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Care and cultivation of Holly Trees

Ilex aquifolium

February 7, 1999
My mother recently received a Christmas Holly as a gift. We know very little about the plant, or which type of holly it is. What we are wondering is how to care for this plant? Where and when it can be planted outside, how much to water...etc..? She lives in zone 5.

Holly (Ilex aquifolium) can tolerate either sun and shade. Although semi-shade is preferable in midsummer, the more light it has the more dense its foliage will be. Holly requires well-drained, slightly acid, fertile soil. English holly will grow to fifty feet or taller, so consider this when you are deciding where to plant your tree. They should not be planted in open areas where they may be exposed to cold winter winds or excessively hot summer sun.
Plant your holly in early spring, before new growth begins and mulch with a 2- to 4-inch layer of wood chips, sawdust, pine needles, ground bark or other coarse material to keep the roots cool and moist. The root system resents being disturbed, so do not cultivate the soil around them. Hollies sometimes drop their old leaves due to transplant shock, but new foliage will soon emerge. Be careful not to overwater holly that has lost its leaves. Keep the soil moist during the summer growing season, but allow it to dry somewhat in early fall to allow the season's growth to mature enough to resist winter damage. Feeding should be done in early spring or late autumn with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving broad-leaved evergreens. (cottonseed meal, rhododendron fertilizer, Miracid®, etc.) If pruning becomes necessary, do it in early spring before new growth begins, trimming towards a symmetrical shape.
The male and female flowers of the holly tree are produced on separate plants. Therefore to ensure berry production, both male and female plants need to be planted. The male tree must be within 100 feet of a female tree of the same species in order for bees to successfully pollinate the female flowers and thereby produce the bright red berries that holly is know for.

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