American holly is a beautiful evergreen tree, eventually reaching 30 feet in height.  It is found most frequently in moist woods, forest bottomlands, and around wetland edges.  It is very difficult to find in nurseries!  Large specimens usually cost several hundred dollars.

American holly does flower, although it is not an ornamental flower.  The flower does provide pollen and nectar for beneficial insects, butterflies, and moths!  Most people value this tree for its beautiful pyramidal form and the red berries in winter.

This tree is one that blurs the line between monoecious (male and female flowers on the same plant) and dioecious (male flowers on one plant, female on another).  Often the female trees bear a few male flowers — enough that they can be self-fertile and bear their trademark red berries.  We usually advise customers to purchase a female.  It may have enough male flowers to pollinate itself, or there may be male hollies in the neighborhood.  If it does not bear berries, you will need a male.  We do have males in stock.

We have some beautiful young plants ready for your landscape.  Once planted, you can expect them to grow up to 12″ a year.  Some of them, even though small, already have berries!

Below are copies of the signage for each of the species we have in stock now.