When you hear holly bushes mentioned you automatically picture the holiday season and the green leaves and red berries. You may be surprised to learn that there are many different types of holly bushes.

Facts

There are over 400 types of holly. They range from bushes to hedges to tall trees. They are an adaptable plant and can be found in almost every country in the world.

Most Common Types

The English holly is the most common, with its spiny green leaves and red berries, often associated with Christmas. The Chinese holly produces berries of dark red, orange or yellow and have spiny, shiny green leaves. The Japanese holly has bright black berries and evergreen leaves. The Inkberry holly also produces berries that are black in color. The blue holly produces red berries, but the leaves have a bluish-green hue.

Function

There are male and female holly plants; in order for the holly to produce berries the male and female plants must be near each other. This is necessary for most holly bushes.

Versatilty

While hollies are commonly chosen for fill plants in landscapes due to their smaller size, they also can be found in medium and large sizes to create a hedge or larger holly bush as your main focus.

When to Plant Holly Bushes

The best time to plant holly bushes is in the fall, especially in warm climates. You can start with seeds, but it will be awhile before you see anything from them. It's easier to plant an already-growing holly bush. Holly bushes will last through the winter months. Make sure they have plenty of sunlight and you give them adequate water in the summer months.

How to Feed Holly Bushes

Holly bushes produce broad, shiny green leaves with protruding spines around the edges and bright berries that range from light orange to fiery red. Many gardeners and homeowners landscape them as large, round topiaries, especially in places with cold, snowy winters.

Evergreen hollies offer welcome spots of color during the winter months. They require little care other than some winter pruning and proper feeding. Fertilizing hollies helps them produce their signature red berries and keeps their leaves shiny and dark.

Apply fertilizer around your hollies in spring or fall. Spring feedings absorb best after the ground is thawed but before new growth begins. Autumn feedings absorb best after the weather is steadily below 50 degrees Fahrenheit but before the ground freezes. Feeding at either time helps support new spring growth.

Pour small handfuls of evergreen fertilizer around the bases of your hollies about 6 inches from the central trunk. Wear garden gloves to protect your skin.

Smooth the layer to about 1 inch thick with your hands.

Drop small piles of fertilizer around your hollies with a spade starting at the edge of your hand-poured band, stretching outward and ending under the longest holly branch. This marks the edge of the drip line, or the farthest point from which the branches drip water after rain. Drop the piles as evenly as possible.

Rake the piles of fertilizer smooth and even. Use short, firm strokes to push the piles into a 1-inch layer.

Tips & Warnings

The numbers on fertilizer refer to the amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium in the fertilizer. For instance, 10-20-10 fertilizer strengthens holly leaves and the bush's internal structure.