Hetz's Japanese Holly Ilex crenata 'Hetzii'
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- EYE-leks kre-NAY-tuh
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Hetz Holly is a female cultivar of Ilex crenata, which is a native of Japan and east Asia and can be found in thickets, woods and wet places in lowlands and mountains all over Japan. Hetz Holly is a handsome evergreen shrub in the Aquifoliaceae family with a dense, rigid, and compact form and grows up to a 6 1/2 foot high rounded mound. It is a larger form of the 'Convexa' cultivar, with larger leaves. It tolerates severe pruning, allowing you to control its height. It also tolerates drought and air pollution, poor, sandy, and clay soils, but is intolerant of alkaline soils. It does well in the shade and is easily transplanted. It has a slow growth rate and has pest problems.
Plant in the full sun to partial shade in acidic well-drained soil though it tolerates a wide range of soil types, from moist to dry, including clay. It may not thrive in areas with high heat and humidity (USDA zones 8 and 9) and may also be less cold-hardy than other cultivars. The species is dioecious (meaning individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant, thus both male and female plants must be grown if fruits are required. Because ‘Hetzii’ is a female cultivar, it will need a male pollinizer in order to produce fruit.
Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No serious diseases or insect pests. Spider mites and nematodes are occasional pests. Alkaline soils will cause the leaves to yellow.
The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common diseases and insect pests.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Ilex
- Species:
- crenata
- Family:
- Aquifoliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- East Nepal to Temperate East Asia, Japan and Korea
- Fire Risk Rating:
- medium flammability
- Wildlife Value:
- The small fragrant flowers attract bees. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.
- Play Value:
- Wildlife Food Source
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Mildly resistant to damage by deer
- Edibility:
- Use caution. Human ingestion of berries can cause minor toxic reaction.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 4 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Mounding
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Spreading
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
- Appendage:
- Spines
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Fruits are small, globose, black drupe in fall formed from the pollinated flowers on this female plant. A male cultivar is needed for pollination. The fruit are berry-like and slightly larger than 1/4 of an inch.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Flowers are non-showy, dull greenish white in the spring. They grow in clusters of 2 to 3 and up to 1/4 of an inch. Inflorescence is pistallte a cyme in leaf axils of current season's growth.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Smooth
- Waxy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Oblong
- Obovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are small, alternate, simple, elliptic or obovate to oblong-lanceolate, and convex. They are dark green and the underside is dotted with blackish pellucid glands. They grow between 1/2 and 1 inch in length and are convex and 'hat-like'.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Gray
- Green
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Smooth, gray-brown or slightly greenish.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Gray/Silver
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are green on current season of growth, and turn gray-green to gray-brown by year 2 or 3. Young stems are often densely pubescent.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Container
- Lawn
- Patio
- Pool/Hardscape
- Slope/Bank
- Walkways
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
