Plant: Burford - Holly
Holly · Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'
Size: 15 gal
Light
Bloom
Mature size
More about this plant
Burford holly is a dense broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree growing 10 to 25 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, with glossy dark leathery leaves carrying a single terminal spine. Small dull white fragrant flowers open in spring and are followed by abundant round bright red berries that persist through winter and draw songbirds. It is low maintenance and easy to grow in full sun to partial shade on well drained acid to neutral soil, and tolerates deer, drought, heat and salt. Use it as a barrier, screen, clipped hedge or specimen.
- Full Sun
- Grows to 25 ft tall and 15 ft wide
- Blooms in spring
- Hardy in USDA zones 7-9
- Evergreen foliage
Plant description
Burford holly is a dense broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree growing 10 to 25 feet tall and 8 to 15 feet wide, with glossy dark leathery leaves carrying a single terminal spine. Small dull white fragrant flowers open in spring and are followed by abundant round bright red berries that persist through winter and draw songbirds. It is low maintenance and easy to grow in full sun to partial shade on well drained acid to neutral soil, and tolerates deer, drought, heat and salt. Use it as a barrier, screen, clipped hedge or specimen.
- Flowers
- Small dull white flowers about one quarter to one third inch in diameter open in spring and attract bees.
- Foliage
- Alternate, simple, glossy dark green leathery leaves with a single terminal spine.
- Fruit
- Abundant round fleshy bright to dull red berries persist into winter.
- Bark & stems
- Slender yellow green to gray green stems turn reddish green in winter; light gray bark becomes finely flaky with size.
- Pruning
- Prune in late winter if needed to control size; next year's blossoms and berries form on new growth.
- Native range
- Eastern China, Korea
