Ilex x 'Conaf'
Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- EYE-leks
- Description
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One of the more exciting introductions into the world of hollies is the 'Oakleaf' holly. This evergreen beauty is a chance seedling from another well-known holly called 'Mary Nell'. The 'Oakleaf' cultivar is one of five different hollies introduced as the "red hollies' in the mid-1990s. 'Oakleaf' holly gets its name from the shape of the plant's leaf, whose shape resembles that of our native Scarlet Oak tree. The evergreen foliage is an attractive medium green with a lighter colored leaf edge. The overall appearance of the plant is handsome. A male pollinator is needed for berries to be produced.
This holly cultivar will reach a height of 14 feet, with some reports up to 20 feet. The 'Oakleaf' holly's eight-foot spread makes it ideal for evergreen hedges or planting in mass for screening purposes. This showstopper is attractive enough to set out into your garden as a specimen plant. Grow in full sun or in very light shade.
- 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
- Family:
- Aquifoliaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Stem Cutting
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Southeast United States
- Wildlife Value:
- Fruits are attractive to birds. Flowers attract bees. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Screening
- Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems):
- Deer damage
- Dimensions:
- Height: 15 ft. 0 in. - 20 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 8 ft. 0 in. - 15 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Shrub
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Pyramidal
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Medium
- 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
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- Occasionally Wet
- Available Space To Plant:
- 6-feet-12 feet
- NC Region:
- Coastal
- Mountains
- Piedmont
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a, 8b, 8a, 9b, 9a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Orange
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Winter
- Fruit Type:
- Drupe
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- If the flowers are pollinated they produce 3/8 inch orangey-red drupes in fall.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Cream/Tan
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Insignificant
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Fragrant
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- Small yellow-white flowers in clusters in the leaf axils in spring.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Broadleaf Evergreen
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Feel:
- Glossy
- Leathery
- Prickly
- Smooth
- Waxy
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Long-lasting
- Leaf Type:
- Simple
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Leaf Shape:
- Lanceolate
- Ovate
- Leaf Margin:
- Serrate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- 3.5 inch Oak shaped leaf. In spring, leaves are bronze to burgundy in color and retain color for several weeks. Margins are serrated with 3-5 pairs of prominent spines.
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Stem:
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Coastal
- Lawn
- Slope/Bank
- Landscape Theme:
- Drought Tolerant Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Winter Garden
- Design Feature:
- Accent
- Border
- Foundation Planting
- Hedge
- Mass Planting
- Screen/Privacy
- Small groups
- Specimen
- Attracts:
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Specialized Bees
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Deer
- Drought
