Ilex aquifolium – Holly

Holly, Ilex aquifolium produces a solid, prickly impenetrable hedge with glossy, dark green foliage with red berries providing food for wildlife in winter. A dark green Holly hedge will make an attractive backdrop for decorative plants within the garden. Holly hedges can be trimmed into fantastic formal shapes and can be cut back hard and still regenerate from old wood. Although Holly is slower growing than other popular hedging species, it can still establish as a hedge in a reasonable timescale. It’s a great solution for a solid evergreen security hedge, requiring low maintenance.

Cultivation
Easy to grow in a well-drained soil in a sunny position

Propagation
Propagate by semi-hardwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types
Banks and Slopes Hedging & Screens Coastal Cottage & Informal Garden

Family
Aquifoliaceae

Genus
Ilex aquifolium can be deciduous or evergreen shrubs and trees with often spiny leaves, small white flowers (male and female usually on separate plants) and, on female plants, showy berries in autumn

Further Information
Ilex aquifolium is an open, evergreen shrub growing to 6m tall. Its small, oval leaves have a puckered upper surface and short, sharp spines cover the entire leaf