Ilex aquifolium

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Ilex aquifolium

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Kemper Code: C208

Common Name: English holly
Zone: 7 to 9
Plant Type: Broadleaf evergreen
Family: Aquifoliaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: Western and southern Europe, north Africa, western Asia
Height: 30 to 50 feet
Spread: 15 to 25 feet
Bloom Time: May
Bloom Color: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium
Maintenance: Medium

Plant Culture and Characteristics

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Where is this species invasive in the US?

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Uses:		Wildlife:	Flowers:	Leaves:	Fruit:
Hedge	Suitable as annual	Attracts birds	Has showy flowers	Leaves colorful	Has showy fruit
Shade tree	Culinary herb	Attracts	Has fragrant flowers	Leaves fragrant	Fruit edible
Street tree	Vegetable	hummingbirds	Flowers not showy	Good fall color	Other:
Flowering tree	Water garden plant	Attracts	Good cut flower	Evergreen	Winter interest
Gr. cover (<1')	Will naturalize	butterflies	Good dried flower		Thorns or spines

General Culture:

Grow in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best in locations protected from cold winter winds. Part afternoon shade is best in hot summer climates. Avoid poorly drained soils. Prune in winter if needed. Plants of this species are dioecious (separate male and female plants). Female plants need a male pollinator in the area in order to bear fruit. This species can be difficult to grow in the St. Louis area because it dislikes cold winters (not considered winter hardy in USDA Zone 5 and the northern part of USDA Zone 6) and also dislikes hot and humid summers. It grows much better in the climate of the Pacific Northwest where it has naturalized.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

English holly is native to Europe, western Asia and north Africa. It is an erect, pyramidal, densely-branched, evergreen tree that typically grows to 30-50’ (less frequently to 80’) tall. It also may be trained and grown as a large shrub (10-15’ tall). Elliptic, leathery, glossy, wavy-margined, evergreen, dark green leaves (1-3” long) have large spiny teeth. Greenish-white flowers appear in May. Flowers are fragrant but generally inconspicuous. Pollinated flowers give way to berry-like red (less frequently orange or yellow) drupes (1/4” diameter) which ripen in fall and persist into winter. Birds are attracted to the fruit. Aquifolium comes from Latin words for needle (acus) and leaf (folium) in reference to the spiny leaves. A large number of cultivars of this tree are available in commerce.

Problems:

Potential insect problems include holly leaf miner, spider mites, whitefly and scale. Potential disease problems include leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot and powdery mildew. Plants are also susceptible to leaf drop, leaf scorch and chlorosis (yellowing of leaves in high pH soils).

Uses:

By reputation, English holly is a better ornamental tree than American holly (see I. opaca at K640 herein), but it has less winter hardiness and is more difficult to grow in the lower Midwest and deep South. Effective as a specimen or in small groups. Foundation plantings. Foliage and fruit provide good color for the winter landscape. Tall hedge.