Holly Questions and Answers

Holly Questions and Answers

I planted a holly, but it never produces fruit.  What do I need to do to make it produce red berries?

Male and female holly flowers grow on different plants. Although the male plants never produce fruit, they must be grown near the female plants to provide the pollen needed for fruit production.  The flowering of both female and male plants must be synchronized so the pollen is available at the same time the female flowers are open. If you want your hollies to fruit heavily, plant a male holly of the same species as your fruiting hollies so you can be assured that both male and female flowers are present at the same time. Male varieties have been developed that bloom at the same time as their female counterpart; one male plant can pollinate many female plants. Contact your local nursery to find out what the best male variety is for pollinating your holly. Bees and other insects will do the work of transporting the pollen from male plant to female plant.

I like hollies, but can't stand the prickly leaves.  Are there any hollies that have kinder leaves?

All of the deciduous hollies lack spiny leaves and many produce an even heavier crop of red berries than their evergreen relatives.  If you like evergreen foliage, you might want to try growing longstalk holly, Ilex pedunculosa.  As the name suggests, the fruits hang gracefully from stalks that are much longer than those found on any other holly.  Many of the shrubby evergreen hollies such as Japanese holly and inkberry also lack spiny leaves, but their berries are black instead of the bright red color most people associate with holly.

What are some other sources for information about hollies?

For tips on locating a supplier for a particular variety of holly, check the National Arboretum's Plant Sources Page.

If you're fond of hollies, check out the Holly Society of America web site at www.hollysocam.org.

Source - The United States National Arboretum