Variegated English holly is an evergreen shrub in the holly family (Aquifoliaceae). It is a female cultivar noted for its shiny dark green leaves outlined with creamy white. This plant needs fertile acidic moist soil in full sun to partial shade. Give it additional water during drought conditions and protect from winter winds. It can be pruned in the winter and can be trained to grow as a large shrub. When pruning, keep in mind that next year's blossoms and berries will appear on new growth. It typically grows 15 to 40 feet tall and 10 to 20 feet wide in a pyramidal shape. This shrub will do best in areas with cooler summer nights such as the Pacific Northwest. This cultivar produces red fruits when male pollinizers are present. The beautiful dark green foliage of this shrub has white margins and is often used in Christmas greenery arrangements. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: No known diseases or insect pests. English holly is said to be a better ornamental tree than American holly ( Ilex opaca ) ; however, American holly has better winter hardiness. English holly tends to dislike cold winters (below 0 degrees F.) and hot and humid summers. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common diseases and insect pests. VIDEO created by Andy Pulte for “Landscape Plant Identification, Taxonomy and Morphology” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Tennessee. More information on Ilex aquifolium .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheIlex aquifoliumIlex 'Whoa Nellie'Ilex x meserveae