Other Names:  California Grape Holly, ssp. insularis

Description:

A unique, spineless variety featuring attractive, shiny, dark green foliage; treasured for its beautiful clusters of bright yellow flowers in late winter, followed by grayish-blue edible berries; a spectacular accent on the landscape

Ornamental Features

Shnilemoon Channel Islands Grape Holly features showy racemes of fragrant yellow flowers along the branches from late winter to early spring. It has attractive dark green evergreen foliage which emerges plum purple in spring. The glossy oval pinnately compound leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. It produces powder blue berries from late spring to early summer.

Landscape Attributes

Shnilemoon Channel Islands Grape Holly is a multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. 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 shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting birds, bees and butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Shnilemoon Channel Islands Grape Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens

Planting & Growing

Shnilemoon Channel Islands Grape Holly will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to fill out right to the ground and therefore doesn't necessarily require facer plants in front, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 20 years. This is a self-pollinating variety, so it doesn't require a second plant nearby to set fruit.

This shrub does best in partial shade to shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. This plant will benefit from an application of bonemeal and/or mycorrhizal fertilizer at the time of planting. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selection of a native North American species.