Sex and Hollies
For your holly to bear berries, it will need the right mate.
- A
- A
- A
Print Options
CloseE-mail This Page to Your Friends
xSuccess!
A link to %this page% was e-mailed
Topics of Interest
by Marie Hofer, Gardening editor, HGTV.com
For a holly to bear berries, it has to be a female, and there needs to be a compatible male nearby. How can you tell whether you have either a male or female? You can't, at least not easily, so you have to depend on nursery-grown hollies that have been positively identified.
To be compatible, a male has to, in part, flower at the same time as the female. There's one exception: self-fertile hollies don't require a mate to set fruit, although berry production will be much better when a male is present. Some hollies like the common Burford holly set fruit without pollination.
Compatible mates
The following are examples of suitable male-female combinations. The first name listed in each line is a female.
Ilex x meserveae
'China Girl' - 'China Boy'
'Blue Angel' - 'Blue Boy', 'Blue Stallion', 'Blue Prince'
Ilex verticillata
'Red Sprite' - 'Jim Dandy' and 'Raritan Chief'
'Winter Red' - 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Late Red'
'Shaver' - 'Southern Gentleman'
'Afterglow' - 'Jim Dandy'
Ilex verticillata x Ilex serrata
'Sparkleberry' - 'Southern Gentleman' and 'Apollo'
'Harvest Red' - 'Apollo'
--Photographs of 'China Girl' and 'China Boy' by Michael A. Dirr
Resources
Related Content
We've awakened our 12 sleeping beauties, whose alluring style is sure to inspire your own dreamy retreat....
Dramatic and Sexy Black Decorating Ideas
Not just for trim, painting with black can be a smart, stylish choice for an entire wall. See how five designers use the...
Holly has been a favorite winter decoration for at least 2000 years. But if you think holly is just good for decking the...
Most Popular on HGTV
-
Features
-
Videos
-
Photo Galleries
-
Topics
