Japanese holly plants (Ilex crenata) grow into dense, rounded bushes between 3 and 10 feet tall and wide, with lustrous leaves and a compact habit. Some grow slow and some relatively fast, so pick your cultivar carefully. The shrubs offer small greenish-white flowers in springtime but they are neither fragrant nor showy. The blossoms turn into black berries over summer. These holly shrubs resemble boxwood plants and, like boxwood, make excellent hedges. You can also use small-leafed holly species like Japanese holly as foundation shrubs. Cultivars offer different colors and shapes, so choose something that pleases you and suits your garden.
Japanese Holly Care
Ilex Crenata
Other names: Box-leaved Holly
What is the plant
It's invasive in Lower Hudson Valley.
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Lighting
Full Sun
Hardiness zone
5b - 8b
Difficulty
Easy
How to Care for the Plant
Water
Depending on rainfall, new plants need to be watered weekly through the first growing season. A slow, one-hour trickle of water should do the job. During hot spells thoroughly soaking the ground up to 8” (20 cm) every few days is better than watering a little bit daily. Deep watering encourages roots to grow further into the ground resulting in a sturdier plant with more drought tolerance.
Pruning
Pruning may be needed to remove dead branches, encourage bushier growth, promote more flowers, or maintain a specific size or shape.Dead branches should be removed close to the trunk, flush with the bark. When pruning to control a plant's size or shape, cuts should be made just above a leaf bud and at a slight angle. This bud will be where the new growth sprouts.
Fertilizer
Established trees should be fertilized every 2-3 years. Feed in early spring when plants start growing.Fertilizers are available in many forms: granulated, slow-release, liquid feeds, organic or synthetic. Determine which application method is best for the situation and select a product designed for trees and shrubs, or go with a nutritionally balanced, general-purpose formula such as 10-10-10.
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Sunlight
Plant in any sunny location in the garden.
Soil
Fertile, humus-rich, well-drained soil.
Temperature
Lowest Temperature:-20° to -10°F (-29° to -23°C)
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Popularity
1,922 people already have this plant 99 people have added this plant to their wishlists
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