SOLVED: Type of Holly

Auburn, AL

I'm on a mission to get rid of the privet and Elaeagnus in my mixed hardwood woods in USDA zone 8A. As I am getting rid of the large privet I am seeing a fairly large number of what look like small hollies of some type. Most are less than two feet in height, but some are as much as 5 feet. I have not seen any berries on any of them. I prefer to have mostly native plants, but I'm not opposed to some non-natives so long as they are not invasive. Can anyone identify these based on just the image? And are they worth keeping?

Thumbnail by FarmerCharlieB
Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

That looks most like Ilex cornuta - Chinese Holly.

That is a popular species in the southern US. One of the most common selections is Burford Holly - Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'.

Cleveland,GA/Atlanta, GA(Zone 7b)

So are they worth keeping? Do hollies such as 'Burfordii' seed true? Birds seem to love the berries, especially cardinals, and nest in them come Spring. There is a row of 'Burfordii' separating us from neighbors in the city and 'Nellie R. Stevens' in pots on the decks. There are a number of unidentified volunteers sprouting on the property.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

And in a Plant ID forum during a Holly question, no less. The stars have truly aligned! Nibble on some fortune cookies, and let's advance some knowledge.

Rather than trusting your instinct, trust plant genetics in this case. Ilex sp. are what they call, er, promiscuous. If males and females are blooming at the same time, and they have insect interlocutors...they will get in on (at least on their pistils).

So, the parentage of most (all) holly seedlings are going to have some mixture from male pollen-bearing flowers on plants separate from the plants with female pistillate plants that bear the fruit. I don't think "seed true" is precise, but accurate depending on the male species that provides the pollen for the 'Burfordii' mommas.

Hollies with fruit that persist into/through winter are most often foraged by Mockingbirds and Robins here at Viburnum Valley. I suspect some other birds will take them, but with the I plants have observed near my deck for 30 years (Ilex decidua, Ilex verticillata, Ilex opaca), those are the two birds I can vouch for.

Auburn, AL

Quote from ViburnumValley :
That looks most like Ilex cornuta - Chinese Holly.

That is a popular species in the southern US. One of the most common selections is Burford Holly - Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'.

We have some Burford Holly planted in the yard near the house, and they don't seem to have the spikes like the ones I am finding in the woods. If it's Chinese Holly, do I need to try to get rid of it? I never really noticed it until I started clearing the privet. Now I just see isolated plants--not thickets like the privet and Elaeagnus. I guess I'll leave them be for now unless anyone has any other thoughts.

Scott County, KY(Zone 5b)

Hi FarmerCharlieB:

You are an observant fellow - and that's a good thing. I mentioned Burford Holly because they are the most common selection of Chinese Holly, and hoped you would be familiar with it. One reason it was selected is because it typically only has one spine on the leaf tip - much friendlier around gardening hands! It can also set copious fruit without a male pollinating plant around (termed, parthenocarpically). However, seedlings are not often not like parents when it comes to hollies, so it isn't surprising that you'll find seedlings expressing their true Ilex cornuta spiny heritage.

I wouldn't worry about leaving them. You can observe whether any are really handsome, and let them graduate into a more refined landscape through transplantation.

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