Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol'

English holly (self-fertile female)

Eventual height & spread

Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol'

English holly (self-fertile female)

  • available to order from summer
  • 2 litre pot
  • £32.99
  • available to order from summer
  • 7 litre pot (1-1.2m)
  • £99.99
Delivery options
  • Standard £5.95
  • Position: full sun or partial shade
  • Soil: moist, well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil
  • Rate of growth: slow-growing
  • Flowering period: May to June
  • Hardiness: fully hardy

    To find out more about how to plant a hedge, click here.

    This hardy native holly is unusual in that its glossy, dark green leaves are almost spineless. It is also self-fertile, and so does not need to be near a male holly to produce fruit. Instead, the bright red berries appear on dark purple stems in autumn and persist through the winter months, providing a rich source of food for birds. This holly makes a handsome evergreen specimen tree for a small garden with fertile, moist, well-drained soil.

  • Garden care: Plants grown as free-standing specimens require minimal pruning - remove diseased or misplaced branches in spring. Trim plants grown as formal hedges in late summer. After pruning apply a generous 5-7cm (2-3in) mulch of well-rotted compost or manure around the base of the plant.
  • Humans/Pets: Fruit are ornamental - not to be eaten

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