Mention of holly brings visions of red berries highlighting sprays of dark green, shiny leaves, imparting to door, mantel, or table the aura of Christmas joy. But holly means far more than familiar holiday sprays.
It means stately, dense evergreen trees, hedges of unequaled beauty and utility, low thick shrubs, deciduous trees, and even golden ones.
Leaf forms run the gamut from Christmas card spikes to smooth miniatures that lire unbelievably dainty.
Up to 15 or 20 years ago here at Brownell Farms in Portland. Oregon, we knew nothing of all this.
Holly For Christmas
One of the first commercial groves on the West Coast, we started marketing holly for the Christmas season in 1919.
After the pioneering years, our business grew until our own grove no longer produced an adequate supply.
Soon we were buying holly annually to fill our orders. Thus we discovered that there were other varieties besides the conventional Christmas holly.
Then came the idea of a collection for the home orchard – probably half a dozen trees, or so we thought.
Collection Of Hollies
Collecting as a hobby, however, is akin to dislodging a stone at the bottom of an avalanche.
More and more kinds appeared, followed by rumors of others we had never seen. So, we began a systematic search hoping to make a complete collection.
Starting with catalogs from horticulturists over the country, we got examples of American hollies, particularly from Florida, New Jersey, Maryland, and other eastern states where holly is grown.
Any possible feeling of achievement with our growing arboretum was shattered by a hook called “Holly, Box, and Yew,” compiled by Dallimore, who was for a long time curator of the famed Kew Gardens outside London. England.
This one volume opened up a world of possibilities, for species are to be found on every continent, and showed that we hail barely scratched the surface in the number of varieties or even species.
Fixing The Confusing Assigning Of Names
Since most of the Ilex aquifolium is European in origin, the interesting question of confusing nomenclature between the two continents offered a chance for some horticultural detective work.
As a starter, a letter went to the British Botanical Gardens asking the names of English horticulturists who grow hollies.
This request brought lists extending to Belgium, France, and Holland.
To every firm, we sent a blanket request for information, followed by orders for three to five specimens of each named variety – a procedure already followed for horticulturists in this country.
Careful comparison and cross-checking did uncover many duplications and confusing names.
Golden Queen And Silver Queen
For instance, the English bottles long established as Golden King and Silver King turned out to be not male but fruiting females identical to varieties known and sold in our part of the country as GOLDEN QUEEN and SILVER QUEEN.
We guess the “KING” title was affixed in England long ago to young trees before they began to fruit.
Ilex Aquifolium Flavescens
ILEX AQUIFOLIUM FLAVESCENS, commonly known as GOLDEN or MOONLIGHT holly, was presumed to be a male tree only.
However, the influx of specimens brought us a female form.
Ilex Aquifolium Angustifolia
One interesting source of confusion was ILEX AQUIFOLIUM ANGUSTIFOLIA. which came to us from England in two distinct forms.
One had left much larger and broader than the other. Our own experience has proved that this variety of sports easily.
As a result, we have three or four different forms reproduced from these Sports or mutations.
Cultivation Of Hollies
Because English horticulturists favor the cultivation of hollies, they proved a wonderful source of information and specimens.
They supplied species from the Orient as well as English and European kinds.
Kew Gardens has a mile-long lane of holly varieties planted two by two in pairs, each pair 20’ feet apart.
Quarantine laws made it difficult to bring rooted plants into the country. Then, too, several rare European trees had not been propagated, so no rooted specimens were available.
We found cuttings sent by air to be the best solution. All this was a big boost to the collection, of course, but there were still gaps to be filled.
Bringing Light To Rumors
I have made several lengthy trips contacting other holly enthusiasts, running down leads and rumors.
A slimmer trip of more than 10,000 miles had as its prime objective the mythical white-berried tree.
At least, I assume it to be mythical since every lead proved fruitless. On the other hand, perhaps the rumors are based on a pale berry stage of some holly.
That journey redeemed itself, however, by bringing to light on an isolated violin-min farm in the Great Smokies the hitherto unreported golden American holly, ILEX OPACA AUREA, a handsome specimen sheathed with leaves of pure gold.
I named it GOLDEN FLEECE, incidentally of my long quest.
Commercially and horticulturally, we are still in the beginnings of an industry which should have an interesting future.
I am quite sure there were no commercial plantings in the country before 1900, and it has been only about 15 years since the first named variety was put on the market.
Horticulturally, development is still slow for knowledge of holly, and its culture is still incomplete.
A species is a form that will reproduce itself from seed with fair fidelity.
Botanical Varieties Of Holly
In the holly field, the botanical or named varieties are near all the products of seed mutation or bud sport within the species, each displaying certain distinctive characteristics.
Nature accomplishes this.
To the best of my knowledge, we growers have contributed little, for cross-pollination and observation, as well as exposure of seeds to radioactive isotopes or chemicals, have not yet been conducted to the point where success has been reported.
Method of Cloning
A grower develops a horticultural variety of holly by vegetative propagation of one tree that has caught his attention by grafting, layering, cuttings, budding, etc.
This method produces a clone, a group that is an extension of one specimen – not children of the parent tree.
