S & J Nursery’s Guide to Growing
Oakleaf Holly / Red Holly
in the Northeast Florida Landscape
( Ilex x ‘Conaf ‘)
Oakleaf Holly Origins:
– Plant Hybrid Cross propagated comercially for its unique leaf shape and dense deep green foliage.
Oakleaf Holly Preferred Exposure:
– Oakleaf Holly trees will tolerate both full sun and full shade equally well
in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscape.
Oak Leaf Holly Foliage | Bark:
– Prized for its rich deep green glossy foliage, the Oakleaf
Holly remains evergreen in the winter season and has deep burgundy red colored new growth each spring.
– Bark of the Oakleaf Holly is rarely viewed in the landscape due to its full
lushly foliated growth habit, but is a light tan in color.
Oakleaf Holly Soil Preference / Salt tolerance:
– Characteristically similar most species of Holly trees, the Oakleaf Holly
prefer rich, slightly acidic well drained soils.
– Salt tolerance unknown
Oakleaf Holly Size Variance:
– The Oakleaf Holly can reach sizes of 10-15 feet H | 6-8 feet W depending
on pruning habits
Oakleaf Holly Ilex Conaf Growth Habit:
– Upright columnar growth habit, the Oakleaf Holly tends to be narrow taller
than it is wide and gradually widening from top to bottom in a Christmas tree shape.
Oak Leaf Holly Growth Rate:
– Slow growth rate makes the Oakleaf Holly an easilty managed landscape
plant for accenting the foundation of a home or used as a hedge or privacy screen.
Oakleaf Holly Bloom:
– Small white flowers in clusters in summer are followed by berries in the fall and winter.
– Unlike most members of the Ilex family, Oakleaf Hollys are hermaphroditic, they have both male and female flowers on each plant making them bloom and produce berries without an additional
pollinator holly needed.
Oakleaf 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 Oakleaf Holly in the winter months in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine area landscapes.
Best Uses For Oakleaf Holly in the North Florida | Jacksonville | St. Augustine
area Landscape:
– Oakleaf Hollys are an easy maintenance option when a norrow landscape accent is needed due to lack vertical space.
– The Oakleaf Holly also makes a great landscape specimen tree that will
require little effort on your part to maintain its beautiful form and lush deep green foliage.
– Oakleaf Hollys are a decorators dream each Christmas season with its
deep glossy green foliage with its characteristic Christmas Holly leaf shape and bright glossy red berries! Prune to your hearts content for long lasting cut foliage to decorate Christmas tables and wreaths, the more you prune for decorations, the prettier your holly tree will be next year!
Care of Oakleaf 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 fix 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 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