FLORIDA — Hollies are one of the plants associated with Christmas. Their dark evergreen leaves and bright red berries fit in with the Christmas season. But what if your hollies never produce berries?
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Male holly plants do not produce berries. Holly plants are either male or female. The botanical term for this is dioecious. Male plants produce male flowers and pollen but never fruit (berries).
A foolproof way to select a female holly is to purchase a plant with berries. However, a male plant will still need to be nearby for pollination, or no berries will be produced.
Bees transport pollen produced by male flowers from distances up to two miles. Chances are good that there will be a male holly within the appropriate distance in the wild to take care of the pollination.
Most dwarf holly cultivars do not produce fruit since they are vegetatively propagated from male plants.
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The holly genus (Ilex) offers a remarkable variety of plants from which to choose. Some horticulturists estimate that there are about 700 species worldwide. And there are numerous cultivated varieties. But only a small number of holly types may be available from local nurseries.
Some people automatically rule out hollies because they think of plants with spiny leaves. But not all hollies have spiny leaves. For example, many Japanese hollies (Ilex crenata) have spineless leaves.
Holly plants range in height from two to over 60 feet. Some of the dwarf types are good choices for foundation plantings. A few of these include Ilex crenata ‘Helleri’ (Helleri holly), Ilex cornuta ‘Carissa’ (Carissa holly), Ilex vomitoria ‘Nana’ (dwarf yaupon holly) and Ilex vomitoria ‘Stokes Dwarf’.
Don’t let the word dwarf fool you. Some hollies in this category, such as Dwarf Burford holly, may reach five to eight feet. It is just more compact than the standard Burford Holly.
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Some “tree form” hollies, such as the American holly, can reach heights approaching 60 feet.
It’s best to know the mature height to appropriately place plants based on the desired height to avoid unnecessary pruning.
There are hollies with variegated leaves, such as the English holly, Ilex aquifolium ‘Ferox Argentea.’ Most hollies produce red berries, but some produce orange, yellow, and even black or white, depending on the variety.
There are weeping forms available, such as the weeping yaupon holly. Some have a very narrow, upright habit, such as the cultivar ‘Will Fleming’.
Hollies offer a nice addition to a North Florida landscape during Christmas and year-round.
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More information on hollies is available through the UF/IFAS Extension Office in your County or from this publication: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/publication/MG021.
Larry Williams is the Extension Horticulture Agent with the Okaloosa County Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida. Contact Larry at 689-5850 or email lwilliams@myokaloosa.com.
