Holly, Chinese

The Chinese holly or Horned holly (Ilex cornuta) is an upright medium-sized shrub or small tree, native to eastern China and Korea. It is a slow-growing, long-lived, densely-foliaged, multi-stemmed, broadleaf evergreen that attains a height of 10 to 20 feet. Mature specimens may live 75 to 80 years.

Chinese holly cultivars range from large screen plants like ‘Burfordii’ to the well-behaved and smaller ‘Carissa.’ Chinese hollies prefer acid soils but are otherwise somewhat adaptable, usually tolerating drought, urban and seashore conditions.

Chinese hollies have distinctive, glossy, dark green LEAVES (between 1.5 and 3 inches long) with varying number of prominent spines on the margin, oblong and entire.These spines are not minor serrations, but more like sharks’ teeth. Cultivars such as ‘Rotunda’ would make an excellent substitute for barbed wire, while the larger leaves also provide an attractive coarser texture to the landscape.

The small greenish white FLOWERS appear in late March or early April. Chinese holly plants are either male or female (referred to as dioecious). Most people want the bright red showy clusters of FRUIT (1/3 to ½ inch in diameter), so we select female cultivars. No need for a male pollinator, as there is more than enough pollen floating in the air to get the job done.

FRUIT appear as tiny green berries after the female flowers fade in April and turn red by mid-autumn. Berries attract birds that eat them after the frosts have reduced their toxicity, however, if household pets ingest Holly, they may be poisoned. It is a good idea to keep seasonal holly decorations out of reach of pets and/or children.

TWIGS are slender, green turning reddish green in the winter, buds small, leaf scar with 1 bundle scar.

BARK is smooth and gray, becoming very finely flaky with size.

Numerous birds in the wild are highly dependent upon the berries as a source of nutrition. The birds do their part of tree propagation by spreading the seeds.

The dense, white WOOD of the holly is used for carved decorations and white chess pieces.