Top Tips: Growing Native American Hollies
- Nuts for Natives
- 22 hours ago
- 6 min read
Insights from Heartwood Nursery's holly walk.
On a bracingly crisp winter day, Sue Hunter of Heartwood Nursery led a group of about 40 on a walk through her holly forest on what was once farmland just twenty years ago. Did Sue land the part of a holly tree in a 4th grade winter time play? Yes, she did. Fast forward and today she is a self described, unabashed holly advocate and the propagator of the 2026 Holly Tree of the Year!
American hollies (Ilex opaca) are extremely resilient plants and found throughout Chesapeake country and particularly prevalent in southern New Jersey and Harford and Baltimore counties in Maryland. Male and female trees bloom in spring to early summer with very small white flowers. Sue says male holly trees are incredibly attractive to pollinators. These evergreen trees shed leaves in early spring. So if you see yellow leaves on your trees then, there is no cause for concern. American hollies grow best in sun to part shade with good drainage.
Selections versus Cultivars
Sue says somewhere around 98% of the American holly trees on the market are "selections" of trees. A selection is a naturally occurring variation of a straight species. Just as in the human population, within the same species of holly, there is variation. There are differences in leaf color, berry color, leaf shape, size and attributes, growth habits and more. If you have seen the American holly with gold berries that is likely a selection. A selection is a naturally occurring variety selected because of certain attributes the plant has.
American holly "Satyr Hill" (Ilex opaca 'Satyr Hill'), commonly available for sale. is a selection from an area outside of Towson, MD on Satyr Hill Road. It was selected for its dark green color, tendency to max out in height at 30 feet or so and habit of filling in gaps in its foliage. Likewise, Sue selected (and named) American Holly 'Sundown', which she found on the edge of her property. "Sundown' is a female holly with an elegant and elongated conical shape, a dark green color and very even distribution of berries. Sue says its strong leader branch makes it remarkable. SO remarkable that it has been named the American Holly Society's 2026 Holly of the Year! A 'selection' will reproduce by growing from seed.
Selections differ from cultivars. Cultivars are intentional hybrids of two different types of plants created by humans and intended to produce a new plant with particular attributes. In the native plant world, cultivars get a lot of attention because of research showing cultivars changing the color of foliage or the style of flower are less desirable to the insects native plant gardens aim to support. Cultivars will not grow true from seed and must be reproduced from cuttings.
Tips for Caring for Holly Trees
Since holly trees are so resilient they don't really need much care once established. They can be pruned to control height and shape but really thrive when left to their own devices. Holly trees are dormant in winter and also have somewhat of a dormant period in August according to Sue. She prefers pruning hollies in December and January reminding us that trees start waking up once the winter solstice has passed. Hollies do bloom on new wood - something to keep in mind while pruning. Hollies also respond well to rejuvenation pruning, described in more detail here.
Many hollies for sale in slightly larger sizes, and particularly straight species. will tend to develop multiple trunks. This is not problematic but also helps explains why a number of "selections" are made because of a tree's propensity to grow with a stronger leader or more conical shape. If you plant a small straight species, say under three feet or so, you can prune it as it grows to have a single trunk as I have with the tree above.
Holly trees are dioecious, meaning there are male and female trees. Both trees flower but only the female produces drupes which are commonly referred to as berries on holly trees. As Sue says, you don't hear about a lot of people decking the halls with sprigs of drupes!
To ensure the female tree produces berries, it's best to plant a male American holly tree within two hundred feet or so of the female tree. If your female tree is not producing berries and there is a male American holly nearby, the tree may just be too young. It can take sometimes up to 7 plus years for females to start producing berries. Weather and other factors beyond our control can also affect pollination so patience is the key!
Notable Holly Tree Selections
Short and Wide
American holly 'Maryland dwarf' (Ilex opaca 'Maryland dwarf') grows up to 8' wide and, once fully mature, may reach 7 or 8' in height but it grows horizontally rather than upwards and so is really a low growing holly shrub. Heartwood Nursery is the place where these can be most reliably found and several garden centers and native plant nurseries, including Lauren's Garden Service, sell them from time to time.
Yellow Berries
American holly 'Canary' (Ilex opaca 'Canary') is a tree that grows to 30' tall in a conical shape and has yellow berries. According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, this tree was grown from cuttings from a tree found in the Great Smoky Mountains many decades ago. Heartwood Nursery also sells American holly 'Goldie' (Ilex opaca 'Goldie'). More information about yellow fruited American hollies can be found here.
All Around Great Holly Tree
American holly 'Satyr Hill' is one of the top five selling native hollies. Having grown the straight species and 'Satyr Hill,' both so appreciated garden additions come winter, I can say 'Satyr Hill' is much tidier and neater growing in stature. Many hollies have multiple trunks going with no single leader. 'Satyr Hill' tends to have a stronger leader and as a result a more conical shape, perfect for more formal garden designs. The straight species are charming too because they are basically doing their own thing and create some interesting shape profiles. There are no wrong choices!
American holly 'Satyr Hill' is available at Heartwood Nursery, Kollar Nursery, Unity Church Hill Nursery other native plant nurseries and often at larger independently owned garden centers such as Stadler's Nursery and Merrifield's. Many retailers will also happily order specific trees for you.
Design: A Stand of American Hollies
In a few clearings along the holly forest walk, clusters of three hollies were planted quite close together. Simply stunning at this time of year. This is a great idea if you are looking to create a sense of discovery in your garden -- a technique often recommended by designers. The idea is, upon entering a garden or area of a garden, you can add interest by ensuring the area is not entirely immediately visible. Hiding part of an area creates a sense of mystery and encourages you to explore further to see what's around the corner. A trio of hollies allowed to keep their branches at ground level is a fabulous way to accomplish this and so great for wildlife.
Other Hollies
Hollies are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia and there are many, many types of hollies for sale at garden centers. Japanese hollies and English hollies abound. Nellie Stevens hollies (Ilex 'Nellie R. Stevens') are very commonly sold in our area and are a cultivar of Japanese and English hollies, so not native. The Japanese holly (Ilex crenata), a common one in garden centers is 'Sky Pencil,' is increasingly considered invasive in the eastern United States. If you want to plant the native holly, check the plant tag for the latin name "Ilex opaca." Also, please note a female American holly can only be pollinated by an American male holly.
Once you take a holly walk with Sue, it would be hard to look at American hollies the same way again!
Happy Gardening.
