Even holly’s berries come in a variety of hues that include red, pink, blue, orange, yellow, and white. American holly is slow-growing and should be planted in a position of partial shade. This is a female holly which is native to the east of North America. Carissa holly (Ilex cornuta "Carissa") is a variety of holly shrub with a slow growth rate and coarse texture. Shrub type: This dense evergreen shrub—a hybrid cross between English holly and tsuru holly (Ilex rugosa)—was developed as a standard form to be sold in nurseries and garden centers. Its trunk diameter typically reaches 20 inches and in rare cases, it can even go up to 47 inches. Nellie Stevens Holly. van Tol' and the large-berried 'Firecracker'. The branches of this tree are usually covered shiny black or dark brown bark that eventually flakes off as the tree begins to age. Another cultivar of the Japanese holly is called Compacta which is quite a neat, globe-shaped group of trees. The leaves of the Dahoon holly are evergreen and sport a glossy, dark green color with a few spines towards of the apex of the leaf. Holly tree (llex ) is a member of the family of low-maintenance and evergreen plants, which can grow up from 12-inch bushes to 50 feet big trees. Hollies (Ilex spp.) Ilex spp. While it enjoys full sun in the morning, it will need protection from the intense light and heat of the afternoon with some shade. Dwarf Holly Bushes . Many people from back in the days also considered holly to be a substitute for tea. This type of holly is best known as a drought-tolerant tree and is native to the southeastern United States. It is typically found in peripheries of bogs and swamps, and can also be found in sandy wood areas. This male holly is a dwarf variety that grows to between three and six feet tall. You will have your pick of variety regardless of where you live or your climate. The holly plant, with the shiny dark green leaves and prickly edges have been mentioned from pagan times when the Druids adorned themselves with holly as they entered the woods. The red berries are often used in Christmas decorations along with the evergreen foliage that looks quite ethereal. Most often, these shrubs require a male and a female plant to produce berries on the female plants. Any variety of male blue holly (Ilex x meserveae) can be used to pollinate the red beauty holly, which will result in juicy round red berries. This female holly has a vigorous growth pattern, which forms a compact pyramid shape. American Holly. Along with garlands and decorative accessories, one of the most popular and commonly used ornamental items is the stunning holly trees and shrubs. This variety of holly is an evergreen growing tree that attains an average height of 33-36 feet. They used to make the tea from dried leaves and shoots from a variety of different holly species that resulted in quite a unique blend of delicious tea. Foliage is dark deep green, with a creamy white margin around the outer edges. The leaves sport a dark green color and their shape ranges from oval to elliptical. Spring, a variegated type with irregular bands of yellow on the leaves. The flowers of this tree are heavily fragrant that bloom in the spring season and adopt a variety of shades like yellow, red and orange. Compared to other hollies, the Common Winterberry (Ilex verticillata) is not an evergreen variety. This variety of holly gets its name from its creator, Mrs. F. Leighton Meserve from New York. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Hedgehog holly can adapt to a partially shaded position, but variegated varieties like this do tend to perform better in full sun. Most of the Holly plants have separate male plants and female plants, and only the female plants will produce the berries. Carolina Holly (Ilex ambigua) Carolina holly is one of the deciduous species of holly. Its bark is generally smooth with some lenticels and often sports a dark gray to brown color. The berries should not be ingested and can cause stomach irritation if eaten. American holly is largely cultivated to be used as a broadleaf ornamental plant by most plant nurseries. A bush less than two feet from a house can threaten the foundation, given enough time. The upper side of these dark green leaves is glossy while the underside gives off a paler green shade that is not so glossy. Holly bushes grow to be quite large. The Ilex genus that includes hollies is a very broad one, ranging from cultivars like 'Helleri' that function as ground covers, to Ilex opaca, which can grow as high as 50 feet. All these unique and fascinating qualities of the holly tree eventually led the Druids to believe that the tree consisted of some magical and spiritual powers. Ultimately, they began to associate the tree with fertility and eternal life. Traditional English holly has a pale yellow stripe around the edges, while other varieties of the cultivar have different variegation in color. They grow to an average height of 15 feet a 10-foot spread. Christmas Tree Economics: Are Baby Boomers Killing the Christmas Tree Industry? There are 4 main types of ornamental hollies: Blue Holly - Ilex meserveae - these have the typical holly shaped leaves and are evergreen shrubs. The dark green spiny leaves have a glossy texture