Will American Holly interbreed with "Blue Prince"?
edlincoln
7 years ago
last modified: 7 years ago
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Comments (8)
WoodsTea 6a MO
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoedlincoln
7 years agoRelated Discussions
Determining Holly Tree Sex
Comments (8)I've done that with HD male holly's, (Blue Prince to pollinate my Blue Princesses), but make sure you match the timing of buds and blooms on both to be sure you get the pollination right. I have found that at HD, they are blooming ahead of the ones I have in the garden. May take a few trips to different HDs/Lowes. The girls flowers have a small dot-sphere in the middle of the flower that will be the future berry. The boys flowers have none. Before I knew that, I ended up purchasing a labelled Blue Prince and planted it in an out of the way Boy spot. That fall I was surprised to find berries on the boy!!! So you can't even go by labels in some places. The flower ID is critical. I think the next spring I purchased 2 boys but didn't plant them right away. I moved them around in pots for a couple of years to all my girls. I eventually planted them when I was sure of everything. Or did I return them after pollination ??? LOL No, but I think I thought about it!...See MoreWould love ideas on what kind of holly this is.
Comments (15)I've witnessed this particular variety -- as in at least 4 trees -- growing in a grocery store parking lot area. Then I took cuttings and am growing my own trees. Pretty much all the leaves are the same whether in sun, shade, fast growth; slow growth, although the number of spines varies a bit. But none of the leaves are as round as other known East Palatkas I've seen in the area. East Palatka leaves seem to be more obovate to elliptical - at least from multiple images I've seen as well as actual trees. That is why I suspect it's not an East Palatka. But I'm open to any speculation. Also, East Palatka is propagated by cuttings, so it is a genetic clone. There wouldn't be THAT much variation in a clone. Seedlings, for sure, where the gene pool gets mixed and expressed differently. Also, the original trees look like they may have been planted quite a while ago -- maybe over 20 years. There is NOTHING like them elsewhere in the area that I have seen. Honestly there are so many holly hybrids that have been 'discontinued', forgotten or 'pushed out of the market' and are now virtually unknown in current markets. For example, I've never witnessed a 'Hume #2' but the written description sounds very similar to what I have. Fosters #2 and Nellie Stevens have so dominated the market that not much else has a chance. Housing developers don't want to experiment with things that might fail or aren't 'bullet proof' for their area. Nor do nurseries....See Moreholly shrubs w/ black walnut?
Comments (5)Thanks to all of you for your updates, and for for future ones too. There are lots of ambiguous lists out there for tolerant plants, because of the variety of growing conditions, management, etc. Water is a major issue under black walnut trees, they are very thirsty! The competition is far to much for a neglected sapling or shrubling. Keep those Messervae hollies well watered their first years as suggested, and during any long dry spell. Water slow and deep, so that the roots really spread out. Ill take some cuttings (or layer rather) of my blue princess and China girl and try them out under driplinE. I um, planted mine well outside it....lol A mature walnut creates a perfect dappled shade for so many great plants. Ibe come to really appreciate them. Sweetshrub, spicebush, hemlock, dogwoods, Hosta, bulbs of all flavors, ferns, yarrow, monarda, japanese maple, beauty berry, etc etc. oh carolina silverbell. I’m forgetting some, all planted adjacent to or within drip line. Oh. Witch hazel, itea, ..... I’m also glad to have some acreage without walnuts. But I treasure the one that takes center stage on our front yard. There is more organic matter/humus under that tree than anywhere on my property. PS I’m ruthless in my quest to secure the walnuts before the squirrels. We have loads of hickories, oaks, and others. But they bury them in my jugLomé (what is with this Hojzz spell check.??.) ok thr squirrels bury them and by the time you see the leaves peeking out, there’s an impressive lateral taproot that seems to never end. I dug one from a sprout on the edge of my yard this summer. It was 12’ Long and up to an inch in diameter. With branching. It is tragically hard to kill those little fu... guys. Another sprouted right in the center of a 20 yo American filbert. How does one surgically remove THAT? I can’t just pull it like any other weed, it would scoff it ripping it’s top off a dozen times over 2 Years. Cutting it 12” below soil? Nooo prob. I believe they would keep up this zombie walnut program until my death — ostensibly a few decades yet -- at which time it would have an extensive underground root system, and could grow a 60’ tall tree within two seasons of me being buried. Impressive really....See MoreInteresting holly seedlings.
Comments (17)While I agree, there are a lot (too many?) of x koehneana cultivars (but why don't they get used more??), 'Chestnut Leaf' is a fairly unique and refined one. There were some interesting holly seedlings that came up under my Castle Spire (a hybrid) and the range of sizes and shapes of the seedlings was just amazing. I transplanted three of them mainly to observe them. This was the largest leaf one (below). Very fast growing. About three feet high now. A lot like aquifolium. And this was the smallest one (below). Incredibly miniature! Note my fingers for scale. Entire plant is not much over 5 inches high right now. Leaves are no more than 1/4 inch wide, maybe 3/4" long....See MoreWoodsTea 6a MO
7 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years agoedlincoln
7 years agowantonamara Z8 CenTex
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoWoodsTea 6a MO
7 years ago
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)