Other Names:  Boxleaf Holly

Description:

A unique evergreen shrub, with an extremely upright and narrow habit of growth that won't flop open; a perfect choice for small-scale articulation in the garden or in containers; adds vertical interest; burgundy new foliage appears throughout the season

Ornamental Features

Jade Lance® Japanese Holly is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has dark green evergreen foliage which emerges burgundy in spring. The small glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter. It produces red berries from mid fall to mid winter.

Landscape Attributes

Jade Lance® Japanese Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This shrub 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

Jade Lance® Japanese Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Vertical Accent
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Jade Lance® Japanese Holly will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 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 40 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 shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. 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.

Jade Lance® Japanese Holly makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. Its large size and upright habit of growth lend it for use as a solitary accent, or in a composition surrounded by smaller plants around the base and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.