and keep their color throughout every season. You can also expect to find them growing with pines like shortleaf pine, loblolly, slash and several kinds of oak species. This is where the holly gets its botanical species name of Ilex vomitoria. Firstly, the berries produced by Finetooth holly are smaller and secondly, it is a semi-evergreen tree which means that it doesn’t shed all its leaves during the winter months. Chinese holly (I. cornuta) is one of the few types of holly shrubs that can actually produce berries without male pollination. Yaupon holly (Ilex Vomitoria) is a small evergreen shrub that is characterized by its red berries and green leaves that create a wonderful landscape. It grows in an upward clumping manner and typically reaches a height of 5-8 feet. It has dark green, ovate leaves with minor serrations around the edge. This species is also called ‘sky pencil’ which is one of its cultivars. The wood of the holly tree is tight-grained and extremely robust which it holds a great value since historic times in terms of its uses for furniture making. Email The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Their foliage varies, too, ranging from large, spiny leaves to smooth, small leaves that resemble boxwood. Ever looked closely at the beautiful decorations that are found almost everywhere during the festive Christmas season? Holly leaves are generally thick and tough, regardless of species. Japanese holly trees have quite a soft texture as compared to the Chinese varieties. Carissa hollies grow 3 to 4 feet tall and 4 to 6 feet wide. This showy holly plant takes the form of a large evergreen shrub, with a mature height of between 15 and 25 feet. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. 8 Types of Laurel Flowers (Care Guides & Photos), 8 Dwarf Shrubs For Small Gardens & Spaces, 7 Best Plants For Hedges (Pictures & Growing Information), Red Tip Photinia Plants - Our Best Tips to Grow and Care For Fraser's photinia. Ilex cornuta Carissa Holly. Also called by their scientific name “ilex opaca,” American Holly is native to south central and eastern United States and further west to southeastern Missouri and eastern Texas. It is also known as evergreen holly, Indian black drink, Christmas berry and Cassina. Related: Types of Germander | Types of Eucalyptus Trees | Types of Rhododendrons, 12 Different Types of Holly Bushes and Trees, Different Varieties of Holly Bushes and Trees. It is a deciduous plant, losing its leaves at the end of fall to reveal a skeleton of silver-gray branches. Specimen plants are usually tall and can stand alone as a focal plant. Blue holly gets its name from the bluish tint its dark green leaves have. Hollies are truly iconic plants that are often associated with symbols of hope and rebirth. Carolina holly grows to an average height of 15 to 20 feet and prefers growing under full sun to partially shaded conditions. It is different from many other types of hollies because it has smooth-edged, ovate, light-green leaves. They are commonly grown as ornamental plants given the bright red berries they produce that look stunning against the dark green leaves. Furthermore, holly bushes grow back even after all their branches are cut off. Related: Types of Myrtle | Types of Firethorns | Types of Dogwood | Types of Grevillea. This plant is an attractive specimen in its own right, but also serves the purpose of pollinating nearby female holly plants so that they can produce berries. The type species is the European holly Ilex aquifolium described by Linnaeus. Inkberry Holly (ilex glabra) is native to the coastal plain of eastern North America and is also found in the west of Louisiana. This plant flowers abundantly in spring with tiny white flowers that can develop to shiny bright red berries when pollinated. This species of the holly family can also be found growing along the coastal plain that extends from North Carolina to Texas. The tree is densely branched and has a beautiful symmetry to it. This shrub has a vigorous growth habit and will thrive in a wide range of soil types, though it prefers a well-draining and slightly acidic soil. Ilex aquifolium ‘Silver Queen’ Ilex aquifolium ‘Silver Queen’ is grown for its distinctive foliage – it has … Also known by its other common name ‘horned holly’ and scientific name Ilex cornuta, Chinese holly is an evergreen shrub that is native to Korea and China. Specimen holly. The incredible holly tree has also been found to contain numerous medical benefits and previously, the leaves of this tree was used to cure smallpox and catarrh. Tiny white flowers appear on this female holly bush in the spring, which will develop into bright red round berries in the fall if the blooms were pollinated by a male holly bush. The most striking feature of these trees is their brightly colored fruit that grows on purple stems and provides a breathtaking contrast against the dense, blue-green foliage throughout the entire winter season. These common shrubs grow to an average height of 30 to 40 feet and prefer full sun to partial shade for successful growth. Holly ( Ilex) is by far one of the most popular landscape plants used today. This narrow holly shrub has a pyramid shape that works well in containers or as a standalone specimen plant. The shrub has a spreading habit and will grow as wide as it is tall, making it ideal for use as a decorative hedge or border. Suggested plants to pair this with in order to encourage pollination and result in fruiting is male blue holly plants such as ‘blue prince’ and ‘blue stallion.’