 | English Holly (Ilex Aquifolium)
Holly is an ideal hedging plant for many reasons. It is slow growing, so needs little maintenance, its dense form and prickly leaves are a good intruder deterrent, its berries on pollinated female plants provide food for native birds throughout the winter and it can be trimmed into a superb formal decorative hedge which provides an excellent windbreak and is also pollution resistant. English Holly is also a very popular choice to include in a native mixed hedge (its the only native evergreen) to provide some winter colour and protection for wildlife. Its leaves are glossy dark green and berries can be either red or orange. It grows by approx 10-15 cm p.a. and should be trimmed in autumn (and mid summer too if you wish). It likes full or partial shade and moist (but not wet) soil and is suitable for exposed sites, seaside gardens. To prevent hungry birds eating all the berries (so that there are some left for Christmas decorations), tie netting over selected stems or cut a few stems in early/mid December and stand them in a bucket of water in a cool shed and they should stay fresh. Always make sure there's plenty of alternative bird food available before reserving Holly branches for the Christmas decorations please!
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