S & J Nursery’s Guide to Growing
Eagleston Holly Trees
in The Northeast Florida Landscape
( Ilex Attenuata ‘Eagleston’)
Eagleston Holly Origins:
– Native cross resulting from the Florida native Dahoon Holly and the native
American Holly that was selected and propagated commercially for its dense foliage and bright red berries.
Eagleston Holly Preferred Exposure:
– Eagleston Holly trees will tolerate both full sun and full shade equally well in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape. They will tend, like other Holly cultivar to have more berries with more sunny exposures.
Eagleston Holly Foliage | Bark:
– Prized for its full growth habit and dense soft green foliage, the Eagleston Holly remains evergreen in the winter season.
– Bark of the Eagleston Holly is a light pale often mottled whitish grey.
Eagleston Holly Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
– Characteristics similar most species of Holly trees, the Eagleston Holly will
prefer rich, slightly acidic well drained soils.
– Salt tolerance unknown
Eagleston Holly Size Variance:
– The Eagleston Holly can reach sizes of 20-25′ H | 6-10′ W
Eagleston Holly (Ilex Attenuata) Growth Habit:
– Upright columnar growth habit and dense fully foliated branches, the Eagleston Holly tends to be narrow taller than it is wide and gradually widening from top to bottom in a Christmas tree shape.
Eagleston Holly Growth Rate:
– Slow growth rate makes the Eagleston Holly an easily managed landscape plant for accenting the foundation of a home or used as a hedge or privacy screen.
Eagleston Holly Bloom:
– Small white flowers in clusters in summer are followed by berries in the fall and winter.
Eagleston Holly Water Requirements:
– Water well during the establishment period and any time after that when you are trying to get your Holly to flush new growth or when attempting to correct a nutrient deficiency in the soil.
Butterfly or Bird Attracting:
– Birds love the berries produced by the Eagleston Holly in the winter months in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscapes.
Best Uses For Eagleston Holly in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine
area Landscape:
– Eagleston Holly’s are an easy maintenance option when a narrow landscape accent is needed due to lack vertical space.
– The Eagleston Holly also makes a great landscape specimen tree that will require little effort on your part to maintain its beautiful form and lush foliage.
– Prune branch tips each winter for Christmas season decorations that will last for weeks, the more you prune for decorations, the prettier your holly tree will be next year!
Care of Eagleston Holly:
– Water every day during the establishment period. See watering your newly planted trees for more information.
-They will need good water during the establishment period and supplemental irrigation when attempting to add soil nutrients or after pruning to help flush new foliage.
– Provide a 1 ft diameter circle of mulched area where grass is kept from growing for each inch of caliper (or diameter) of trunk measured 4 inches from the ground level.
– Fertilize each spring with a mixture of milorganite or ‘Green Edge’ and a slow release poly coated plant food such as Osmocote for acid loving plants or Stay Green general purpose plant food, sprinkling the fertilizer around the mulch circle underneath the foliage of the tree