That is not Ilex opaca. Looks like one of the chinese ones like Ilex cornuta.

Uh oh. I will have to take a decent branch shot of each. Darn.

My I. opaca is still deep in dormancy. Recorded date from previous years is May 26 for blooming peak.

Took some more cell phone pics this morning. Done with Fantasy Baseball so here you go.

What kind of Holly do I have? And if you can not tell from these pics do I need leaf scar shots or what?

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Thanks for your time.

The leaves were distinctive enough for me to say it is some form of Ilex cornuta - Chinese. Shame on the Arbor Day Foundation for calling them American hollies.

So heck, got a favorite male pollinator for them? A short one would be best.

I think there are dwarf forms of Ilex cornuta out there - just google for it (Ilex cornuta + dwarf). That would likely be considered a shrub.

But I would just shovel prune it. You didn't get what you thought, why keep it?

Hard to tell in your pictures whether those are male or female flowers so I attached a link that will show you in detail the differences.
Marshall

Here is a link that might be useful: Holly flowers

I'm not sold that these are I. cornuta. I guess I've just seen too many variations of I. opaca foliage, especially seedling grown plants.

Any close up pictures show only female flowers.

Here is a link that might be useful: Leaf variations of American Holly

Your female holly is blooming now and has green stems, it has no I. opaca blood in it.
Try searching your state's botanical garden website and compare to Nellie Stevens. NS is self-fruiting, did your tree bloom last year, did it make fruit?
If not you may have one of several cornuta hybrids.

Here is a link that might be useful: Missouri Botanical Garden

My goodness. I might have to buy a Nellie Stevens and carry it next to mine to see the differences.

So far my best moment identifying plants was with Fraxinus family ash trees. The "U" shaped bud of the Fraxinus Americana white ash helped me out.

Anything similar I should be looking for? The foliage is too variable.

My two identical Holly of some kind trees both bloomed lightly last year. Neither has ever had a berry. Bloom time this year is soo early. Of course March was the warmest in 130 year of record keeping. heard it would have been a top ten warm April!

My plan is to hunt down dwarf/small varieties of both Ilex opaca and Ilex cornuta and hope I get lucky.

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Hi toro,
I took this pic today near Chincoteague, Virginia. This is 'Nellie Stevens' Holly which you might compare with yours.

That sure does look like Nelly Stevens or at least Ilex cornuta. Central Spike pointing down and all.

I got back on track here digging up some information on other trees in the yard and stumbled upon my 2004 Arbor Day receipt which sure enough reads American Holly

Thanks for the tips guys. These have always been a bit of an afterthought in my landscaping. They have a good deep green winter color. The smaller size might not be a detriment so I'll keep them until something inspires me.