Ilex sp.
holly
Available in both evergreen and deciduoud species, holly is
grown for its toothed glossy green leaves and its showy berries,
which are red in most popular varieties, but can also be a showy
yellow. Holly can range from under one foot to over 80, and is
found in both temperate and tropical regions. Both male and
female plants are needed for fruiting.
Sources for information |
Species suitable for bonsai |
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Lighting:
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Can tolerate both sun and shade, although semi-shade
is preferable in midsummer. Increased light tends to produce
dense foliage.
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Temperature:
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In general, evergreen varieties are hardy to zone 7,
deciduous varieties to zone 5. Most varieties will require some
frost protection, and all varieties should be sheltered from strong
or cold winds.
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Watering:
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Needs a fair amount of water, especially before fruit
production. Holly can be badly damaged by draught. Reduce watering
in winter. Likes misting, unless it is in full sun.
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Feeding:
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Every two weeks during growth, using half strength
liquid plant food, or bonsai food.
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Repotting:
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Every 1-2 years in early spring. Use basic bonsai
soil.
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Styling:
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Cut back new shoots to the one or two nodes closest to
the trunk. Branches can be very brittle, so shaping is best
done by pruning rather than wiring. If wiring must be done, it is
best to wire in spring-summer, taking care to protect the bark.
Leaf pruning to reduce leaf size is possible. Suitable for all sizes
and styles, although the evergreen varieties do not take as well to
broom style. Ilex asprella has a tendency towards horizontal
growth which must be compensated for; Ilex vomitoria, on the
other hand, has a strong inclination to grow upwards.
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Propagation:
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Seed, cuttings, and air-layering are all possible
for deciduous varieties. Evergren varieties are best propigated
through cuttings. Germination from seed requires cold pre-
treatment, and seed can take up to three years before sprouting.
Cuttings taken from wood grown in the current year root more
easily. Ilex vomitoria nana may be found growing in the wild
and may be collected in early Spring.
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Pests etc.:
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Caterpillars, leaf-miners, leaf spot. The plant
can also be weakened by too much fruit production, so it is wise
to limit the amount of fruit on the tree.
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Some species suitable for
bonsai:
- Ilex aquifolium: common holly, English holly, European holly -
Commonly marketed for Christmas decorations, this holly is
evergreen, and well-loved for its bright red fruits and glossy,
spiny leaves. It can grow to 50 ft. in the wild. Hardy
in zones 7-9.
- Ilex asprella - a deciduous holly native to Taiwan. It has
black bark with tiny white spots, and black, egg-shaped fruit.
The ideal temperature range is between 59-64F.
- Ilex attenuata: Foster's holly
- Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda': dwarf Chinese holly - a Chinese native,
now popular as a hedge plant in the U.S., this Ilex grows to
12 ft. It bears red fruit, and has dark, somewhat
rectangular leaves with three spines at the tip. Female
plants can bear fruit without males. Hardy in Zone 7.
- Ilex cassine: Dahoon holly - A low, shrubby tree with rough grey
bark and silky shoots, the Dahoon holly is native to swampy
land in the American south.
- Ilex crenata: Japanese holly, box-leafed holly - an evergreen
shrub that gets its name from its leaves, which cause
it to be sometimes mistaken for box. The species can
reach 15 ft., and thrives in zones 6-9, although cvs. may
differ.
- Ilex crenata 'Convexa': Japanese holly - has noticibly convex,
dark green leaves.
- Ilex crenata 'Mariesii': Japanese holly, dwarf Japanese holly, dwarf
box-leaved holly
- Ilex crenata 'Stokes': Japanese holly - a dwarf form.
- Ilex decidua: possumhaw - native to the Southeastern U.S.,
this plant, with its 1-3 inch lustrous green leaves and
bright orange-red fruit, may grow from 10-20 ft. It is
hardy in zones 5-9.
- Ilex dimorphophylla: Korean holly, Okinawan holly
- Ilex glabra: inkberry, winterberry - This evergreen has tiny
black berries and 1-2 inch leaves that are wide at the
tip and nearly spineless. It grows to 8 ft. in a dense,
upright habit. It grows in zones 5-9 and is very
tolerant of a wide range of light and moisture
conditions.
