American Holly

As low as $89.69 was $129.99
Availability: In stock
SKU
5896

The American Holly (Ilex opaca) also called the White Holly or Christmas Holly and is one of the most familiar, easily-recognized Holly around! It is a small tree or shrub with striking foliage that's perfect for privacy hedges and year-round screening. This Holly is as durable as it is beautiful and you will enjoy its dense green broad-leaved evergreen foliage all year!

The American Holly is easy to identify. It has thick, smooth, dark green, spiny leaves that are yellowish-green underneath. Unlike some Hollies, the American Holly keeps its foliage from top to bottom for the life of the tree when grown in open full sun.

The flowers of the American Holly typically appear in May and are delicate spring accents the pollinators will love! American Holly requires male trees are needed to pollinate female trees to produce the classic red Holly berries around September to November. These fruits persist from fall through most of the winter and birds love the berries! Enjoy winter interest and color throughout USDA growing zones 5 to 9 with this easy-going native selection!

Planting and Application:

Great for a privacy hedge and noise barrier, but its natural pyramidal shape also makes it a perfect ornamental tree for any yard for full sun to part shade. Because it does well in part shade it is also a wonderful choice as an understory or edge of the woods plant.

You will not only love having fresh Holly branches to decorate your house during the winter months, but you will also be doing a great service for the small animals and birds in your neighborhood. During the winter the American Holly is an important source of food for the birds and provides a safe haven for shelter and nests in its thick foliage.

Train into a single-trunk specimen for a delightfully ornamental evergreen tree by simply removing the lowest branches from the main trunk. This Holly creates an amazing small accent tree for a private corner of your yard, or punctuating a garden bed! Try one at a corner of your foundation planting for effortless good looks.

  • Deep Glossy Green Pointed Foliage
  • Native Broad-Leaved Evergreen
  • Can Be Trained As A Shrub or Small Tree
  • White Flowers Precede Brilliant Red Berries
  • Requires A Male Holly For Pollination & Berries
  • Winter Interest & Winter Décor
  • Hedges, Specimens & Bird-Friendly Privacy

#ProPlantTips for Care:

The American Holly loves a slightly acidic, moist soil, but it must be well drained or it will not be happy. It also can grow in more shade than any other Holly variety (although it will do best in full sun!). These tough plants can withstand poor soil, as long as the drainage is good. Plant it in well-drained soil for best results in any kind of slightly acidic location and give them 3-4 inches of pine bark arborist mulch over the root system to maintain acidity, retain moisture, and insulate the roots. Best in moderate moisture throughout the growing season and provide a good drink before winter. They'll survive through a moderate drought. Once established, they can even tolerate neglect. The best time for pruning is early spring and you can prune evergreen Holly into to most any shape or form.

  • Full Sun to Part Shade
  • Moderate Moisture Needs
  • Acidic Well-Drained Soil Types
  • Prune Very Early Spring
  • Plant Multiples or Male Holly For Increased Pollination & More Berries

Choose a traditional broad-leaved evergreen Holly that's great for privacy screens and year-round interest! The American Holly has easy care native requirements with high-styled pyramidal growth! Order yours now at NatureHills.com!

Buying Options for Plants

Nature Hills sells a large variety of plants with several options available. Plants are offered in both potted containers and as dormant bare root without soil. Here is a helpful resource to understand your options as you create a beautiful landscape with help from Nature Hills.

Ever wonder what a larger plant will mean for your landscape? Container Sizes are really all about the age of the plant!

Seasonally, Nature Hills offers hand selected, high quality bare root trees, shrubs and perennials. Bare root plants are sold by height from the top of the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may be taller than the height minimums.

  • Popular sizes of select trees are 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, etc.
  • Popular sizes of select bare root plants is 1 foot, 18 inches, etc.

Nature Hills Container Size by Volume

Keep in mind, specific varieties and different growing conditions can affect the rate at which plants grow. Variations in size may occur.

Young Plants to 18 Months
Size Volume
2"x2"x3" Ranges from .18 to .21 dry quarts / .198 to .23 dry liters in volume
4.5" Container Equal to .65 dry quart / .72 dry liter in volume
Sprinter Pot Equal to .63 dry quart / .69 dry liter in volume
4" Container Ranges from .31 to .87 / .35 to .96 dry liter in volume
6" Container Equal to 1.4 dry quarts / 1.59 dry liters in volume
1 Quart Equal to 1 dry quart / 1.1 dry liter in volume
5.5" Container Equal to 1.89 of a dry quart / 2.08 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x5" Ranges from .8 to 1.1 dry quarts / .88 to 1.2 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x6" Ranges from 1.0 to 1.3 dry quarts / 1.1 to 1.41 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x9" Ranges from 1.1 to 2.1 dry quarts / 1.2 to 2.3 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x10" Ranges from 1.7 to 2.3 dry quart / 1.87 to 2.53 dry liters in volume
Plants 18 Months - 2.5 Years Old
Size Volume
2 Quart Equal to 2 dry quarts / 2.2 dry liters in volume
#1 Container Ranges from 2.26 to 3.73 dry quarts / 2.49 to 4.11 dry liters in volume
5"x5"x12" Equal to 3.5 to 4.3 dry quarts / 3.85 to 4.74 dry liters in volume
Plants 2 - 4 Years Old
Size Volume
#2 Container Ranges from 1.19 to 1.76 dry gallons / 5.24 to 7.75 dry liters in volume
#3 Container Ranges from 2.32 to 2.76 dry gallons / 10.22 to 12.16 dry liters in volume
Plants 3 - 5 Years Old
Size Volume
#5 Container Ranges from 2.92 to 4.62 dry gallons / 12.86 to 20.35 dry liters in volume
#6 Container Ranges from 5.25 to 6.01 dry gallons / 23.12 to 26.42 dry liters in volume
#7 Container Ranges from 5.98 to 6.08 dry gallons / 26.34 to 26.78 dry liters in volume

About Plant Sentry™

Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.

This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.

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Plant Sentry

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.
Color Zone Times
3 Spring 2019
4 Now
5 Now
6 Now
7 Now
8 Now
9 Now
10 Now
11 Now

Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From To S&H
0 - 19.99 24.99
20 - 49.99 29.99
50 - 69.99 34.99
70 - 99.99 39.99
100 - 129.99 44.99
130 - 149.99 48.99
150 - 150+ Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

PLANT HIGHLIGHTS

American Holly Is Suited to Grow in Zones 5-9
Growing Zones 5-9
More Information
Brand Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name Ilex opaca
Type Broad-Leaved Evergreen
Mature Height 30 - 50 feet
Mature Spread 15 - 30 feet
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Widely Adaptable
Moisture Moderate
Growth Rate Medium
Foliage Color Deep Green
Fall Color Evergreen
Pollinator Friendly Yes
Pruning Time Early Spring