By Jeff Ball

The American holly has always played an important role in this country's culture. Even before European settlers arrived in North America, native Americans boiled American holly twigs with pine tops to produce a tea to cure coughs. Today evergreen leaves and red berries are synonymous with Christmas in the United States.

When the Pilgrims landed in Massachusetts a week before Christmas in 1620, they saw American holly (Ilex opaca) in the nearby forest and no doubt were reminded of English holly (Ilex aquifolium), for centuries a symbol of Christmas in England and Europe.

Because American holly is native along the East Coast from Massachusetts to northern Florida, virtually all settlers in those first 100 years were able to continue their Christmas tradition in their new land. Since then American holly-also called dune holly, white holly and, of course, Christmas holly-has been one of the East's more valuable and popular trees.

In the early 20th century holly branches became such a popular indoor Christmas decoration that vandals began stealing them from private landscapes. To preserve the landscape in Maryland and Delaware, where the native tree is prolific, laws were passed prohibiting the sale of fresh American holly.

A Slow Grower

American holly grows somewhat slowly, eventually reaching a height of 15 to 30 feet in an erect but compact pyramidal or columnar form. It's also not uncommon to see a tree grow nearly 50 feet tall. Branching from the trunk begins at ground level, but many homeowners prefer to prune the lower limbs to give the plant a more tree-like appearance. Planted in the right conditions with proper care, hollies can live for 100 years or more. They typically spread from 8 to 15 feet in diameter, although spreads of 18 to 40 feet are not unheard of. Mature American hollies have a trunk 12 to 18 inches in diameter.

Stiff and prickly evergreen American holly leaves are a glossy medium green to olive green on the surface and lighter green on the underside. Their broadly indented margins show the distinctive prickly spines that are typical of most evergreen hollies-and dangerous to bare feet! Measuring 2 to 4 inches long and 1 to 1-1/2 inches wide, depending on the variety, the leaves are arranged alternately along the holly stems. They remain attached for three years and are then shed in the spring. Some varieties of American hollies have variegated leaves of cream and green.

Holly bark is light gray and smooth; twigs are gray-white. The wood is light and dense but not strong. It sands and turns easily and polishes to a fine luster.

American holly is diecious, meaning that both male and female plants are needed for fruit production. One male plant can provide pollen to three to eight female plants. It's possible to graft a male branch onto a female plant, thereby giving the plant its own built-in pollen source. I wonder why that isn't routinely done for home landscape plants; perhaps the shape of the tree is affected? If you know the answer, please e-mail jeffball@yardener.com.

Flowering begins about the fourth or fifth year. American holly flowers are creamy-white and small, with four tiny petals. Male flowers grow in small clusters where the leaves join the stems. Female flowers are solitary or in smaller clusters than the male flowers. Males have four stamens sticking up between the petals; females have bulb-like structures in the center, with little stalks rising from them. The flowers of both sexes appear in late spring or early summer, and pollination occurs thanks to bees, wasps, ants, yellow jackets, and night-flying moths.

Stunning 1/4-inch red berries appear on female trees in mid-autumn on the current year's growth. A few varieties sport yellow berries. The berries hang on into early spring unless devoured by songbirds, bobwhite, deer, squirrels, or wild turkey. American holly trees are a major food source for winter-migrating flocks of small birds such as the cedar waxwing and American goldfinch, and stands of hollies are an important fast food stop in their migrations.

Popular for Landscapes

American hollies have become popular as landscape plants and make excellent stand-alone specimen trees when planted singly and given sufficient space to grow. However, many homeowners choose to group them as hedges to screen their yards from neighbors

or traffic noise or to serve as background plantings. Some varieties lend themselves to topiary sculpture, espalier, or bonsai training. Several varieties are able to withstand salt spray and are recommended for use in seashore landscapes. There are hundreds of varieties of American holly, though most are not commonly used in the landscape industry. For that reason, it's not a good idea to recommend a species for use in all parts of its range. Regional differences among holly varieties are important for hardiness. Also important is good information. Seek advice from a reliable local nursery when looking for an American holly tree for your home landscape.

