The easy-care holly is an attractive eye-catcher, not only in the summer garden. With its berry-covered branches, it also offers a welcome change from the dreary gray in winter. The berries, which are poisonous to humans, are also popular bird food.
The holly inspires with bright red berries in the winter time
Different types of holly
The evergreen and hardy Ilex is best known for its dark green glossy foliage and red berries in autumn. But there are also variants with different colored berries or colorful foliage. This can have cream-colored or yellow leaf edges, for example. What they all have in common, however, is that the leaves and berries are poisonous. For birds, on the other hand, they are a popular winter food.
In addition to the various species of European holly, Japanese holly is also attracting increasing attention from local gardeners. It is also quite easy to care for and is well suited as an outdoor bonsai or for planting a hedge.
Plant the holly
If you want to do something good for your holly, put this plant in a bright spot where the soil is low in lime and slightly moist. In the sun, the basically slow-growing Ilex grows a little faster than in a shady spot. The Ilex generally does not tolerate waterlogging very well. It is very resistant to pests and diseases.
Caring for the holly
Holly does not require much care, especially if the location is well chosen. She is quite thirsty and therefore needs a lot of water. Fertilizer, on the other hand, is only needed in unsuitable, nutrient-poor soil. However, he has no objection to a portion of compost in the spring.
The essentials in brief:
- easy-care
- hardy
- relatively thirsty, but does not tolerate waterlogging
- grows faster in the sun than in the shade
- generally slow growing
- toxic to humans and many animals
- important winter food for native birds
tips
If you want to plant holly in your garden, then get it from the specialist trade and not from the forest, where it is a protected species.