Gardeners in cold regions have a difficult decision to make. Should they wrap their shrubs for the winter or not? Personally, I think these wrappings are ridiculous: why plant “four-season plants”—plants that stand out in the snow, such as trees, shrubs, and conifers—and then wrap them up like mummies for five months? All you have to do is plant varieties that can withstand our winters and don’t need any protection, that’s all. But what can you do when the plant you really want to grow can’t grow any other way?
This is the case with holly (Ilex). Two features make them stand out from the crowd: their evergreen, dark green, thick, shiny foliage with sharp edges, and their red berries that remain throughout the winter. It is the ultimate Christmas plant!
Unfortunately, evergreen holly is not very hardy. It tends to freeze in winter. So in November, you see people wrapping it in burlap, geotextile, or various wooden structures to protect it from the cold (or rather from the drying winds, which are often even more damaging). But this is nonsense! Read any book on the subject and you’ll be told, “Hawthorns are mainly planted for their beautiful winter effect.” Why even plant hawthorns if you have to cover them for the winter and miss out on the best part?
But there are solutions for growing hawthorns that will be perfectly visible in winter without suffering from the cold. Here’s how to do it:
Blue Holly
Blue holly (Ilex × meserveae) is a hybrid between I. rugosa, an extremely hardy holly with a prostrate habit, and I. aquifolium, a large tree with beautiful leaves but low hardiness. This results in a medium-sized shrubby holly, approximately 1–1.2 m × 1–1.5 m. They bear names such as ‘Blue Princess’, ‘Blue Maid’ and ‘Blue Girl’ for females and ‘Blue Prince’, ‘Blue Stallion’ and ‘Blue Boy’ for males (to get fruit, you must always plant at least one male holly for every 7 to 8 females). These holly trees are commonly available in nurseries, but lack a little hardiness: they are zone 5b (4b in a very wind-protected location).
But you can grow blue holly successfully without protection by following a few rules. First, avoid windy locations. You should also avoid full sun, as the repeated freezing and thawing of sunny sites is just as harmful to them as the wind. Ideally, you should plant them in partial shade or on the east side, with conifers or shrubs to the north and west to block the wind. Also, mulch the soil generously in November (10 to 15 cm, 4 to 6 inches, of shredded dead leaves will do), as well-mulched soil freezes less deeply and allows the evergreen leaves of the holly to drink even in winter.
La dernière règle est de les protéger quand même de jute ou de géotextile le premier hiver, le temps qu’ils s’enracinent correctement.
Chinese Holly
But there are holly trees that are even hardier than blue holly. Ilex ‘China Girl’ (female) and ‘China Boy’ (male) are the result of crossing I. rugosa (zone 4) with I. cornuta (zone 5). This produces a holly that is perfectly hardy in zone 4b. It is still wise to avoid very windy locations and to shelter them during their first winter, but otherwise, success is guaranteed.
The only catch? These two extra-hardy holly varieties are rarely available at local nurseries!
My suggestion? Ask your favorite nursery to order some ‘China’ holly for next spring. That way, in two or three years, your yard will be beautifully colored all winter long!
Larry Hodgson has published thousands of articles and 65 books during his career, in both French and English. His son, Mathieu, has made it his mission to make his father’s writings accessible to the public. This text was originally published in Le Soleil on November 12, 2011.
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