As noted earlier, holly branches are ideal as holiday decorations. After harvesting the berry-laden branches, slit the cut ends to help them absorb water and soak for 3 to 4 hours in a tub of room-temperature water. They last longest if kept in water to which a teaspoon of sugar has been added. Adding a half a cup of citrus-based soda (not diet) to a large container of water will also help prolong the life of the boughs and retard berry drop. The water should be changed every three days. Spraying the holly with an anti-transpirant will extend the life of boughs draped on lintels and mantels or incorporated into wreaths. Do not use live greens near fireplaces or lit candles.

Other Uses

Although holly lumber is not a major commercial material, it is sometimes used in building fine furniture. When made into a veneer, the wood will take a very fine finish. Holly lumber is also used for ship models, inlay work, and wood-turning. In the past it was also valued for use as wood block engraving, umbrella handles, and the backs of brushes. When stained black, holly resembles the much-sought-after African ebony wood. Consequently, holly is often used for the black keys on pianos and organs and for the pegs and fingerboards on violins.

The Right Place

The American holly's range corresponds roughly to the combined range for loblolly and shortleaf pines. Grow it from northern Florida as far north as the Ohio Valley, southern Pennsylvania, and west to Texas (zones 9 to 5). The habitat extends up the East Coast from Delaware to Massachusetts. Some varieties have been known to thrive in lower New York (zone 4) and central Michigan (zone 5) when situated in protected places. In general, plants with variegated leaves are less hardy.

American holly grows best in full sun. While it will definitely tolerate some shade, a tree located in full shade is likely to be less compact and produce fewer berries. Full shade also leaves it vulnerable to leaf spot diseases, especially in humid locations. A well-drained loamy soil that is fairly light, sandy, and acidic to neutral (pH 5.0 to 7.0) is ideal. Soils having higher pH (alkaline) cause poor growth and induce chlorosis (loss of green leaf color).

Plant male and female hollies within 300 feet of each other; a ratio of one male to between three and eight female plants will ensure a good crop of berries. Spring is best for planting, but you can put balled and burlapped or container-grown hollies in the ground in early spring or fall. Choose location carefully: After five or six years the tree is difficult to transplant because it has a central tap root with many lateral roots.

Caring for American Holly

American holly is prized as an easy-care tree for the home landscape. It won't need supplemental watering except when first planted, in droughts, or in late fall before the ground freezes for the winter. Even well-established trees will need watering during a severe drought. Hollies are sensitive to over-fertilization and each year need only one application of a slow-release granular fertilizer designed for acid-loving plants. Once or twice a year, give your holly a treat: an inch-deep mulch layer of used coffee grounds.

The tree will require some routine pruning to keep it in shape. Regularly pyramidal as young trees, they tend to become more open and irregular as they age. Some homeowners prune them to maintain a tighter shape. An American holly that has completely lost its shape can be heavily pruned, removing branches at their point of origin. Some prune hollies planted in groups into hedges. When shaping these shrubs, especially for hedges, do not cut lower branches shorter than higher ones, which would cause an inverted pyramid or vase-shape. Hollies that are narrower at the bottom than the top often lose these lower branches due to lack of sun; sometimes the whole shrub dies.

Surprisingly, December, when the plants are dormant, is the best time to prune holly. Actually you can lightly prune the tree almost any time during the year, but if you prune heavily after flowering or in summer, berry production is eliminated. Severe winter conditions, and sometimes soil deficiencies, may cause physiological problems such as sunscald and purple spot on the leaves of evergreen hollies. Winds blowing the spiny leaves together causes punctures in the foliage.

Spray holly leaves with anti-transpirant spray to protect surfaces from harsh winter sun and wind. Consider erecting a wind barrier of burlap or similar material (never use plastic!) around holly trees and shrubs that are exposed to prevailing winter winds. Spread winter mulch on the soil over the roots after the ground freezes.

Healthy American holly trees have few problems. If they do experience some stress, the insects that most often appear will be the leaf miner or scale. Leaf spot and mildew are two of the more common fungal diseases that will attack a stressed specimen.

The American holly has one more distinction probably worth mentioning. I have not taken the time to determine how many American native trees have deserved having a postage stamp published in their honor, but the American holly can boast its own. The leaves and berries were honored in a 32-cent issue in the fall of 1997. The Postal Service might be accused of taking advantage of the Christmas holidays to make a few extra bucks, but I think the American holly deserves the special attention. AF

Jeff Ball appears on NBC's "Today Show" as a gardening expert and writes online for yardener.com. [TOP]