What are the different types of Japanese hollies?
Some good, mounded selections of Japanese holly include ‘Compacta,’ ‘Convexa,’ ‘Helleri,’ ‘Hoogendorn,’ and ‘Soft Touch. An evergreen providing year-round greenery, Japanese holly has small, shiny green leaves. The dense, rounded bushes resemble boxwoods but offer blackberries for additional interest.The shrub is dense, multi-stemmed, rigid, and compact with a rounded habit. It may slowly grow 5 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. Many cultivars of this plant are even more compact and grow only 3 to 4 feet tall. Japanese holly is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are on separate plants.Ilex crenata, commonly known as Japanese holly or box-leaved holly, is a dense, multi-branched, evergreen shrub with a rounded form that typically matures to 5-10’ tall and as wide.
Are Japanese hollies evergreen?
Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that doesn’t call attention to itself. Spacing Your Compact Japanese Holly (Ilex Compacta) Space Your Compact Japanese Holly 3-4 feet apart for a seamless planting. This selection has the potential to reach 6-10 feet wide, however, this can take many years. Plant them 5-6+ feet apart for space between untrimmed mature plants at their maximum size.The shrub is dense, multi-stemmed, rigid, and compact with a rounded habit. It may slowly grow 5 to 10 feet tall and 5 to 8 feet wide. Many cultivars of this plant are even more compact and grow only 3 to 4 feet tall. Japanese holly is dioecious, meaning that male and female flowers are on separate plants.Japanese holly grows at a slow to medium rate, usually adding six to 12 inches each year, depending on the variety.Japanese Holly can be planted in the fall or the spring. Plant these shrubs in acidic soil that is rich and well drained. These shrubs can grow well in full sun to partial shade, depending on the variety.
What are the cons of Japanese holly?
Common Problems with Japanese Holly These include pests, disease, and environmental stress. If the leaves turn yellow, it’s often a sign of iron deficiency. This is common in soil that’s too alkaline. The plant can’t absorb iron well, so it shows in the leaves. Boxwood (Buxus sempervrens, microphylla, etc. Leaf Minors, Leaf Curlers, Spider Mites, Psyllid, Volutella and Phytophora fungal blights, Nematodes, too much water on overhead sprinklers, or too little water, winter damage, frozen soils, heavy soils, Boxwood Decline and most recently, .Black root rot (Thielaviopsis basicola) and Phytophthora root rot commonly infect this species. Phytophthora invades roots when soils are poorly drained or overwatered. Stressed plants are also susceptible to stem cankers. Japanese holly is susceptible to a variety of pests.Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant can be challenging to grow. Boxwood mites and leaf miners can affect stressed plants. Blight and leaf spot can affect plants. Root rot occurs in poorly drained soil.
Does Japanese holly spread?
Soft Touch Japanese Holly will grow to be about 3 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more. Sunlight and Soil Requirements: Holly is very adaptable—happy in sun or full shade, and grows well in clay, loam, sand, or chalk soils, as long as they are not waterlogged.Light. Japanese holly grows best in full sun to partial shade. In warmer climates, it will appreciate some shade from the harsh afternoon sun. But in cooler climates, it typically should have full sun or at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days to grow its best.These slow-growing japanese holly varieties produce dense, compact shrubs that require minimal pruning to maintain their shape or size. However, they do respond well to pruning and you will often find these used to make topiaries similar to boxwoods.Geraniums, torenia, begonia, azaleas, dianthus, impatiens, and clematis are all examples of plants that work well with holly shrubs.
Which is better, boxwood or Japanese holly?
The Japanese Holly grows in hardiness zones of 6 through 9, while the boxwood grows in hardiness zones 5 through 9, making it slightly more resistant overall. The Japanese Holly and The boxwood have extremely similar uses in backyard landscaping, given the fact that they are both easy to maintain hedges or shrubs. Choosing between Japanese Boxwood and Wintergreen Boxwood depends on your specific needs and conditions, as each has its own characteristics and advantages: Climate Tolerance: Japanese Boxwood: It is slightly less cold-hardy than Wintergreen Boxwood, making it a better choice for warmer climates.American boxwoods are cold tolerant, with leaves that are rather long ovals with more pointed tips. English boxwoods are a dwarf variety. They are dense with more oval leaves. Japanese boxwoods are very adaptable and are typically very heat tolerant.
Do Japanese holly plants like sun or shade?
This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn’t be allowed to dry out. Light: Needs full to partial sun exposure to grow robustly. Beautiful foliage is burn resistant. Will grow fine in shade, but its color and form won’t be quite as lovely.