Dwarf-Leaved Japanese Holly*
Ilex crenata 'Microphylla'
* This is a "special order" plant - contact store for details
Height: 10 feet
Spread: 8 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5b
Other Names: Boxleaf Holly
Description:
Hands down a better choice for massing, hedges and especially topiary than the species because of its even smaller leaves and extremely fine texture, considered by some to be a subspecies with a range of growth habits, but always fine-textured
Ornamental Features
Dwarf-Leaved Japanese Holly is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. It has dark green evergreen foliage. The small glossy oval leaves remain dark green throughout the winter.
Landscape Attributes
Dwarf-Leaved Japanese Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen shrub with an upright spreading habit of growth. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.
This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Dwarf-Leaved Japanese Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Mass Planting
- Hedges/Screening
- General Garden Use
- Topiary
Planting & Growing
Dwarf-Leaved Japanese Holly will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 8 feet. It has a low canopy, 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 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.
* This is a "special order" plant - contact store for details
