Ilex - Holly

I know very little about Holly so hope that you can help me please.

With a view to buying I've been checking out the few sites available on the web and also the choice of plants. I like the golden variegated (colour needed to brighten up a very green garden) and would prefer something self fertile but it seems I will have to buy both male and female plants to gain a good crop of berries. Currently I'm thinking on either 'Golden Milkboy' or 'Golden King'.

Information also seems to be limited so if anyone has any experience of growing Holly it would be gratefully received. My first question being - how hardy are they please, what would be their minimum winter temperature?

 

Hi Sheal, sorry I can"t help with hardiness but beware that Gloden King is ( despite the name ) a female. Golden Milkboy is a male though.

 

Thanks KFF, I'm aware of the strange naming of them. Usually males with female names and vice versa.

 

Hiya Sheal
I grow 2 hollies.....
Golden King, yep, its female and berries quite well. Glorious spine free foliage. Mine is 15' high and shaped as a cone. Superb all year round. If I remember, I will take a picture tomorrow. The other is Handsworth New Silver.....female, handsome silver and green foliage. Trimmed earlier today to maintain a height of some 10' and 6' across. Have it next to Cotinus Royal Purple for a nice combination I think.
They are extremely hardy, robust and easy. Excellent over the winter, great foils to summer planting and good for birds. Few better evergreens I think
For increased berrying, grow ilex J. C. Van Tol an excellent pollinator and berries well in its own right
Ok, living here in a very mild part of the country but most hollies are hardy everywhere. Wind tolerant with no pest or disease problems
Reputedly slow growing but not so. Given reasonable conditions they grow as quickly as most other evergreens.
I dont think you will regret growing hollies Sheal.......

 

I have various hollies, plain green, green and silver, green and yellow 1 prickly and 1 not. All grow really well here @Sheal and were here when we moved 16 years ago. The green and silver and prickly green and yellow ones are now trees of about 20 ft high. The plain green we clip as a hedge. They don't grow really fast here but don't struggle with our climate so should be fine with you. They also berry quite well and are popular with birds feeding off the berries in the winter. I'd definitely recommend them.

 

Thank you Verdun and Silu.

Another question please. If I decide on hollies that need both male and female for berries, do they have to be the same type, or can I mix and match so to speak?

 

Sorry @Sheal no idea. None of the ones were planted by me so clueless as to which varieties they are and which you need to ensure berries.

 

Mix and match is fine....if you have 2 females and a JC Van Tol you should have no pollination problems and have berries on all 3 plants Sheal

 

Isn't JC Van Tol self fertile Verdun? I only have room for two in the area I want to plant. Ideally to be sure of berries, I need one male and one female. And just to confirm, it doesn't matter if they are of different types?

 

This is what I have my eye on at the moment, a male holly, but ideas for a female contrast would be welcome please.

https://www.directplants.co.uk/ilex-golden-milk-boy-holly-3-4ft?filter_name=ilex

 

I have been looking at hollies since you posted and I am pretty sure my green and white/silver variegated is https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/91514/i-Ilex-aquifolium-i-Argentea-Marginata.../Details Maybe this would suit your requirements. It's female

 

@Sheal all the best mate in getting the right Hollies you want for your garden

 

Any male and any female then Sheal according to your fancy. Golden King has to be the very
best.
JC Van Tol could be planted elsewhere in a different part of the garden??? Great berrying plant in its own right !!

 

while some I have seen are beautiful. we decided we did not want to deal with the pain of them. lots of other stuff out there less hurtful.

 

No "pain" with Golden King or JC Van Tol. Not all hollies have sharp foliage