Holly is ideal for planting a hedge or screen. You can use European holly (lat. Ilex aquifolium) or Japanese holly (lat. Ilex crenata). However, both species are poisonous.
Holly makes a good hedge plant
What Makes Japanese Holly Suitable for Hedge Planting?
In contrast to the European holly, the leaves of the Japanese holly are much smaller and also not armed with spines. It actually resembles boxwood more than its European relatives, but grows beautifully compact and just as slowly as the native holly.
Since boxwood is currently suffering from a special pest, the boxwood moth, Japanese holly is often planted in its place. Incidentally, it is also suitable as a bonsai, but is not as frost-tolerant as the European holly.
How do I maintain a holly hedge?
Because of their slow growth, a holly hedge only needs trimming once a year. Unlike many other plants, the best time for this is summer. But trim the hedge carefully, it takes a long time for it to grow back.
If the location is relatively dry, then water your hedge so that the soil does not dry out. The holly tolerates rainwater best, because this is free of lime. If this is not available, then let your tap water stand a little. You should fertilize the Ilex sparingly and especially if it grows on poor soil.
The essentials in brief:
- Holly well suited for hedge planting
- slow growing
- well tolerated by cuts
- poisonous
- Japanese holly less hardy
- Japanese holly has smaller unspined leaves
tips
If you plant your holly hedge on the property line, then it should not necessarily be on the way to school for small children, as the tempting berries are very poisonous to humans.