Scientific Name:
Ilex
x
altaclerensis
Pronunciation:
EYE-lecks ex al-tuh-clur-EN-siss
Common Name:
Highclere holly
Family Name:
Aquifoliaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Stem purplish; leaves glossy, ovate, dark green, margins variable (entire to spinose); fruit persistent red "berries" on female plants.
Habit:
Stiffly upright
Form:
Pyramidal - narrowly
Texture:
Medium - coarse
Mature Height:
10 - 15m
Mature Spread:
5 - 7m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Garden origin (I.aquifolium x I. perado)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Screening
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery, Pinnate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous, Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Oblanceolate, Ovate
Apices:
Mucronate
Bases:
Rounded
Margins:
Entire
Additional Info:
May be possible to find a few leaves with spinose margins.
Inflorescence Type:
Flowers solitary
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
White
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
May, Jun
Additional Info:
Flowers may appear to have both stamens and pistils but individual plants are functionally uni sexual.
Fruit Type:
Drupe
Fruit Colour:
Red
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov, Dec
Additional Info:
Showy, Persistent, berry-like: 4 - 6 seeds each with own hard endocarp (pyrenes) - slightly toxic to people (may cause vomiting and diarrhea)
Bark Morphology:
Prominent lenticels, Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey
Leaf Bud Type:
Rounded or globular
Leaf Scar Shape:
Triangular
Propagation:
Cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Leaf miner insect (Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
Specific Pests:
