General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium moisture well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Tolerant of a wide range of growing conditions, including clay soils and urban pollution. Prefers light, moist, acidic soils with good drainage. Chlorosis (leaf yellowing) may occur in alkaline soils. Japanese hollies are dioecious (separate male and female plants). ‘Hetzii’ is a female cultivar which will need a male pollinator in order to produce fruit.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Native to Japan, Russia and Korea, Ilex crenata, commonly known as Japanese holly, is an evergreen shrub (rarely a small tree) that typically grows to 5-10’ tall and produces ovate to elliptic, crenate, glossy green leaves. ‘Hetzii’ is a shrubby cultivar that grows in a rounded mound to 3-6’ (less frequently to 8’) tall. It features alternate, shiny, dark evergreen leaves (1/2 to 1” long) with fine serration along the margins. Non-showy, tiny, dull greenish-white flowers appear along the stems in the leaf axils in late spring. Pollinated flowers give way to berry like drupes that ripen to black and appear somewhat inconspicuous. ‘Hetzii’ is sometimes described in nursery literature as a larger form of I. crenata ‘Convexa’. Crenata means toothed in reference herein to serrated leaf margins. Japanese holly foliage in general resembles that of boxwoods, except inter alia boxwoods have opposite leaves and no serration.

Problems:

No serious insect or disease problems. Spider mites can be troublesome. Nematodes are a problem in the South.

Uses:

Rock garden. Small hedge. Incorporate into a foundation planting.

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