Ilex cornuta - Chinese Holly

Plant Expert:

Michael Dirr

Ilex cornuta

Common Names:
Chinese Holly

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Origin:
	Eastern China, Korea

Sun/Water Requirements:

Can tolerate both shady and sunny conditions.
Moderate to dry conditions.
Dirr says: "Withstands considerable shade and still fruits respectably."

Climate / Hardiness Zones:
	Zone 6 to Zone 9 Dirr says: "very adaptable, pH adaptable, has survived the worst droughts on record in the southeastern United States; a good parental species for introducing heat tolerance into the progeny; based on observations any hybrid ('Nellie R. Stevens', 'China Boy', 'China Girl', 'John T. Morris', 'Lydia Morris') with I. cornuta as one parent performs reasonably well in the heat"

Growth:
	Range: Grows from 15' to 30'. Dirr says: "8 to 10' (15') and perhaps to 25', often wider than high at maturity. Bushy, dense rounded evergreen shrub, can be trained into a small tree. Stems and trunks become a lovely relatively smooth gray; some plants are grown as small trees and limbed up to show off the bark."

Flowers:
	Color(s): White Season(s): Spring Dirr says: "produced in prodigious quantities; male flowers have a sickenly sweet fragrance that is much more potent that the female's; late March - early April in Athens, GA."

Foliage:
	Broadleaf Evergreen Color: Leaves are dark green in the summer. Dirr says: "lustrous, leaves of old specimens show fewer spines, almost plastic in texture, 1 1/2 to 4" long, 1 to 3" wide with strong spines."

Fruit:
	Color: Red Season(s): Fall Dirr says: "Variable, form bright red to almost blood-red at least on some plants. 1/4 to 1/3" diameter round, borne on 1/3 to 5/8" long stalk, abundant, persisting through winter, handsome, discoloring and falling in cold winters about February."

Landscape Value:

Can be used as a foundation plant.
Can be used as a hedge plant.
Can be used as a grouping plant.

Dirr says: "the species is seldom used in contemporary landscaping but the cultivars are abused to the point of boredom. Certain situations warrant iron-clad, bullet-proof plants and I. cornuta and cultivars are the plants of choice. Tolerates "chain saw" pruning; overgrown specimens have been cut back 12 to 24" of the ground in late winter and produced new shoots that covered old trunks and stems by May - June."

Other:
	Is Resistant to Drought Is Heat Tolerant

Other Ilex cornuta References & Articles:

Nellie R. Stevens Holly - A Versatile Shrub for Your Tennessee Garden.
To ensure pollination and berry production, a male holly shrub, such as Chinese Holly (Ilex cornuta) should be planted near your Nellie R. Stevens Holly.

Plants with Berries Add Interest to Your Winter Garden in Virginia
Many hollies including Foster Holly, Chinese Holly, and Nellie R. Stevens Holly produce berries.

Arboretum Introductions -- Listed by Name
... ‘Purple Pride’ Holly to Viburnum HOLLY (Ilex) Ilex ‘Accent’ Ilex ‘Adonis’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Agena’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Ajax’ Ilex ‘Apollo’ Ilex ‘Clusterberry’ Ilex ‘Coronet’ Ilex ‘Elegance’ ...

Microsoft Word - plant intro list genus.doc
... macrophylla ‘Nigra’ ILEX (Holly) Ilex ‘Accent’ Ilex ‘Adonis’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Agena’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Ajax’ Ilex ‘Apollo’ Ilex ‘Clusterberry’ Ilex ‘Coronet’ Ilex ‘Elegance’ Ilex crenata ...

Microsoft Word - plant intro list common.doc
... uncinatum ‘Purple Pride’ HOLLY (Ilex) Ilex ‘Accent’ Ilex ‘Adonis’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Agena’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Ajax’ Ilex ‘Apollo’ Ilex ‘Clusterberry’ Ilex ‘Coronet’ Ilex ‘Elegance’ Ilex crenata ...

Arboretum Introductions -- Listed by Genus
... macrophylla ‘Nigra’ ILEX (Holly) Ilex ‘Accent’ Ilex ‘Adonis’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Agena’ Ilex x koehneana ‘Ajax’ Ilex ‘Apollo’ Ilex ‘Clusterberry’ Ilex ‘Coronet’ Ilex ‘Elegance’ Ilex crenata ...

Dogwood Collection
The Chinese dogwood, Cornus kousa, has lovely flaky bark with interesting patterns of tan, beige, ivory, ... Collections, Asian Collections, and the Holly Magnolia Collection are also within ...

Main Collections Page
... & Watnong Collections, Spruces, Firs, Japanese Maples) Holly and Magnolia Collections National Bonsai & Penjing Museum ... (Japanese, Chinese, North American, and International Pavilions)

State Trees
... grown in unlikely places like the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, and in southern China in classical Chinese gardens. ... American holly (Ilex opaca) state tree of DELAWARE

Ilex cornuta is hardy in these areas:

Alameda, CA	Alamo, CA	American Canyon, CA
Angwin, CA	Antioch, CA	Baltimore, MD
Bayside, NY	Bronx, NY	Brooklyn, NY
Brownsville, TX	Canton, MI	Charlottesville, VA
College Point, NY	Corona, NY	Danville, CA
Detroit, MI	Dublin, CA	East Elmhurst, NY
East Greenville, PA	East Texas, PA	Easton, PA
Ecorse, MI	El Cerrito, CA	Elmhurst, NY
Emmaus, PA	Essex, CA	Fairfield, CA
Fawnskin, CA	Ferndale, MI	Florence, SC
Flushing, NY	Fontana, CA	Forest Falls, CA
Forest Hills, NY	Fort Eustis, VA	Fremont, CA
Fresh Meadows, NY	Glen Burnie, MD	Gwynn Oak, MD
Hamtramck, MI	Harper Woods, MI	Harrison Township, MI
Highland Park, MI	Hunt Valley, MD	Jackson Heights, NY
Leasburg, NC	Lexington, NC	Liberty, NC
Linwood, NC	Little Neck, NY	Ludlow, CA
Macomb, MI	Marysville, MI	Maspeth, NY
Memphis, MI	Mercedes, TX	Middle Village, NY
Mission, TX	Modesto, CA	Moreno Valley, CA
Morgantown, WV	Mount Clemens, MI	New Baltimore, MI
New Haven, MI	New York, NY	Newark, CA
Newport News, VA	North Street, MI	Nottingham, MD
Oakland Gardens, NY	Oakley, CA	Oakville, CA
Olmito, TX	Orinda, CA	Parkville, MD
Penitas, TX	Pharr, TX	Phelan, CA
Philadelphia, PA	Pikesville, MD	Pinole, CA
Pinon Hills, CA	Pittsburg, CA	Pleasanton, CA
Pope Valley, CA	Port Costa, CA	Port Isabel, TX
Progreso, TX	Redlands, CA	Rego Park, NY
Rialto, CA	Ridgewood, NY	Rimforest, CA
River Rouge, MI	Rosedale, MD	Saratoga, CA
Soquel, CA	Sparrows Point, MD	Staten Island, NY
Taylor, MI

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