Friday, January 2, 2009

Ilex verticillata 'Sunsplash'

This is a rather new plant in our garden, though I don't think it's all that new on the market. It is a deciduous holly with a splashed variegation. There are plenty of variegated hollies, but they tend more to the edged types and most that we have are Ilex aquifolium which is only marginally hardy here. They are lovely, but after 4 years, still tiny at only about 2 feet tall each and require a burlap wrap for the winter in our zone 6 climate. This one is a small shrub and quite noticeable. Can't remember the berry color, and since it's still dark outside, I'm not going out right now to check. Red or orange, probably, though we have several with white berries. I think I'll tell you a bit about them tomorrow.
Weird weather here this winter so far. We've had horrible cold, and then recently had a day where the temperature hit 70 and I was out weeding in a t-shirt. Now that's my idea of a Christmas present.
Jane

2 comments:

Lona said...

I have never seen the variegated. It looks lovely. Since it has not grown much it may do well in smaller gardens. Does it need a male and female also? The weather here in Ohio has been very strange.Welcome back on the blog circuit.
Lona

Hoot Owl Hollow Nursery said...

All hollies need a male and female, but they don't necessarily have to be the same species, only both Ilex and blooming at the same time. Charts of blooming times of hollies are pretty common since everyone wants berries. They don't have to be right next to each other either, only somewhere in the neighborhood. Our holly tree in the back yard when I was growing up always had berries and we had no idea where the male was, though it had to be somewhere in the neighborhood. These shrub hollies eventually seem to get to about 6-10 feet tall and more upright than wide. They are quite striking, even from a distance when they are covered with berries.
Jane