Scientific Name:
Ilex crenata
cvs.
Pronunciation:
EYE-lecks kruh-NAY-tuh
Common Name:
Japanese holly
Family Name:
Aquifoliaceae
Plant Type:
Broadleaf evergreen
Key ID Features:
Dense, evergreen shrub, most cvs. 90-120cm tall; leaves alternate, most cvs. ovate-elliptic, 0.6-2.5cm long x 0.4-1.2cm wide, closely spaced, alternate-spirally arranged (compared to opposite leaves of boxwood), glossy, dark green, margin with 2-4 small teeth with tiny glands on points; drupes on female plants round, black, ~6mm wide.
Habit:
Dense, Spreading, Stiffly upright, Twiggy
Form:
Round
Texture:
Fine
Mature Height:
0.7 - 1.3m
Mature Spread:
1.0 - 1.5m
Growth Rate:
Moderate
Origin:
S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun, Filtered shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Container planting, Filler, Group or mass planting, Mixed shrub border, Screening, Sheared hedge, Topiary
Additional Info:
Google. Cultivars shown or on campus may include
I. 'Convexa' (small, evergreen shrub with very small leaves that are rubbery, glossy, convex i.e. with margins turned downwards,
I. 'Helleri' (low spreading evergreen shrub with small elliptic leaves with a few notches, small leaves, 13mm long, 2-4 teeth on each side, frequently young leaves are yellowish), and
I. 'Mariesii' (small, very dense, evergreen shrub; leaves alternate and very closely spaced, almost spiral, <1cm long, almost round, glossy, concave, and serrate with tiny glands on points).
Columnar cultivars include I. 'Sky Pencil'.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Leathery
Surfaces:
Lustrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green
Colour in Fall:
Dark-green
Shapes:
Elliptic, Obovate
Apices:
Acute, Obtuse
Bases:
Obtuse
Margins:
Entire
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme
Flower Morphology:
Dioecious plant
Number Of Petals:
4
Corolla Shape:
Cruciform
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, White, Green
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:
Black
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Fruit insignificant, Berry-like: 4-6 seeds each with own endocarp (pyrenes)
Bark Morphology:
Smooth
Bark or Stem Colour:
Brown
Propagation:
Softwood cuttings, Hardwood cuttings
Maintenance:
Low
Pest Susceptibility:
Leaf miner insect, Mites, Root rot (Pest resistant, Disease resistant, Deer resistant, Drought tolerant)
Course(s):
- HORT 2355
Location(s):
- (CGW) Community Garden West
- (ONW) Overpass North side West
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab
- (TFLW) Turf Field Lab West : q.3