Posted 10:05 pm Thursday, January 17, 2013
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Hollies offer evergreen foliage, berries that brighten winter day
By DEE BISHOP
Smith County Master Gardener
Smith County Master Gardener
Hollies are a landscaper’s dream. They come in all sizes, provide evergreen foliage (which is a blessing in winter) and many provide beautiful berries to brighten the winter scene.
Foster holly is one of my personal favorites and is perfect for smaller yards. Foster holly is a cross of two native hollies, Ilex cassine and Ilex opaca. Foster No. 2 is the one readily available and the one you will see in the Heritage Garden in the Tyler Rose Garden.
Foster holly grows into a tall narrow pyramid shape (20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide). They are easily kept even narrower with a yearly clipping.
Foster holly is one of my personal favorites and is perfect for smaller yards. Foster holly is a cross of two native hollies, Ilex cassine and Ilex opaca. Foster No. 2 is the one readily available and the one you will see in the Heritage Garden in the Tyler Rose Garden.
Foster holly grows into a tall narrow pyramid shape (20 to 30 feet tall and 10 to 15 feet wide). They are easily kept even narrower with a yearly clipping.
All hollies that have berries are female, as is Foster. She bears a heavy crop of berries every year. Another good feature is that Foster doesn’t have sticker spines like many others do. Like all of our native hollies, Foster is easily grown in just about any location, except heavy shade. ollies take a lot of abuse and are drought-tolerant, but if you want your holly to excel in form and beauty, give it water when dry.
Foster hollies look beautiful alone standing in a corner or out in front of a large shrub border to give it height. I have seen lovely living fences using Foster hollies. Plant them 12 to 15 feet apart and expect them to touch within five years.
Dee Bishop is a Smith County Master Gardener. She writes about plants growing in Tyler Rose Garden.
Foster hollies look beautiful alone standing in a corner or out in front of a large shrub border to give it height. I have seen lovely living fences using Foster hollies. Plant them 12 to 15 feet apart and expect them to touch within five years.
Dee Bishop is a Smith County Master Gardener. She writes about plants growing in Tyler Rose Garden.
