Hollies have been used in decoration
and for landscape applications for over 2000 years. There are 20
species of American Holly. There are about 128 species of Asian
Holly and 200 species of English Holly. With such variety, it's
easy to find a holly which fits your taste and your environment.
Hollies make a distinct statement
in the household outdoor plant environment. They look great trimmed
low and spreading as a foundation plant. In the winter landscape,
the evergreen varieties show up against the bleak surroundings.
The curly, colorful, sometimes variegated foliage is intriguing.
Some holly varieties grow into tall
trees while others grow not much taller than a dwarf fruit tree.
Since holly foliage is bunched and tightly knit, the holly can be
trained into a hedge. The holly serves as a formidable barrier as
a hedge. Unlike a solid fence, the holly hedge does not present
the imposing and lifeless impression of a wood or masonry wall.
Hollies flower but the flowers are
small and hardly sensational. Small, greenish-white flowers bloom
in warm weather but only upon the female plant. Instead of bright
and sensational flowers, the holly produces berries: red ones, yellow
ones, or orange ones.
In order to get those bright red berries
which look so great in a Christmas wreath, the gardener needs both
male and female plants. Cross-pollination is necessary for berry
production. The gender of the American holly is difficult to determine
until it blooms and produces berries. Indeed, some years may pass
before the plant shows gender characteristics.
There is good reason hollies are associated
with Christmas decoration in cold and snowy climates. In many parts
of the world where winters are cold and snowy, the soils are inhospitable.
The deciduous varieties are hardy to 30 degrees below zero; the
evergreen varieties can tolerate temperatures to 15 degrees below
zero. Though hollies prefer an acid soil, they will easily adapt
to less than ideal conditions.
Gardeners and landscapers are often
unaware of the deciduous varieties of holly. The reason for this
might be that the deciduous varieties are often referred to by other
names. Deciduous hollies are common in the northeast of the U.S.
where it is called "winterberry". Woodsmen and farmers
may be more familiar with these varieties than gardeners are. Winterberry
is found mostly in the woods, rarely in the backyard garden. The
berries are typically orange in color, rather than red. But winterberry
is in the Ilex family, along with its evergreen counterparts.
Smaller hollies are not unusually
expensive in garden shops but the cost can get high if the gardener
wishes to purchase a large lot of them to train into a hedge. Propagating
them from seed is an option but it's not a very good one. Growing
holly from seed takes a great deal of time. The holly seed is protected
by a coating which temporarily prevents propagation. This coating
of enzyme and pulp allows the seed to survive the cold winter and
begin its growth in spring when the weather warms. For those with
a great deal of patience, however, the pulp can be stripped from
the seed, washed in cold water, and grown indoors.
A more practical method of propagating
holly is through cuttings. One year old cuttings from healthy holly
bushes will be the best option for propagation. New growth is green
and not yet established. Older holly wood has lost some of the enzymes
needed for the plant to thrive.
To propagate from cuttings, dip the
cuttings in a rooting enzyme. Place the cuttings in a plant bed
of sterilized potting soil mixed with sand and vermiculite. Keep
the soil moist while the plants are establishing roots. In an orange
crate, one can easily propagate ten to thirty new plants for a planned
hedge.
Thank-you
Cynthia
Thank you,
Scott