas fruit very showy
in fall and winter. Several
cultivars available.
Ilex vomitoria Hardy to Zone 7. Native to
YAUPON coastal areas; tree form
reaches 15-20'. Translucent
berries, gray bark.
Ilex vomitoria 'Nana' Low growing shrub form; very
DWARF YAUPON dense, branching habit.