Osmanthus Goshiki and others, less lethal than holly?

Reading about Osmanthus false-holly Goshiki. Are the leaves of Osmanthus generally softer and less lethal than 'real' holly? Do they look sharp but feel not quite so stiff? I have Burford and american hollies and those leaves, when dry, are really really spiky.

The leaves look pretty lethal to me! I have Oak Leaf hollies (Ilex x 'Conaf'), which have leaves that are less prickly but still deer-resistant. I can attest to the fact that the spines don't draw blood if you brush against them. They are very low-maintenance; all I've had to do (besides fertilize, of course) is prune the top of the fastest-growing one so that it branches out as it grows up. The downside is that mine haven't produced berries. Someone recently told me they aren't known for their berry production.

Bite your tongue, Muddy1 - and whomever said that about any holly!

If you have all the same clone, then you simply don't have an appropriate pollinating partner. I don't grow the one you mention - 'Conaf', with trademark name Oakleaf - but I'm sure that there is a plant to pair it with. I'll read up on that batch - seems like there are four or five different ones, termed the Red Hollies - and see which are males and which are females. If Oakleaf is one of the males, well, there's your answer.

As for you, Miss sallyg...all I have to say is:

**Ilex verticillata
**Ilex decidua
**Ilex glabra
**Ilex crenata
**Ilex vomitoria
**Ilex opaca 'Chief Paduke'

and so many more!

Need to sign up any of you that are latent Ilex-ophiles - see HSA propaganda herein:

http://www.hollysocam.org/

I'm interested in learning what you find out about Oak Leaf. They are hermaphrodites, but obviously require something mine aren't getting.

I have several other Ilex species in my yard, but don't know what they are. One is probably Ilex opaca, several are mystery volunteers, and a few others came from my sister's yard. Maybe now that the all of them are getting more sun, I'll start seeing berries.
I'll buy whatever it is that the Oak Leaf's need to be fruitful, though.

Found lots of indefinite information. I also found that nurseries show great pictures of plants only in foliage - very few with fruit evident. I wouldn't buy the line that they are "self-fruitful". You can determine that yourself by observing the plants in flower, and seeing if you have male AND female flowers.

Yes, sunnier locations help hollies flower more, and this leads to potentially more fruit.

Parentage of all the Red Hollies are seedlings of 'Mary Nell', which itself has the mixed parentage of Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii', Ilex pernyi 'Red Delight', and Ilex latifolia. Any males of those species or their clones - with overlapping bloom times - should provide pollen to the Red Hollies.

Show us images of your other hollies, and we can try to ID them for you.

That's all nice information and don't get me wrong, I'll happily add hollies when/where I can.
For now I am fostering about a dozen volunteers of I assume, American hollies.

But I'm writing about a few evergreens to try and Osmanthus Goshiki is in our Home Depots this fall. I took pictures but did not feel them. Now I read that they are softer to the touch than hollies. I just wondered if someone could affirm, or if that was a piece of propaganda.
1,2 Goshiki
3 some Holly for sale there
4- some Boxwood there- anyone care to guess variety? I'll go back and check a tag if I use this picture.

Thanks, VV: "Indefinite information" is a good way to describe it ! I think I bought them because they are supposed to reach the height and width I wanted, be deer-resistant, and be self-fruitful, in that order of priority. The one that receives afternoon sun is taller, of course, but both are on track to reach the listed height.
I'll take you up on your offer to i.d. my rag-tag bunch of hollies...will post photos by this weekend.

Sally: I can't remember whether you're one of the unfortunate millions of gardeners who have to contend with deer browsing, but if so, I recommend sticking with, if not embracing, prickly hollies. The hollies with few or no spines, like Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens', are supposed to be deer candy.

I can attest to the fact that Ilex verticillata is deer candy. They ate mine the very first night they were in the ground. They ate ones a neighbor planted as well.

If VV or someone else doesn't beat me to it, I'll try to help i.d. the other Home Depot shrubs later!

I had the good fortune of delivering mint chocolate truffles to a dear friend on his 67th birthday today. As he states it: "I've gained a year, since I thought I was turning 68!"

He has one of these 'Goshiki' rascals in his back yard, and I took the opportunity to fondle it. It is prickly, but not more so than any Ilex opaca I've run across. The newest growth that has not yet hardened off (!) is softer, but the majority of the plant feels like it looks - spiny.

Not trying to race Muddy1, but #3 looks like a variegated English Holly - maybe Ilex aquifolium 'Variegata'. There are a bunch of them.

#4 could be Buxus sempervirens 'Elegantissima'. There are a bunch of variegated Boxwood, too.

You don't need to join their society, though...

Hey thanks for the plant fondling…one the odder favors one can be asked? I'm going to drop the comment about it being notably soft. I kind of thought that was somebody's BS that kept getting reposted verbatim.

You may carry on with all sorts of Holly hoohah here, if you'd like.

No, I do not worry about deer here, they are rare passersby.

Fondling the holly was above and beyond the call of duty, VV ! Thanks for the i.d.'s, too...it would have taken me a lot longer than either one of you.

Sally, perhaps that BS is somewhat akin to the claims about Oak Leaf hollies' being fruitful and mutiplying?

Personally, I would rather hug a holly than a Miscanthus. I have, in fact, had to hug Miscanthus in order to corral them and keep them from flopping over on the other plants in one of my beds. I'm getting rid of the last one this year because they cut up my arms and make them itch too.

I had osmanthus Goshiki many years ago, but lost it.
But one of it's siblings, O heterophyllus Sasaba, is thriving in my yard
and has very prickly leaves. I recall Goshiki leaf texture was a little finer than Sasaba, but still prickly.

Thanks, Weerobin!