Feature Article - for release the week of November 26, 2006

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

  Hollies for the Holidays

 

Did you survive Turkey Day and brave Black Friday last week?  The Christmas holiday season is now upon us, bringing with it a lot of beautiful plants that are associated with the holidays.  Seasonal decorations often start with the Christmas tree. I’ve written several articles about how to selection and care for your Christmas tree, which you may request from our office. 

Needle-bearing trees are not the only tree that comes to mind at Christmas time.  I’m reminded of another tree from the traditional Christmas carols, "Deck the Halls" and the "Holly and the Ivy".  Hollies are often used as a cut green in traditional Christmas decorations. The trees may be given as a gift to spread cheer to family and friends.

Hollies are among the most common landscape plants in the United States.  There are sixteen holly species native to North America, but over 500 cultivars grown in the United States.

Most hollies are evergreen but a few types grown in Florida drop their leaves.  Hollies range from large upright trees to dwarf spreading shrubs.  This diversity in size and form within the genus Ilex offers great variety for planting in Florida Yards.  Certain species do well as hedges, while others are best used as accent plants.  Dwarf species are ideal for foundation plantings.

Hollies are dioecious plants: the male and female flowers are located on separate plants.  Female plants produce the berries, while male plants do not.  Berries are an attractive feature of many hollies so many of the cultivars available are cuttings from female plants.  Most dwarf cultivars do not produce berries.  A male plant must be in the vicinity (1 1/2 to 2 miles) to pollinate the female holly.

Happy Places for Holly Trees

Hollies prefer partial shade, but most will tolerate full sun.  Well-drained soils are essential and slightly acidic soils with high fertility are desirable.   Hollies do best if planted between November and March.  When transplanted during our dry winter season, deep sandy soils may require watering twice a week.  Care should be taken not to waterlog the soil.  

Established hollies should be watered to wet the soil to a depth of 14 to 18 inches.  Fertilize established hollies in March and in September with a complete fertilizer and water the nutrients into the soil immediately after application. 

Diseases and insects are not a major problem on hollies.  The most common insect pests include scale, leaf miners, mites and spittle bugs.  Diseases known to attack hollies include twig dieback, stem gall, and root rot.  Root rots usually are associated with hollies planted in poorly drained wet soils.

Hundreds of Holly Choices

Choosing the right variety of holly for our area is important.  Some plants called "holly" are not really hollies at all.  Among the non-holly name-sakes are Blue Holly, Sweet Holly, Dwarf Holly, and the worst imitator of them all - "Florida Holly".  This last one is a noxious invasive weed and should be known only as Brazilian Peppertree.

Among the hollies that do well are many native species.  Using local choices will insure that the plant is adapted to your landscape and can help create a Florida Yard.  Of the several hollies found in our area of Florida, three natives and a hybrid are recommended:

*       American Holly (Ilex opaca) grows through the eastern United States south to central Florida, and is the common holly associated with Christmas.  With its spiny leaves and red or yellow fruit, it can be a premier accent tree to local Florida yards.  It does not do as well in marly alkaline soils but takes well to variety of light conditions.  Over a thousand cultivars of this species have been developed.

*       Dahoon Holly (Ilex cassine) grows state-wide and is an ideal choice for a specimen or street tree.  The light green leaves have a hint of stickers on their edges, and the red berries on female hollies give it another name: Christmas berry.

*       Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) can be a small shrub or a small tree, depending on the variety.  The small gray-green leaves lack thorns and produce red berries enjoyed by wildlife.  Names of popular cultivars include:  "Pendula", a weeping form, "Schelling's Dwarf", a foundation shrub, "Nana or Dwarf Yaupon", which can be kept in containers.

*       East Palatka Holly (Ilex X attenuata) is a hybrid between the Dahoon and American Holly.  This medium sized tree has a single spine on its leaves and has persistent red berries on the female trees.  On alkaline soil the foliage will often be yellowed.  Once established, it requires watering only in the driest time of the year.  A similar hybrid is the Savannah Holly which has more spines on the leaves.

Our office has fact sheets on each of these hollies.  And, if you would like copies of other newspaper articles on other holiday plants stop by our office for a copy.

If you are looking for unique holiday gift ideas, consider plants.  They can keep on giving the gift of beauty throughout the year.   I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on Hollies or other holiday plants, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 3 PM on Tuesday afternoons.  Happy Holly-Days!

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Trade names, where used, are given for the purpose of providing specific information. They do not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of products named, nor does it imply criticism of products not named. The Florida Cooperative Extension Service - Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information, and other services to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin.  Florida Cooperative Extension Service / IFAS / University of Florida .  Larry A.  Arrington, Dean  Last update: 11/28/2006 .  This page is maintained by Dan Culbert 

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