- Ilex x meserveae: blue holly, Meserve holly - An evergreen with
shiny dark bluish-green leaves on purple stems. The
leaves are edged with coarse tears, and the female plant
bears brilliant red berries.
- Ilex opaca: American holly - Grows to 50 ft. with 3 inch, dull
green leaves. The fruits may be red, oragne or yellow.
Hardy in zones 6-9.
- Ilex pernyi: Perny holly - A red-fruited evergreen, with yellow
flowers. Hardy to zone 6.
- Ilex serrata: Japanese winterberry, ume-modoki - Hardy to zone 5,
this deciduous holly has red fruit and laveneer to white
flowers.
- Ilex serrata 'Leucocarpa: white-beried Japanese deciduous holly
- Ilex serrara'Ohwi' (Koshobai)
- Ilex serrata sieboldii: deciduous holly - produces a large
quantity of red to coral colored fruit.
- Ilex serrata 'Sparkleberry'
- Ilex serrata 'Subtilis' ('Koshobai'): Japanese deciduous holly -
a very small form, suitable for only the smallest sizes.
- Ilex serrata: finetooth holly
- Ilex verticillata: black alder, winterberry - This 8 ft. shrub
has red-orange berries that last well into winter. The
dull green, spineless leaves turn yellowish in fall.
- Ilex verticillata 'Red Sprite'
- Ilex vomitoria: Yaupon holly - An evergreen shrub that grows to
18ft. Gray-green oval to egg -shaped leaves contrast with
its grayish bark, and it bears small, showy red or yellow fruit.
Tolerates a wide range of light and moisture conditions. Hardy
in zones 7-10. Native Americans drank a tea made from
the dried leaves of this plant; however, if tea is made
from fresh leaves it induces severe gastric distress,
hence the botanical name!
- Ilex vomitoria nana: dwarf Yaupon holly
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Related posts on Ilex:
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comment
Carol Collin
cec@redshift.com
July 02, 1997
Am working on a college term paper about holly (specifically American holly) and plant propagation. Am also interested in economic uses of holly, seasonal or otherwise. I'd appreciate any inofrmation or sources you may have. Thanks a lot.
Carol Collin
cec@redshift.com
July 02, 1997
Am working on a college term paper about holly (specifically American holly) and plant propagation. Am also interested in economic uses of holly, seasonal or otherwise. I'd appreciate any inofrmation or sources you may have. Thanks a lot.
Matt holcomb
lomatt@snet.net
May 05, 1997
I have a male holly bush that is in need of a good trimming. My fear is that
I will end up killing it. How do I trim so that I won't kill it.
=================================================================
Date: Tue, 1 Oct 1996 18:37:46 -0400
From: Michael Persiano
Ilex can vary by zones in its hardiness. I have been wintering Ilex crenata
'Helleri' using my preferred storage method for many years. I must say that
a bonsai's ability to withstand extremely low termperature is directly
related to the health of the bonsai--the spring, summer, and fall feeding
program. I have not had any adverse results.
My advice is that you winter the Ilex outside under protection (white
co-poly) until the temperatures drop below 30-degrees Fahrenheit. At that
time, transfer the bonsai to a cold garage. While it is outside, heap cedar
mulch around the pot and over the root pad to provide insulation from frost.
For the next month and a half, prior to storage, give the Ilex a 10-60-10
fertilizer every 10-14 days to fuel the cold hardiness acquisition cycle.
I believe that this specimen can withstand extreme cold if it is placed on an
aggressive Superfeeding program--high-nitrogen feedings (chemical and
organic) in the spring and summer, and then high-phosphoric acid feedings in
the fall (10-60-10).
I have one question: is your cultivar commonly found as a landscape planting
in Ontario? (I have always been impressed with the Canadian gardens during
visits with my wife to see family.) How did you acquire this cultivar?
Cordially,
Michael Persiano
=================================================================
From: mpkdon@aol.com (MPKDON)
Date: 2 Oct 1996 14:05:59 -0400
I have an Ilex crenata 'Mariesii' in my garden for 20 years. It is 4 feet
wide and 12 feet high. It is composed of many branches from the ground
and each branch if air layered a foot from the tip would make a
wonderfull bonsai.
