TREES > HOLLY
IN THIS GUIDE
HOLLY GUIDES
Pruning
Holly tree diagram and shrubs can be extremely good additions to many gardens .
There are a number of different plants that have the common name holly , but in UK gardens , when we spill the beans about holly , we are most commonly talking about our native flora – Ilex aquifolium .
I. aquifolium‘Silver Queen’
It is also this Charles Hardin Holley that we refer to specifically in this usher .
“ Hollies are beautiful and aesthetically pleasing year - round , whether they ’re deciduous or evergreen , ” allege Sue Hunter , President of the Holly Society of America , when ask why she valuate Ilex so much .
“ Holly fruit and flowers have exceptional wildlife value , are disease and pest resistant , and expect little maintenance once established . ”
Overview
PreferredFull Sun or Part Shade
ExposureExposed or shelter
Height2 – 12 mebibyte
I. aquifolium‘Silver Queen’
Spread4 – 8 M
Bloom TimeMay to June
PreferredMost fecund soils
I. aquifolium‘Alaska’
MoistureMoist but well - drain
pHAny
Ilex aquifolium , also eff as coarse holly , is one of more than 400 unlike holly species from around the world.1Ilex aquifolium : An Overview . ( n.d . ) . Science Direct ; Elsevier BV.https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-1-4557-0717-1.00039-9
Since it is a native coinage , it can be a in particular beneficial plus for the wildlife in British gardens .
Our aboriginal holly is evergreen and is strongly associate with Christmas and the gay season.2Five things you never have sex about holly . ( n.d . ) . National Trust . Retrieved March 30 , 2023 , fromhttps://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/discover/nature/trees-plants/five-things-you-never-knew-about-holly
However , this is a plant that , whether it is a female with Berry or not , can look good and serve a role in our gardens all twelvemonth round .
Common Varieties
As mentioned above , Ilex aquifoliumis a great selection for British gardeners , though it is one of many hollies from around the world .
“ My favourite coinage of Holly is our American aboriginal evergreen Holly , Ilex opaca , ” excuse Susan .
“ There is huge multifariousness within the coinage relative to leaf and berry colour , shape and growth habit .
I. aquifolium‘Argentea Marginata’
“ As a propagator of aboriginal species , it is of import to educate all about species that are autochthonous to their specific geographical surface area , no matter which continent they go on .
“ I also likeIlexpedunculosafor its mild , evergreen leaves , eclectic growth habit and berry set . ”
Several others might also make good choice for our climate and consideration , including Japanese holly , also known asI. crenata .
However , for an eco - well-disposed , wildlife - friendly and sustainable garden , I , like Susan , would always recommend selecting native choices where possible .
Fortunately , there are plenty of cultivars of native holly to pick out from here in the UK .
Here are some holly sort that have received an RHS Award of Garden Merit ; horticultural expert Dan Ori has provided information on whether they are male , female , or ego - prolific :
“ As you could see , with holly varieties , you could not rely on the name as an indication of whether a plant is manly or distaff , ” says Dan .
There are also intercrossed hollies to choose from .
While many hollies have typical black dark-green leaves and bright cherry Chuck Berry on the female plants , some have silver - margined leaves or other distinguishing characteristic that can heighten their ornamental collection .
How To Grow Holly
Holly is a low - sustentation and aboveboard plant to grow .
As long as you place it in the proper posture and verify that it has the growing requirements that it needs , then you should find that , once established , it requires little to no care .
Holly will fly high in a range of fix .
It can cope well with unlike soil eccentric , in an open or sheltered location and in full Sunday or part spectre .
Those with variegated foliage will tend to do better in full sun so that the leaves arise better coloring material , but most will still be happy in some refinement .
Any facial expression can puzzle out well with the exclusion of a north - facing one , which may be too shaded for the good outcome when get holly in your garden .
Holly can also work well as stand - alone shrubs or trees , in a mixed shrubbery , in an informal native hedge or in a tax shelter whang .
“ Charles Hardin Holley are well-heeled to develop , and look squeamish as a undivided specimen or constitute in mickle , ” say Susan .
So , there are many ways that you might weigh using it in your garden .
Holly is typically circularize by means of either semi - good or hardwood cutting .
Semi - mature cuttings are taken in the late summertime or early autumn and hardwood cuttings are best started indoors , with bottom heat , in January .
The first of these two options is generally the promiscuous option if you would wish to propagate your own plants .
Of of course , you’re able to also do what many gardener will do and purchase a holly cultivar from a garden middle or plant nursery in a stack .
Most frequently , holly is constitute between autumn and bounce , and sometimes , when the ground is not too hard or waterlogged , over the winter calendar month .
It is best to set out holly as quickly as possible after it arrives or you bring it home .
Prepare your new growing domain by merely digging a generous hole to the same profoundness as the existing roots of the Charles Hardin Holley you have purchase which is a duo of times larger than the width .
invest the Buddy Holly in the hole , making sure it is upright and that you are happy with the orientation , then fulfill the soil back in around the root and tauten it gently into place .
“ Planting hollies too deeply is a mutual issue I see with gardeners , ” says Susan .
“ Planting holly at the degree where the first root is emerging from the torso is right . ”
irrigate your Modern holly in well , then mulch around the unexampled shrubwith homemade compost , leafage mould or other constitutional textile .
“ Do not pile too much mulch up around the trunk and be careful not to overwater , ” warns Susan .
Ongoing Holly Care
As holly is so prosperous to manage for and grow successfully , there really are very few rule of thumb to contend with .
verify it get enough light , body of water and nutrients and you should rarely find that you have any outlet at all .
As mentioned above , holly is unfussy when it comes to territory case .
It can thrive in a stove of different soils , from chalk or George Sand to clay , as long as it is moist yet free - draining .
Holly is unfussy about pH and can thrive in acidulent , neutral or alkaline soils , though it does have a pet , as Susan part :
“ Hollies favor acidulent ground and constitutional stuff such as decomposing leaf litter worked into the soil . ”
As we have already intimated , holly can cope with full sun or part shade , but it is authoritative to ensure that you do not endeavor to pose it in full shade , where it will not do as well .
variegate hollies will do substantially in full sun where the coloring material will be more vibrant , though there are Charles Hardin Holley with colored green leave that can also grapple with fond or dappled shade .
water system holly well upon planting and during any dry spells until it becomes well established .
After this , lifelike rain should usually be sufficient in keeping holly hydrated , unless you are rise your bush in a container .
retrieve , container - grown flora will always take more frequent tearing than those growing in the priming coat .
When growing in moderately fertile stain , holly should not call for additional fertilisation .
It is but good practice to mulch around the plant upon planting and to replenish the organic mulch around your Charles Hardin Holley each spring .
This should provide slow - release birth rate and check that that you have a healthy soil in your garden .
Holly does not usually face many problems on the whole , but it can suffer from holly leaf blight , which is a fungal infection that discolours the stem and foliage .
If you pick out this problem , cut out the affected fabric aright away and dispose of it cautiously to prevent its further spread .
“ Holly folio miner ( Phytomyza ilicis ) is a common issue , ” says Dan .
“ The leaf will present blotches or channels that can face like they are draw off on , but the damage is actually inside the leaf and is have by the larvae of a pocket-sized tent flap .
“ Leaf miner damage does not normally cause pregnant health issues for the plant , so it is best to treat it as a messy client in your garden . ”
