Dormant buds in these newly exposed areas will sprout and cause the tree to fill in. Shearing is the easy way for the gardener, but if your holly could pick, it would ask for the hand pruners instead.
When you use these to cut branches one at a time, you not only can make all cuts near the branch junctions avoiding dead stubs , but you can control the direction of each branch depending on which branches or buds you remove. In your case, eliminate all the upright branches and buds while cutting just out from buds or branches that are pointing outward. That way all the new growth will head out instead of up. If that outward growth is making the tree too fat, you can then do a light shortening trim of those in late spring or early summer.
Now for the berries. Really poor or out-of-whack soil nutrition also could be a factor, although fertilizer is an overrated reason for a lot of plant ills. And once again, if this tree is in a fairly shaded setting, lack of sunlight can also hinder fruit production. One factor you can't do anything about is genetics. The straight species of most plants tends not to produce as much fruit as more recently introduced varieties — mainly because one thing breeders look for in a new holly variety is improved fruiting.
So if this is a plain, ordinary Ilex opaca or a transplanted wild one or even an older variety that was bought in a nursery, its genes are going to allow only a certain level of fruiting no matter what you do. All holly berries are at least somewhat toxic if eaten, so consider this if planting them in a spot accessible to small children. Many hollies provide wildlife forage but are poisonous when consumed by humans.
The berries contain a caffeine-like alkaloid, and swallowing them can cause vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and drowsiness. Children can develop symptoms after swallowing as few as two holly berries. These are generally not deadly plants, but holly is regarded as mildly or moderately toxic; health professionals may choose to induce vomiting if a substantial number of berries have been eaten. Here are 18 of the most common types of holly plants. American holly is often used as a substitute for English holly Ilex aquifolium in Christmas decorations where the latter does not grow well.
They are similar in appearance with spiny-toothed leaves and an abundance of red berries. This plant has a number of other common names, including hummock holly, dune holly, and scrub holly. In , American holly was named as the state tree of Delaware. If you only have room for one American holly tree, look for the 'Croonenburg' variety. It is able to pollinate itself because it has male and female flowers on the same plant. If you prefer yellow fruit, choose the 'Canary' variety.
There is also a female version with yellow fruit, labeled I. Carolina holly is one of the deciduous species of holly. It can grow well in sandy soils, leading to another of the plant's common names— sand holly. Bright red fruits are produced in the fall, though they tend to fall off easily, which makes them less visually interesting in the winter. Other common names for Carolina holly include possum holly and ambiguous winterberry. The catberry used to be known as Nemopanthus mucronatus, but it is now classified as part of the Ilex genus.
This shrub likes areas that are moist. Like the long-stalked holly, the red fruit is found at the end of long stems called peduncles. The fruit is a source of food for migratory birds. This plant is also known by alternative common names: mountain holly. Chinese holly, also known as horned holly , is an evergreen shrub or small tree that can be planted as part of a drought-tolerant landscape.
The name horned holly comes from the shape of the leaves. On the species plant, three of the spiny lobes stick up and look like horns. This is an excellent choice for a pruned privacy hedge. The common winterberry shrub will provide a vibrant pop of color in your winter landscape, thanks to the abundance of scarlet berries. This species does well in wet areas and its native habitats are places like bogs or swamps. It may produce suckers and spread through your yard.
There are many common names by which I. If you have a location that tends to be a bit wetter than most plants like, consider hunting down a dahoon holly , also known as cassena. These small trees are naturally found in swampy areas.
It has three varieties: Ilex cassine var. Some botanists also consider the myrtle-leaved holly to be a variety of this species. When someone mentions holly, especially in conjunction with Christmas, they often mean English holly. Its familiar shape is the one used to adorn Christmas decorations and inspire songs. This widespread plant has several common names, including Christmas holly, common holly, Oregon holly , and European holly. The blue hollies or Meserve hollies Ilex x meserveae resulted from crossing this species with Tsuru holly Ilex rugosa.
This is another of the deciduous holly species, and it handles cold better than some of the other species. Finetooth holly may also be known as Japanese winterberry or deciduous holly. If you prefer a cultivar with yellow fruit instead of the more common red ones, choose I.
A cultivar named ' Sparkleberry ' with bright red berries is the result of a cross between this species and the common winterberry Ilex verticillata. Like the inkberry, the fruit on this species is purple-black. The happy face spider plant Theridion grallator likes to live on this plant.
Most cultivars of the inkberry produce black fruit on the female plants, though 'Ivory Queen' and 'Leucocarpa' have white fruit. The leaves on this species do not have spines. This plant can become invasive if you do not prune away the suckers. Among other common names used for this plant: evergreen winterberry, inkberry holly , gallberry , and bitter gallberry. The alternative common name box-leaved holly is sometimes used for Japanese holly because the leaves look like those of boxwood shrubs.
So this final number represents the tree's approximate age in years. She enjoys sharing best practices on a host of gardening topics, including container gardening, organic gardening, water gardening, composting and gluten-free recipes from the garden. By Kathryn Jones. Related Articles. How to Grow a Jamaican Allspice Tree. Avoid using the tree borer method to measure a holly tree's age.
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