Holly - Iex aquifolium

Discounts

Holly – Ilex aquifolium – is an iconic native evergreen tree or shrub, best known for its glossy, spiny dark green leaves, small white spring flowers, and bright red winter berries. It is excellent for wildlife: the flowers provide nectar for pollinators, the berries are a vital winter food for birds such as thrushes, redwings and fieldfares, and its dense evergreen foliage offers year-round shelter for nesting, roosting and hibernating. It is also a food plant for the caterpillars of the holly blue butterfly. Commonly used in hedgerows, it also makes a handsome standalone tree. Holly plants are either male or female, and only females produce berries, which need a male plant nearby for pollination.

All our trees are grown using organic inputs and are peat free.

Growing Instructions:

• Soil: Adaptable to most soils, from clay to sandy, preferring moist but well-drained ground. Tolerates both acidic and alkaline soils but dislikes waterlogging.
• Sunlight: Thrives in full sun to deep shade, making it one of the most shade-tolerant native trees. Berrying is best in sunnier spots.
• Watering: Water regularly when young, especially during dry spells. Once established, plants are hardy and fairly drought-tolerant.
• Planting: Remove competing plants within a 2ft radius. Plant in a hole just larger than the plug and at the same depth as the surrounding soil. Firm gently around the roots and water well. Apply a 3-inch layer of weed-free mulch (ideally bark chip). Keep weed-free in the first few seasons and protect from browsing animals (e.g., rabbits, deer).
• Growth Rate: Slow-growing; typically reaches 10–15m as a tree, but easily managed as a dense hedge. Can live up to 300 years.
  

The sex of each plant can’t be known until it flowers, so customers wanting berries should plant several.

Berries are poisonous to people and pets