Other Names:  Common Holly

Description:

One of the most distinctive variegated broadleaf evergreens you'll ever find, with mottled canary yellow and gold over emerald green foliage which has sharp spines along the leaf edges, very much the traditional holly foliage; colors best in full sun

Ornamental Features

Moonlight English Holly is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries from mid fall to late winter. It has attractive gold-variegated emerald green foliage with hints of yellow. The spiny oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain emerald green throughout the winter.

Landscape Attributes

Moonlight English Holly is a dense evergreen tree with a strong central leader and a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This tree will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds to your yard. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects
• Disease

Moonlight English Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Vertical Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• Topiary

Planting & Growing

Moonlight English Holly will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more. This is a female variety of the species which requires a male selection of the same species growing nearby in order to set fruit.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is very fussy about its soil conditions and must have rich, acidic soils to ensure success, and is subject to chlorosis (yellowing) of the foliage in alkaline soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.