As the holiday season approaches, now is the perfect time to start pruning evergreen hollies which can be brought in for display. There are many varieties of holly that are excellent berry producers. Besides the berry production, there are many available evergreen hollies that are perfectly suited to our climate and soil conditions and which provide excellent winter interest. An important thing to be aware of to get the best berry production out of your plants is the need to have a male and female plant for correct pollination. The Ilex family produces some amazing berry producers, yet one thing to be careful of is the ultimate size of the plants and the space in which you are planting them. Some hollies get very large, while others stay small and compact making them ideal for the residential garden. Be sure you know which one you are putting in the garden.
A fine berry producing cultivar is called Ilex ‘Merry Berry’ (Ilex cornuta). This is a medium sized holly that does well in full sun to partial shade. ‘Merry Berry’ is unique in the sense that no male pollinator is required for pollination; however this plant does produce a more abundant crop if a male pollinator is nearby. This cultivar of holly gets approximately 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. It is extremely heat and drought tolerant, as well as deer resistant, which is important in the North Georgia area for a suitable holly choice.
A large holly suitable for a woodland setting or dense screen is the American holly (Ilex opaca), which is native to the southeast United States. A prolific berry producer, the American holly is one of the best for winter interest. This holly is commonly found in its native habitat growing in the understory of large forest canopies, thus creating a very shade tolerant specimen for the residential garden.
A small evergreen holly suitable for the home garden and perfect for berry production is ‘Blue Princess’ holly (Ilex x meserveae). This holly tops out in our region at 10-14 feet in height and an 8 foot spread. A male pollinator is needed for the prolific, deep red berry production, with ‘Blue Boy’ or ‘Blue Prince’ being a suitable choice. As with most evergreen hollies, this cultivar is tolerant of light shade, yet prefers full sun and somewhat moist soil conditions.
There are so many choices of hollies available to the home gardener and landscape professional. As stated previously, the time is now to prune the hollies and take advantage of the amazing foliage and berry production each variety listed provides.
Patrick Bell is a landscape architect specializing in sustainable landscapes.
