Ilex crenata
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- EYE-leks kre-NAY-tuh
- Description
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Japanese Holly is a handsome evergreen shrub in the Aquifoliaceae family. The shrub is dense, rigid, compact, and grows up to 12' tall. You will find this plant often used to make topiaries and its showy red fruits provide much-needed winter interest in the landscape.
Plant in the full sun to partial shade in acidic well-drained soil though it tolerates a wide range of soil types. The shrub can be severely pruned to manage its size so it works well in small spaces. It tolerates drought, shade, air pollution, poor soils, and clay soils. It is easily transplantable and has a slow growth rate. There are many cultivars available.
Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. Spider mites and nematodes are occasional pests. Alkaline soils will cause the leaves to yellow.
- See this plant in the following landscapes:
- Mountain Ridge Top Garden - North Lawn and Upper Drive Border Woodland Backyard Garden Walk
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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'Compacta'
- 'Green Luster'
- 'Hoogendorn'
Grows slowly, little to no pruning required, and does not require much water maintenance
'Latifolia'
- 'Twiggy'
Small black fruit 'Convexa'
Pea-sized black fruit
Small leaves 'Hetzii'
Shrubby cultivar that grows in a rounded mound
Large oblong leaves 'Sky Pencil'
Maintains columnar shape without pruning 'Soft Touch'
Soft-textured evergreen leaves that do not have sharp spines 'Stokes'
Grown for its dwarf congested habit - 'Green Luster'
- 'Compacta', 'Convexa', 'Green Luster', 'Helleri', 'Hetzii', 'Hoogendorn', 'Latifolia', 'Sky Pencil', 'Soft Touch', 'Stokes', 'Twiggy'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
-
'Compacta'
- 'Green Luster'
- 'Hoogendorn'
Grows slowly, little to no pruning required, and does not require much water maintenance
'Latifolia'
- 'Twiggy'
Small black fruit 'Convexa'
Pea-sized black fruit
Small leaves 'Hetzii'
Shrubby cultivar that grows in a rounded mound
Large oblong leaves 'Sky Pencil'
Maintains columnar shape without pruning 'Soft Touch'
Soft-textured evergreen leaves that do not have sharp spines 'Stokes'
Grown for its dwarf congested habit - 'Green Luster'
- 'Compacta', 'Convexa', 'Green Luster', 'Helleri', 'Hetzii', 'Hoogendorn', 'Latifolia', 'Sky Pencil', 'Soft Touch', 'Stokes', 'Twiggy'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Ilex
- Species:
- crenata
- Family:
- Aquifoliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- E. Nepal to Temp. E. Asia
- 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.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 10 ft. 0 in. - 12 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Dense
- Multi-stemmed
- Rounded
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Medium
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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
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 3 feet-6 feet
- 6-feet-12 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Black
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Spring
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Black, globose, berrylike-fruit on female plants from fall to spring that are .2" in length.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Green
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Cyme
- Head
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small (.2 inches), dull, greenish white fragrant flowers in spring that form in clusters of 1-3. Pistillate cyme, in leaf axils of current season's growth; staminate solitary in leaf axils of current season's growth.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Good Cut
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblanceolate
- Obovate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Width:
- < 1 inch
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are alternate and simple and are shaped elliptic or obovate to oblong-lanceolate. Dark green leaves that are 0.5"-1.3" long and are crowded on stems. The underside of leaves are dotted with blackish pellucid glands. Leaves are good in flower arrangements. Their dark green color provides winter interest.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Stems are green on current season growth, and turn gray-green to gray-brown by year 2 or 3. They are often densely pubescent on young stems.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Hedge
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Pollinators
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Diseases
- Drought
- Insect Pests
- Pollution
