Ilex crenata

Japanese Holly is a handsome, evergreen shrub in the Aquifoliaceae family. It is a native of Japan and east Asia and can be found in thickets, woods and wet places in lowland and mountains all over Japan. The genus name, Ilex, comes from the Latin Quercus ilex for holm oak and refers to the similarity in the shape of the leaves. The  epithet, crenate, refers to the crenate margins of the leaves. The shrub is dense, rigid, compact, and grows up to 10 feet tall. The plant tolerates severe pruning and you will find this plant often used to make topiaries.

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. The shrub can be pruned to manage its size so it works well in small spaces. It tolerates drought, shade, air pollution, poor soils, and clay soils and is easy to transplant. It does have a slow growth rate and it may not thrive in areas with high heat and humidity (USDA zones 8 and 9). 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 seed is required). It is pollinated by bees and is not self-fertile. There are many cultivars available and used in landscaping; the parent species is rarely seen. It is abundantly planted as an ornamental in North Carolina.

Insects, Diseases and Other Plant Problems: 

Spider mites and nematodes are occasional pests.  Alkaline soils will cause the leaves to yellow.

VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I:  Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II:  Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University