In 1935, here at Brownell Farms, we propagated what I believe was the first horticultural variety of holly and named it REDERLY.
Of the 150 varieties in our collection, I estimate that about 50 will eventually become popular.
Since space does not permit a description of all, the ones I consider particularly outstanding have been selected.
Distinctive Ilex Crenata Types
One of the most valuable hollies for the garden is ILEX CRENATA, which comes in several distinct types.
Not particularly new, they are readily available in the South and East. All crenatas have blackberries.
Ilex Crenata Convexa
In this country, the most popular is ILEX CRENATA CONVEXA, also called Ilex crenata bullata because of its rounded leaf.
It makes a dense, bushy shrub with waxy leaves that sparkle in the sunlight. Hardy, fairly fast-growing and easily shaped, it is an excellent substitute for boxwood.
Ilex Xrenata Helleri
ILEX CRENATA HELLERI is a low-growing, dome-shaped plant with extreme density, making it most decorative for rock gardens and borders.
Ilex Crenata Microphylla
ILEX CRENATA MICROPHYLLA has a delicate leaf and graceful, flowing growth habit.
If permitted, a bushy shrub that reaches about 8′ to 10′ feet looks well against the house or in mass background planting.
It also forms a good screen or windbreak for other plants. Unfortunately, the leaves do not have the sharp brilliance of Ilex Crenata Convex.
Ilex Aquifolium Angustifolia
The slender, columnar shape of ILEX AQUIFOLIUM ANGUSTIFOLIA adapts it to use in pairs for pillars by walks or drives.
It has long, narrow green leaves and grows quite tall.
Ilex Cornuta: Chinese Holly
The Chinese holly, ILEX CORNUTA, deserves far more attention than it gets.
The name means horns, referring to the two prominent, hornlike spines protruding beyond the apex of the rectangular leaf.
Its brilliance also distinguishes it. All forms are easily pruned and bear spectacular masses of red berries without being too particular about pollination.
The regular Ilex Cornuta grows erect to 13’ or 10’ feet.
Ilex Cornuta Varieties
ILEX CORNUTA ROTUNDA is more rounded, with an elongated leaf.
In contrast, ILEX CORNUTA BURFORDI is a somewhat drooping shrub.
Excellent for filling awkward places in the garden, it does not mind crowded and adapts to location and space.
Widely sold through the South in 5-and-10-cent stores, Ilex Cornuta Burfordi originated in this country from a single tree standing in an Atlanta cemetery for at least 60 years.
Ilex Aquifolium: Horticultural Curiosities
A group of 5 hollies might be called horticultural curiosities or good “conversation nieces.”
All are very dense in growth and can be pruned but is sterile male trees that produce neither pollen nor berries, though they bloom profusely.
- ILEX AQUIFOLIUM FEROX (meaning fierce) has twisted green leaves with very spiny surfaces.
- ILEX AQUIFOLIUM FEROX AUREA is the same, except that the leaf is centered with gold.
- ILEX AQUIFOLIUM FEROX ARGENTIA is edged in silver.
In England, the common name for all 3 is a hedgehog, the American counterpart of a porcupine.
- Closely related is ILEX AQUIFOLIUM CRISPA with a green, twisted leaf that is very thick with a bumpy surface.
- ILEX AQUIFOLIUM CIUSRA AUREA, which is splashed with gold. The crisps are appropriately called screwleaf in England and America.
Sonic of the loveliest individual trees are not yet generally available, but production would be encouraged by public demand.
- ILEX AQUIFOLIUM PENDULA is a weeping form that makes a magnificent large dome many feet in diameter.
- Its variegated companion carries the lengthy name of Ilex aquifolium, ‘Argentea Marginata Pendula.’
Both are strikingly beautiful and produce cascading clusters of small red berries. The leaf form is of the Christmas type.
If desired, the centers of these trees can be supported to increase their height, at which point the form is similar to a weeping willow on a small scale.
Ilex Pernyi
ILEX PERNYI is a very dainty holly, with its tiny leaves set directly on the branch without any individual stems, and the tree itself is quite tall and graceful.
Ilex Pernyu Veitchi
A bushy type is ILEX PERNYI VEITCHI. A holly hedge is beautiful and impervious to dogs and children. Another asset: it needs only one severe pruning, and one is trimming a year to keep it neat.
The free-growing type of holly hedge in which the trees are properly spaced needs no clipping.
Thinning And Growing Of Holly
It can be kept within bounds by thinning and will grow to real height to screen any undesirable view or give line soundproofing against highway noise. Properly selected, the trees provide an abundance of berries.
Generally, the English Ilex aquifolium varieties are best, and green leaves with red berries are always a safe choice. But there are other decorative types, such as the variegated forms in silver or gold.
One fine holly for hedges is not widely available. ILEX AQUIFOLIUM WUSONI makes extremely dense growth, with broad leaves and large red berries.
All these and many more came to us due to our plans for a small collection of a half dozen. Now that the project is underway, many gaps must be filled.
As yet, we have no hollies from South America, which has more than 80 named varieties, Some day…!
44659 by Ambrose Brownell