. Holly can be evergreen or deciduous and range greatly in size and shape. The leaves of this tree are quite rectangular in shape with three lobes sticking up that have spines on them. The berries are a food source for birds, but those which do not get eaten will persist through to winter, providing vibrant color to the winter garden. Both male and female holly plants will produce an abundance of greenish-white flowers in spring, but only those on a female holly that have been pollinated by a male will develop into showy berries. This is a deciduous species that grows really well sandy soils, which is primarily why it is often called by its other common name ‘sand holly’. This variety is a slow-growing broadleaf and evergreen shrub that is quite easy to grow and offers a striking color in the winter season. At a mature height of between six and ten feet, with a spread of between four and five feet, this shrub works well as hedging and offers year-round interest. They are dark green, with a glossy finish. The flowers produced by this plant are often greenish white in color and they are usually formed in clusters of white with prominent green centers. Low maintenance and drought tolerant. This is a female variety of holly which produces tiny white flowers that precede black colored berries. The Holly shrub, botanically known as Ilex, is a genus comprising of about 400 species. Holly tree. They grow almost 6-15 cm long and 2-4 cm wide. 4. The tree is typically used to create informal hedges and can also be used for screening purposes in swampy areas. They are scientifically known as “ilex cassine” and are naturally found in swampy areas. Scientific Name: Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea’. Due to its ability to cope with wet soil, it is one of the few holly plants which do not require well-draining soil. In spring, an abundance of creamy green small flowers appears, which will develop into bright red berries on female trees. The compact form is rounded to create a dense mound. This hybrid was both attractive and hardy. They tolerate hot temperatures but sustain winter damage in areas colder than USDA plant hardiness zone 6. The flowers of this tree are small and they sport a greenish white color. Trees.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The berries of this tree are a stunning bright and glossy red that adds great beauty to the entire winter landscape; however, these species are not used as commonly as the rest for Christmas holiday decorations. There are many types of holly shrubs: English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is one of the most common with its familiar glossy, dark-green spiky leaves and bright red berries used for Christmas displays. Holly trees are dioecious, meaning there are both male and female trees. and cvs. They are the standard type of evergreen hollies that are found in most garden centers and nurseries. The plants do best in a partial to full sun site. All four produce the shiny green leaves and red berries we associate with "Christmas holly." These leaves will transform into a purple-yellow color in fall, before turning entirely yellow and falling to the ground. This holly can adapt to almost any kind of soil and remains fully branched to the ground as it matures. It is a round type of shrub with glossy dark green leaves that are often spiny, and bright red berries that offer a great contrast against the lush green foliage. Holly plant is attractive and valuable for its bright leaves and colorful berries. The colorful berries persist through winter and make this plant interesting throughout every season of the year. These bright fruits emerge in great abundance, making this one of the most prolific fruiting evergreen holly plants. The name ‘Indian black drink’ in particular has resulted from the fact that the berries of this holly species were once used by Native Americans in one of their special ceremonial drinks. The cultivar Ilex aquifolium ‘Rubricaulis Aurea’ is an English holly with variegated leaves. It is often found growing in swamps or in the edges of the woods. Many shrubs will produce fruit that you can eat. The majority of these are dioecious, so they require both a male and female plant within pollination distance of each other in order for the female to produce fruits. It has won the Award of Garden Merit from the Royal Horticultural Society (Royal Horticultural Society). This evergreen holly has an upright habit and dense growth pattern and can take the form of a small tree or large shrub. Even in today’s time, the holly tree is considered to be sacred and Christians strongly believe that the tree is symbolic of Jesus Christ. People also used to extract the juice out of fresh holly leaves as a treatment for extreme jaundice. The branches are densely packed together and adorned with tiny leather-like leaves, which are bright medium green in color. 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