Growing Holly Makes Holidays Jolly

The Symbol of the Holidays: Thriving Holly Plants in Southern California

We all recognize holly as a classic symbol of the holidays. What many people don’t know is that it’s easy to grow. Choose the right type of holly, Ilex, and you can enjoy festive berries in your garden every December.

Why Cornuta Holly Thrives in Southern California

The cornuta species of holly thrives in Southern California, said Wendy Proud, horticulturist and product manager for Monrovia nursery, a wholesale nursery that supplies holly to local nurseries.

“Cornuta holly likes our long, hot summers, which cause them to produce a lot of berries,” she said. “This species is also a good choice because it doesn’t need a pollinizer to produce fruit like many other hollies.”

Not only do their festive berries and decorative leaves make long-lasting decorations, hollies are also a good background plant the rest of the year, Proud added.

“Holly is a resilient, versatile, drought-resistant plant that can grow just about anywhere,” she said. “It makes a great barrier or security plant, as the foliage is usually prickly.”

Holly Berries and Their Benefits

Holly berries are also attractive to birds, said Steve Hutton, president of Conard-Pyle Co., a West Grove, Pa., wholesale nursery that specializes in holly.

“Contrary to popular opinion, no part of holly is poisonous,” Hutton said. “It is a perfectly safe plant to have in the garden.”

Popular Holly Varieties

Conard-Pyle Co. grows a variety of holly plants, including:

  • “Golden Girl” – An eye-catching yellow-berried form. Requires a male variety for pollination.
  • Berri-Magic Holly – A combination of two hollies ensuring cross-pollination. Produces red fruit and reaches 6-8 feet high and wide.
  • “Dazzler” – Known for its bright-red berries and glossy green foliage.
  • “Willowleaf” – A larger variety, reaching 15 feet or higher, with blood-red berries.
  • I. cornuta “Berries Jubilee” – Grows like a hedge, reaching 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, with cardinal-red berries.

Growing Tips for Holly

  • Plant in full sun.
  • Provide good drainage. Hollies thrive in well-drained soil. Amend heavy clay with perlite or pumice and plant holly on a slight mound.
  • Container Planting: Use an azalea and camellia mix for container planting.
  • Moisture: Keep hollies moist but not soggy. Once established (in about two years), they become drought-tolerant.
  • Fertilizing: Use organic fertilizers such as 10-6-4 or an acid-based liquid fertilizer designed for camellias and azaleas.
  • Watch for pests: Scale can be a problem in mild climates. If you see any, scrape them off gently or consult a nursery professional for treatment.

When you find a small infestation of scale, scrape it off with a finger or a knife, trying not to damage the stem. Or if you prefer, consult a certified nursery professional regarding the proper spray to use.

Additional Holly Care Tips

  • Flowering and Fruiting: Hollies generally flower in springtime, then fruit, but the fruit doesn’t ripen until late fall. Leaves and berries can be cut for holiday decorating, though young plants shouldn’t be stripped.
  • Pruning: Hollies tend to become open and loose in form if not trimmed. Prune and shape in the spring before the weather gets hot.

For more information, contact:

Monrovia: (888) 752-6848

Conard-Pyle Co.: (800) 458-6559

Julie Bawden-Davis

Julie Bawden-Davis is a bestselling journalist, novelist, blogger, and YouTuber. A prolific author, Julie writes in several genres. She enjoys creating page-turning suspense served up with a dose of romance, garden books that turn any brown thumb green, and spiritual books meant to enlighten and inspire. Widely published, Julie has written 45 books and more than 4,000 articles for a wide variety of national and international publications. She lives in Southern California, where she enjoys sunny, blue skies most days and year-round gardening. Julie gains inspiration from being surrounded by plants when she writes.