Ilex aquifolium 'Moonlight' (English Holly)

Interesting Facts

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Common Names

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Common Names in English:

English Holly

Description

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Genus Ilex

Usually dioecious shrubs or trees . Leaves coriaceous , often spinose and shiny above; stipules caducous . Flowers 4-5-merous, bisexual or unisexual with vestigial remains of either sex. Corolla rotate. Style absent or obsolete , stigma lobed . Drupe fleshy , pyrenes 2-5, rarely more.

400 species, tropical and subtropical areas of both hemispheres. Represented in Pakistan by 2 species (excluding 1 cultivated species) .[1]

Physical Description

Habit: Evergreen .

Flowers: White flowers. Blooms in mid-spring. Atrracts bees and butterflies. • Bloom Period: April, May. • Flower Color: near white, white

Seeds: Fruit: Females produce red berries in fall and autumn if a male of the same species is within 100 feet. Many migrating birds, such as robins, will gorge on the fruit.

Foliage: Tiny, narrow, dark green, shallowly toothed , oval to ovate glossy evergreen . • Fall foliage: Green

Size/Age/Growth

Growth Rate: Slow to moderate. • Size: 8-10' tall.

Landscaping

Care: Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish a deep, extensive root system . Feeding should be done in early spring or late autumn with a fertilizer formulated for acid-loving broad-leaved evergreens, such as cottonseed meal , rhododendron fertilizer, Miracid®, etc. If pruning becomes necessary, do it in early spring before new growth begins, trimming towards a symmetrical shape .

Biology

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Growth

Culture: Space 36-48" apart. Propagate from cuttings. Plant your holly in early spring , before new growth begins and mulch with a 2- to 4-inch layer of wood chips , sawdust, pine needles , ground bark or other coarse material to keep the roots cool and moist.

Soil: Requires well-drained, slightly acid, fertile soil. • Minimum pH: 4.5 • Maximum pH: 6.0

Sunlight: Sun Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade.

Moisture: Water Requirements: Keep the soil moist during the summer growing season , but allow it to dry somewhat in early fall to allow the new growth to mature enough to resist winter damage.

Temperature: Cold Hardiness: 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b, 11. (map)

Taxonomy

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Domain: Eukaryota () - Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Plantae () - Haeckel, 1866 - Plants
  - Subkingdom: Viridaeplantae () - Cavalier-Smith, 1981
    - Phylum: Tracheophyta () - Sinnott, 1935 ex Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - Vascular Plants
      - Subphylum: Euphyllophytina ()
        Infraphylum: Radiatopses () - Kenrick & Crane, 1997
        Class: Spermatopsida () - Brongniart, 1843
        Subclass: Asteridae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Superorder: Celastranae () - Takhtajan, 1967
        Order: Aquifoliales () - Senft, 1856
        Family: Aquifoliaceae () - Bercht. & J. Presl, 1825, nom. cons.
        Genus: Ilex () - C. Linnaeus, 1753 - Holly
        Specific epithet: aquifolium
        Cultivar: Moonlight
        Botanical name: - Ilex aquifolium 'Moonlight'

Notes

A tentatively accepted name in the RHS Horticultural Database.

Similar Species

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Members of the genus Ilex

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 299 species, subspecies, varieties, forms, and cultivars in this genus. Here are just 100 of them:

More Info

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Notes

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Contributors

Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed May 2, 2012.

Identifiers

Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 968329

Footnotes

"Ilex". in Flora of Pakistan Page 1. Published by Science Press (Beijing) and Missouri Botanical Garden Press. Online at EFloras.org. [back]

Ilex aquifolium 'Moonlight'

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Genus Ilex

Physical Description

Size/Age/Growth

Landscaping

Biology

Growth

Taxonomy

Notes

Similar Species

Members of the genus Ilex

More Info

Further Reading

Notes

Contributors

Identifiers

Footnotes