Description
Ilex glabra
CT DR RG P EcoR
Soil: Acidic, Well-drained
Light: Full to Part Sun
Moisture: Average to Wet
Plant Height: 5 to 8 feet
Plant Width: 5 to 10 feet
Pests: None
Landscape Value: Great for massing, borders, informal hedges, foundation plantings, rain gardens, and naturalized areas in moist woodland gardens and along streams and ponds. Good CT native substitute for boxwood in wet soils.
Easy-to-grow, mound-shaped, evergreen holly with glossy, dark green, leathery leaves that fade to olive green in winter. Plants produce root suckers that can spread to form colonies. Inconspicuous greenish-white flowers bloom in spring. Plants are either male or female. If pollinated, female plants produce black, berry-like fruits that persist through winter and are attractive to birds. Susceptible to yellowing of leaves in high pH (alkaline) soils. Prune to shape in early spring just before new growth emerges. Plants generally need minimal pruning unless used as a hedge. If plants become leggy, plants can be cut back severely in late winter. Remove root suckers if colonial spread is not desired. Tolerates wet soil, flooding, moderate salt, and rejuvenation pruning to lower height. Attracts songbirds and native bees. Leaves can be dried, roasted, and brewed to produce a black tea-like drink, hence the sometimes used common name of Appalachian Tea for the shrub.
1 gallon pot
