Common Holly

Common Holly Care

Ilex

What is the plant

Everyone is familiar with our common holly, Ilex aquifolium, with its glossy evergreen leaves and red berries. But there are lots of other varieties to grow, some with attractive foliage and berries that range in colour from orange to purple.Hollies are generally male or female, so check before you buy. If you want berries on a female plant, you will need to plant a male nearby. Some cultivar names can be confusing: for example, Ilex aquifolium ‘Golden Queen’ is male, while Ilex x altaclerensis ‘Golden King’ is female.

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Humidity

Normal

Lighting

Full Sun

Temperature

min -20°C

Hardiness zone

7 - 9

Difficulty

Medium

Invasive

Weed

How to Care for the Plant

Water
Make sure that your newly planted holly bush is watered daily for the first week, twice a week for a month after that and, if planting in spring, once a week for the remained of summer
Pruning
Fertilize your holly bushes once a year with a balanced fertilizer.
Fertilizer
Fertilize your holly bushes once a year with a balanced fertilizer.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
That being said, most hollies are very tolerant of less than ideal locations and will grow well in part shade or dry or swampy soil.
Soil
The best location for planting holly bushes is in well-drained but not dry, slightly acidic soil in full sun.
Temperature
The relatively low temperatures combined with higher rainfall will make settling into the new location much less stressful for the holly bush.