Holly Problem

I have two holly bushes in my garden; Ilex 'Golden King' which I know is female (an has produced berries), and Ilex 'Ferrox Argentea', the hedgehog holly which ws bought on the understanding it was a male and thus help produce the desired berries on the other.

However for two years running now there has not been a single berry on the Golden King. This is effectively since both plants were moved to their current locations which are within the same border (so no problem with distance.

I was starting to wonder what was wrong. I had thought that maybe the hedgehog holly (male) was a bit too over shadowed by other plants (its still quite small) and either it wasnt flowering or the pollenating insects just werent finding its flowers. Then i read something in a recent edition of Gardeners World magazine which talked about 'insignificant' berries on ilex Ferrox Argentea! This obviously indicated that this variety is actualy female. Now if i had been getting beries OK then I would have thought that the magazine people had got their info wrong, but since I hadnt been getting berries it made me wonder if the label that came with the plant was wrong and the variety is truly a female. Thus i have no chance of getting berries on either of my existing hollies.

Can anyone tell me for certain just what gender the hedgehog holly is? Am I just unlucky not to get berries or have i got the wrong plant?

Thanks

 

Ilex aquafolium Ferox Argentea ( Silver Hedgehog Holly ) is definitely male. It could be that it is not yet mature enough to produce flowers or perhaps, there may not be enough potash in the soil. Potash is needed to promote flowering and fruiting, and the best of it is tomato food. I hope this is of some help.

 

I would agree with David are the trees mature enough? are they pollinating at the same time? I have one variegated holly it was 10 years before it had berries, as far as I know there are no other hollies anywhere near us, we are visited in summer by the "holy blue butterfly" seems to be doing the job.

 

Rather a late reply, but although Ilex Ferox Argentea is male, it isn't a good pollinator, and may well never do the job for your Golden King.
Not too surprised about Gardener's World magazine getting it wrong, it usually has a few errors in it.