Holly Deserving Of Wider Popularity

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31321, 17 March 1967, Page 6

Holly Deserving Of Wider Popularity

Some 300 species of holly, both evergreen and deciduous, are to be found growing in almost all parts of the world. However, there are not any indigenous to Australia or New Zealand.

It is indeed startling to know of the existence of so many species, for one usually associates the holly with the common Ilex aquifolium and its numerous forms which has derived its name from the evergreen oak, Quercus, ilex.

It has been difficult to discover why these hardy plants have not gained greater popularity, but the suggestion that there are so many other worth-while, and certainly quicker-growing, plants to choose from could be partly true. This may apply equally to buyer and seller. However, as has been rightly pointed out by Mr R. E. Harrison one need only go through some of the more typical American

catalogues to appreciate the range of holly available. Generally this genus has alternate, stalked leaves which may be toothed or entire, that is with unbroken margins. The flowers are small, whitish, rather insignificant, rising from the leaf axils in spring and early summer. They are unisexual, and only the female plants bear berries. Many of the best foliaged plants are males. The fruit is usually black or red (most of the red-berried species have yellow-berried varieties). Although usually called a berry, it is actually a drupe. A drupe is a succulent fruit consisting of a fleshy outer skin or layer and a hard inner layer enclosing a single seed or several seeds.

They do well in any good, well-drained loam, in sun or shade, and are capable of withstanding considerable wind. Most form dense canopies of foliage which is retained to the ground. This factor, and the fact that they are readily trained and shaped besides giving considerable beauty in leaf and fruit, make them worthy of consideration if only for shelter, even though they may be slower growing than many other trees and shrubs. To obtain berried specimens it is essential to select female forms. Ilex aquifolium, as previously mentioned, is the common holly, native to parts of Asia, Europe and Britain. It is, of course, well known as a symbol of Christmas in the northern hemisphere. It may be either male, female or unisexual, but all the varieties of it are unisexual. The leaves tend to be very variable in size, outline and toothing, but the latter tend to disappear towards the upper reaches of good-sized specimens until the top is reached, when the leaves may be almost all entire.

A similar phenomenon can be observed in the accompanying photograph which shows Ilex aquifolium Aurea Marginata. Where this one is growing it has been labelled Aurea Regina, which is certainly a mistake because, as can be clearly seen, it is a berried specimen. However, in this case it is considered that the entire margined, flattish leaves are an indication of the influence of its Initial derivation.

Ilex aquifolium Aurea Regina (Golden Queen) is considered to be the finest of all the variegated golden hollies. The leaves are quite large, margined with deep yhllow, although it is possible to find some which are wholly yellow. Ilex aquifolium Aurea Marginata is the berried form of Golden Queen. Ilex aquifolium Argentea Regina (Silver Queen) is a cream variegated variety, again the best of its sort. It has added attraction because the young wood has a purplish tinge. As with the Golden Queen it is a male, and berried forms are represented by Ilex aquifolium Argenta Marginata. Ilex aquifolium Fruetu Luteo is a yellow berried variety. All varieties mentioned so far will grow to 15 feet. Hex aquifolium Ferox, the Hedgehog Holly, has small leaves which are marginal and centrally spiked. It is a slow-growing, purple-barked shrub which may in time attain a height of eight to nine feet. Ilex comuta, the Chinese horned holly, forms a wide, dense, round bush which grows to about 10 feet. It has dark glossy green, variablysized and shaped leaves with red berries which are a little larger than those of the common holly but less freely produced.

Ilex crenata is known as the Japanese holly. It is a native of Japan and is widely grown. The leaves are very small and pointed, foliage is dense and rigid and berries are black It attains a height of five to nine feet. Ilex pernyi is a native of China. It bears pale yellow flowers, in contrast to all the others mentioned so far which have dull white ones, followed by freely-produced small red berries. The dense foliage is composed of stiff branches which bear dark, glossy, almost triangular, long-spined leaves. It grows about 10 feet high. Although there are many more which are worthy of mention such as Hex acquifolium wateriana, a denselyf( iaged, dwarf, yellow-bor-dered, green-leafed variety, or Hex serrata, a spreading deciduous holly, perusal of available catalogues has failed to show that they can be had here, in any numbers at any rate.