Ilex cornuta, commonly called Chinese holly, is native to China and Korea. It has naturalized from garden plantings in North Carolina and Alabama. It is a broadleaf evergreen that typically grows as a shrub to 8-10’ tall, but may be trained as a small tree to as much as 25’ tall. Unusually shaped rectangular leaves (to 4” long) have three large spines at the apex. Dull white flowers appear in May. Flowers are fragrant but generally inconspicuous. Pollinated flowers give way to berry-like red drupes (1/3” long) which ripen in fall and persist into winter. Birds are attracted to the fruit. Genus name comes from the Latin name Quercus ilex for holm oak in reference to the foliage similarities (holm oak and many of the shrubs in the genus Ilex have evergreen leaves). Specific epithet means horn or horn-shaped. 'Burfordii', commonly called Burford holly, grows to 15' tall. It has revolute leaves with only one apical spine. It is noted for heavy fruit set. Ilex cornuta 'Dwarf Burford' (aka 'Burfordii Nana') is very similar to 'Burfordii', except it grows much shorter (to only 6-8' tall), has smaller leaves (to 2" long) and sports darker foliage color.
