10 AGM hollies and ivies

The holly and the ivy

Words: Graham Rice

When they are both fully-grown, holly and ivy make impressive winter evergreens with all the traditional holiday associations. Hollies, of course, carry colourful winter berries to add to their valuable all-year-round foliage, berries much favoured by birds and other wildlife and lasting well when cut for decoration. While in addition to the elegant strands of attractive foliage, mature ivies feature late-season flowers which are much valued by insects.

Handsome hollies

Ilex x altaclerensis
'Golden King'
Despite of its name, ‘Golden King’ is a female holly with a crowded crop of slightly brownish red berries set amongst colourful leaves. Purple stems carry almost spine-free foliage with wide bright yellow margins making 'Golden King' one of the most colourful of all garden shrubs. Vigorous, but easily clipped to a hedge if required. 1.8m (6ft)

Ilex x altaclerensis 'Lawsoniana'
One of the brightest of all hollies, the large and almost spine-free foliage is vividly splashed with bright yellow and pale green across the centre of each leaf. The berries are brownish red and carried in generous clusters along the branches. Rather upright in growth, branches with all-green foliage may sometimes appear but these are easily cut out. 1.8m (6ft)

Ilex aquifolium
'Argentea Marginata'
A multi-season holly, the new young shoots are distinctively tinted pinkish-red. The broad foliage is spiny, but not excessively so, with a broad creamy white margin surrounding the olive green centre then in winter, clusters of glossy, bright red berries line the branches. Vigorous, but one of the best for trimming as a hedge or topiary. 2m (6^1/₂ft)

Ilex aquifolium
'Handsworth New Silver'
Rich purple young growth carries long, rather narrow, brightly variegated leaves with a little central mottling and a broad margin of pale cream or white. One of the more prolific with its crop of bright red berries which make a striking contrast with the foliage, 'Handsworth New Silver' eventually makes a bold and impressive specimen. 1.6m (5ft)

Ilex aquifolium 'Madame Briot'
This dependable variegated holly features large, spiny, rather wavy foliage held on purple stems, each leaf is dark olive green with a broad contrasting bright yellow margin and light yellow mottling. The slightly orange-tinted red berries make an attractive combination with the foliage, and are carried on large, rather broad growing plants. 1.8m (6ft)

The ivy league

Hedera colchica
'Dentata Variegata'
Truly dramatic, the large drooping foliage up to 20cm (8in) long hangs down distinctively from the branches and is pale green in colour with greyish patches and broadly edged in deep creamy yellow. Works well both as a covering for a wall or as ground cover in shade or sun. Probably the most colourful of all evergreen climbers. 3m (10ft)

Hedera colchica
'Sulphur Heart'
Also known, incorrectly, as ‘Paddy’s Pride’, this is softer in its colouring than 'Dentata Variegata' and with smaller, 10-12.5cm (4-5in), foliage. Each leaf rolls back a little at the sides highlighting the irregular bright yellow central splash, which fades with age, surrounded by a pale green outer zone. Good on walls or fences, or as ground cover. 3m (10ft)

Hedera helix 'Glacier'
One of the most popular of all ivies, ‘Glacier’ is widely used both indoors as a house plant and outside. This is a superb ground cover ivy, even in dry and shady situations, and is also good on dark walls. Its silvery-grey mottling and slender cream edging to the three-lobed leaves bring new brightness to shady areas. 3m (10ft)

Hedera helix 'Ivalace'
With its habit of producing long 'trails', this is an excellent ivy for cutting for holiday arrangements and has almost unique foliage. Glossy, boldly five lobed, bright green leaves are accented with pale veins and feature crimped, almost rippled, edges. ‘Ivalace’ makes a good standard and is ideal cascading over balustrades or as ground cover. 2m (6^1/₂ft)

Hedera helix 'Parsley Crested'
A distinctive, brightly coloured, all-green ivy with pale, fairly prominent veins, the main feature of 'Parsley Crested' is the tightly waved leaf margins. The surface of the leaf may also be puckered or waved and the result is an attractive and intriguing plant which produces long trails so is ideal for cutting for the holidays or in baskets.
2m (6^1/₂ft)