Hollies

Hollies

RHS Genus Guide

Hollies are valuable for their evergreen foliage and range from compact shrubs to medium-sized trees. Female forms carry shiny red or yellow berries, which are a glorious feature in the winter garden and popular for Christmas decorations. Hollies make excellent clipped specimen shrubs or hedges and are useful in a range of garden situations.

Botanical name: Ilex

Common name: Holly

RHS

Appearance

They are mostly evergreen shrubs or smaller trees with shiny, often prickly-edged leaves. Spring flowers are inconspicuous, but they are followed by eye-catching, bright red berries on female or self-fertile forms. A few have yellow berries.

Preferences

Hollies are tolerant of most soil types and will grow in sun or partial shade. Cultivars with variegated leaves need sun to develop the best leaf colour. Plain-green hollies can grow in deep shade.

Dislikes

Growth can be weak if hollies are planted in poor, dry soils. Equally, plants may suffer if the soil is prone to staying wet for long periods.

Did you know?

Most hollies are either male or female. Females only produce berries if a pollinating male is growing nearby. There are, however, self-fertile hollies such as Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol' that will produce berries without a partner. Be aware that female/male-sounding names do not always correlate to the sex of the holly! For example, Ilex × altaclerensis 'Golden King' is a female and Ilex aquifolium 'Silver Queen' is a male.

RHS Growing Guide