There is a wide variety of holly available, but some are better than others. Here are the best of this group of excellent evergreen shrubs and trees.
Dwarf yaupon holly has small, soft, spineless leaves. No berries. Grows up to 3 meters high. Can be kept more compact with scissors. Good substitute for boxwood.
Dwarf Chinese holly has 3-inch leaves with multiple sharp spines. Generally no fruit. Grows to about 3 feet tall. Good pedestrian and animal barricades. Do not use when gardening barefoot.
‘Carissa’ holly has 3 inch flattened leaves with individual spines on the ends. Has a shrub shape similar to Indian hawthorn. Generally no berries. Grows up to 3 meters high.
Dwarf Burford Holly has dark green leaves with a single thorn. Big red berries in winter. Grows to about 2 feet tall. A very reliable and long-lived shrub. Is a dwarf form of the common Burford holly that is also good, but larger.
Willowleaf holly is also known as needle holly. Similar in size to the standard Burford holly, but with flatter leaf blades. A reliable producer of large red berries.
The leaves of the ‘East Palatka’ holly have only one soft thorn at the end. Has small white flowers in spring and red berries in winter. Has a smooth, light-colored rind. Requires good drainage and healthy soil. Has an open, graceful tree shape. Grows to 15 to 30 feet tall.
Weeping Yaupon Holly grows 10 to 15 feet tall. Has small leaves like a normal yaupon holly and a very heavy texture due to the weeping growth. Has small bright red berries in winter.
‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly is perhaps the best holly for privacy. Has dark green leaves and large red berries in winter. Each leaf has several spines, but they are not particularly prickly. Grows to 15 to 20 feet tall. A bit overused because of its hardness.
Possumhaw holly only grows medium-sized orange or red berries on its female plants.(Howard Garrett / special article)
Yaupon holly is a large, multi-stemmed shrub that can be made into an ornamental tree. Grows to 15 to 20 feet tall. Its female plants bear many small red berries. Has no spines on leaves and smooth gray stems.
Possumhaw holly has deciduous leaves that are similar to the normal yaupon. The growth is similar to that of tree-shaped crepe myrtle, 12 to 15 feet tall. Medium-sized orange or red berries are only found on female plants. The “Warren’s Red” variety has larger, redder fruits.
Lusterleaf Holly has large evergreen leaves 4 to 8 inches in length. Has an erect growth habit of 20 to 25 feet. Small yellow flowers are followed by brick-red berries on female plants.
‘Host L. Winn’ Holly is an excellent variety with a dense structure and excellent foliage color. Has nice large leaves and berries. Excellent for cut flower arrangements. Should be used more often.
‘Savannah’ holly is an upright holly tree that grows up to 25 feet tall, with a spectacular show of red berries in winter and small white flowers in spring. Has several soft spines on each leaf. Like most holly, it grows significantly better under an organic program.
For more information on my plant recommendations, see my Texas Trees book.
[ad_1]