This variety is not usually available in nurseries for whaatever reason I
don't know. It is easy to grow and has relatively few pests. The only pest
I have ever seen was some scale which is easy to clean up with a dormant
oil spray. I have never thought of it as a bonsai before, but will grow
some next year.\
Ilex crenata as a group are all very hardy.
While speaking of holly, I have never seen a discussion on deciduous holly
by the group. There are several nice cultivars. My favorites are Ilex
verticilata 'Red Sprite which has large berries but is a dwarf plant, Ilex
serrata 'Sparkleberry' which has lots of orange berries and Ilex serrara
'Ohwi' (Koshobai) which has zillions of orange-red berries the size of a
pinhead and is hard to find.
Don Herzog
=================================================================
From: ken1d@iline.com
Date: 3 Oct 1996 11:25:14 EDT
Read the draft on Ilex TOW. I noticed that you had left off the Ilex
cassine (Dahoon holly). This is a native Florida tree, evergreen,
growing to a height of about 40 feet. The tree is very similar in
general appearence to the Yaupon holly, also a Florida native.
This material may by used in the FAQ.
Ken Devos
Ft. Myers Beach, FL
ken1d@iline.com
=================================================================
From: TomZ50925@aol.com
Date: Fri, 19 Jul 1996 09:46:36 -0400
Yaupon Holly
General Information: The botanical name for this particular specie of holly
is Ilex vomitoria nana or Dwarf Yaupon Holly. It is one of eleven hollies
native to Florida. It usually grows as a shrub but occasionally may be found
as a tree. Its foliage consists of dark green evergreen oval to egg-shaped
leaves. Female varieties of this holly bear fruit in the fall which is red
and are only about 1/4" in diameter.
Sources: Ilex vomitoria nana is available from nurseries and garden centers.
It is often confused with a couple of close relatives. One is Ilex Shillings
which does not grow native but has adapted well to the SE USA. The other is
Ilex myrtifolia or myrtle-leaved holly. Ilex vomitoria nana may also be found
growing in the wild and may be collected in early Spring. They may be grown
from seed or from soft wood cuttings.
Care: This ilex is extremely easy to care for. It will grow in full shade to
full sun, but the more light it has the more dense its foliage will be. It is
cold hardy for temperatures experienced in Central Florida. It is not
particular about the type of soil it has, but it does not like to remain dry
for a very long period of time. Its new growth shows a strong tendency to
upwards growth and must either be wired horizontal or pruned to retain shape.
When pruned it will burst forth profusely with new thick growth throughout
the growing season. It should be given half strength liquid fertilizer every
two or three weeks. It prefers an evenly balanced (20 20-20) fertilizer but
is not too choosy. The only pest which seems to attack the Ilex vomitoria
nana is the leaf miner. It is a very small creature which literally mines the
interior of leaves, leaving a black trail where it has eaten the nutrients.
Infestations can be prevented with a preventive spray of a systemic
insecticide. (A systemic insecticide is one which enters the system of the
plant and remains active there for an extended period of time, killing any
sucking type of insect.) If a leaf becomes infected with a leaf miner, it
will never repair itself and should be removed.
Interesting facts: The portion of the name of the plant, "Vomitoria", is a
rather unsavory name given to a very nice and useful plant. The early
settlers in the SE USA learned from the indians that the leaves of this plant
could be used to make tea. The indians used the leaves to prepare their
ceremonial black drink by drying the leaves until they are black and crumbly,
then steeping in hot water. However, if the leaves are used without going
through the drying process they produced a memorable reaction on the human
digestive system. Hence the addition of "vomitoria" to its name. "Nana" is a
common horticultural suffix meaning, "dwarf".
Bibliography:
"Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria)" by John Woodham, Florida Bonsai, XIV, 2:14-15.
"Aquifoliaceae" by Jeff Ketts, Florida Bonsai, XXI, 4:11-12.
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Information Sources:
Information on Ilex is taken from Lesniewicz's "Bonsai in Your
Home,"
Murata's "Four Seasons of Bonsai," Resnick's "Bonsai," the Samson's
"Creative Art of Bonsai," and Tomlinson's "Complete Book of Bonsai,"
with additional information from posts by Michael Persiano, Don Herzog
and Ken Devos, with species information from Mitchell's "American
Nature Guides: Trees," and Thomas (ed.) "The Hearst Garden Guide to
Trees and Shrubs."
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