Holly Plants

Everyone gears up to get into the holiday mood as Christmas approaches. The snow-white background of the atmosphere is splashed with a little bit of green and red. Yes, you guessed it - the green leaves and red berries of the holly plants. Hollies are a symbol of Christmas and all that is merry.

Facts

These plants belong to the plant family Ilex. The Ilex plant family consists of over 200 varieties of English hollies, 120 Oriental holly species and 20 American species. There are different varieties of these plants like deciduous and evergreen shrubs and bushes as well as trees. They are known by different names such as: Winterberry, Inkberry and Yaupon.

The holly plant size varies from 18 inches to 50 feet tall. There are diverse foliage colors that include green, blue, variegated, smooth and spiny edge forms. The shape of the tree or shrub can be round, columnar, pyramidal and even weeping form. They are dioecious plant species, that means, the male and female trees are separate. You can distinguish between a male holly plant from a female holly with the presence of berries. Only the female plants produce berries. The berries are not only red in color, but can be found in orange, black and white colors too.

Care

The most common species grown in America is the American holly that is mostly associated with the Christmas festivities. If you are trying your luck with the gardening endeavor and planting a holly tree, then you need some tips. The following tips will help you grow a healthy and bright holly plant right in your garden.

As mentioned earlier, these plants are dioecious and therefore, you need to plant both male and female species. If you do not plant them close together, you will end up with a holly plant, sans the berries. Berries are what makes this plant attractive. Therefore, make sure you get home both varieties from the nursery. You need to plant the hollies at a distance of about 50 feet from each other. Statistically and botanically speaking, one male plant will be sufficient for five female varieties in the vicinity. Pollination will be carried out by wind, bees and other insects.

They need a well-drained and fertile soil that is slightly acidic in nature. You need to plant them in a location that receives good sunlight. Begin planting the holly leaves in early spring before the new growth begins. The hole dug to plant it should be about 2 to 3 times as wide as the root ball. Gently remove the plant from the container or nursery bag. Then, carefully place it in the hole and fill it up with soil. Water it well and allow the water to drain. Fill the remaining hole with water and soil.

Once you finish planting the hollies, lay a layer of compost under each tree. This step should be carried out every spring. Then mulch the plant with a 2 to 4 inch layer of pine needles, saw dust, wood chips, etc. This will keep the root system moist and cool. They should be watered about 1 inch per week, especially, if the rainfall is short. Pruning hollies is not always required. If you wish you can prune them in spring to initiate berry production. Try to prune them in winter, as this is the time they hibernate. Fertilize the plant every spring or late autumn. You need to feed them with a fertilizer that is specially formulated for acid loving evergreen trees. When bees and other insects are successful in pollinating the female flowers, you will soon observe the red berries. This will surely make your garden look bright and cheerful.

They prove to be great landscaping plants as they increase the aesthetic value of your garden. They are sheared to form hedge plants. You need to take good care to avoid any infestation or plant diseases. Enjoy this festive season, planting cheerful hollies in your yard.