English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is the Holly plant species commonly associated with Christmas. With its iconic shape, deep green and thorny leaves, and small red berries, it often features in festive wreaths, decorations and bouquets.Also sometimes referred to as Christmas Holly or Common Holly, this slow-growing, ornamental, densely-branched evergreen tree can easily grow up to ten meters. It can also be trained to grow as a tall shrub.Holly berries ripen in fall and remain on the branches throughout winter. They make an excellent food source for wildlife during this period. You're likely to see lots of birds congregating around your holly bush in the colder months.Their attractive evergreen nature makes them an excellent choice for winter landscaping, either individually or to develop a hedgerow.
English Holly Care
Ilex Aquifolium
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Humidity
Normal
Lighting
Full Sun
Temperature
min 12°C
Hardiness zone
5 - 8
Difficulty
Medium
Hibernation
Cold Period
Toxicity
Poisonous
Invasive
Weed
How to Care for the Plant
Water
English Holly is a fairly drought-tolerant shrub. It will, however, prefer moist but not waterlogged conditions in the warmer months, and should be kept drier when the colder temperatures hit.
Pruning
Holly bushes can cope with extreme pruning. Just be aware that after a hard cut back the bush will look very bare, and it can take a couple of years for decent growth to reappear.In general annual pruning can be done to tidy up hedgerows, prevent it encroaching on other shrubs and to create topiary shapes.
Fertilizer
Offering your English Holly an annual feed in the spring can promote good new growth. It does well with a variety designed for plants that like acidic conditions.
Sunlight
This shrub prefers a full sun or partial shade position for best growth, but it can still grow in full shade. This is why it can even sometimes be found in dense woodland environments.
Soil
English Holly isn't terribly particular when it comes to the type of soil it will grow in. Providing it's well-drained, it will manage in heavy clay and infertile ground.
Temperature
Providing you live in a location that isn't subject to extremes of temperature, your English Holly should do well.Hard frosts can kill off entire healthy branches, and too much heat can cause leaf drop and scorching.
Container
English Holly will generally be too large for containers at full, mature size. But, because it's slow-growing, a young shrub can be contained in a suitably sized container for several years before needing transplanting to the ground.
Additional
The berries of this plant are toxic. They can be particularly problematic if consumed by children or pets. Even just a few berries can result in mild symptoms being exhibited.
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