The easy-care holly is an attractive eye-catcher, not just in the summer garden. Even in winter it offers a welcome change from the dreary gray with its berry-studded branches. The berries, which are poisonous to humans, are also popular bird food.
What are the properties of holly?
The holly (Ilex) is a hardy, evergreen shrub that grows slowly and is easy to care for. It requires a bright location with low-lime soil, does not tolerate waterlogging, is thirsty and thrives more quickly in the sun. Warning: Its leaves and berries are poisonous to humans, but they serve as winter food for birds.
Different types of holly
The evergreen and hardy Ilex is best known for its dark green, shiny foliage and red berries in autumn. But there are also variants with different colored berries or colorful foliage. This can, for example, have cream or yellow leaf edges. What they all have in common, however, is that the leaves and berries are poisonous. However, they are a popular winter food for birds.
In addition to the various types of European holly, the Japanese holly is also attracting increasing attention from local gardeners. It is also quite easy to care for and is well suited as an outdoor bonsai or for planting a hedge.
Planting the holly
If you want to do something good for your holly, then place this plant in a bright place where the soil is low in lime and slightly moist. The Ilex, which generally grows slowly, grows a little faster in the sun than in a shady spot. The Ilex generally tolerates waterlogging poorly. However, it is very resistant to pests and diseases.
Caring for the holly
The holly does not require much care, especially if the location is well chosen. She is quite thirsty and therefore needs a lot of water. However, it only needs fertilizer if the soil is unsuitable and has poor nutrients (€11.00 on Amazon). However, he has no objection to a portion of compost in the spring.
The most important things in brief:
- easy care
- hardy
- relatively thirsty, but cannot tolerate waterlogging
- grows faster in the sun than in the shade
- basically slow growing
- toxic to humans and many animals
- important winter food for native birds
Tip
If you want to plant a holly in your garden, get it from a specialist store and not from the forest, where it is protected.
