I have native hollies, but you don't have anything on your trade list. plantbug

Pineresin, no doubt, deer will eat hollies, but they have neither touched the one in my front yard, nor the Nellie Stevens and Foster Hollies in my neighbors yard. I know they will eat most anything if they are hungry enough, but our yards have been spared. Bboy, thanks for your "research." Excuse my ignorance, but the Satyr Hill is only available in the female form?? So I guess I just hope that it will produce berries, considering there are many hollies in close proximity to where these hollies will be planted. My knowledge with ilex opaca very is limited and that is why these forums are a great resource. Thank you, Bboy! Yes, kman, you are a stick in the mud. There is no holly forum of which I am aware, guess I should have posted in the Trees forum. Have you any worthwhile comments to add re. the topic? I thank all of you who offered helpful information and advice. I think I will take my chances and go for the Satyr Hill Hollies.

I like tree form hollies, American and English. In a grove in the forest where they lose their lower branches, the old American Holly reveal a smooth, beech like bark. American holly are one of the few native broadleaf evergreen trees in my zone and are somewhat salt tolerant, making them useful in coastal windbreaks or privacy screens by roads. They are the Queens of winter interest, with both evergreen foliage and red berries. Despite what the listed zonal tolerance is, I think I'm at the effective edge of the range of American Holly. I don't doubt there are holly in Zone 5, but I suspect they are in sheltered micro climates English holly doesn't do well here...it sort of limps along. The Meserve/Blue Hollies do great, but I'm not as excited by small hollies. English Holly isn't listed as invasive here. I was a bit worried about polluting the local gene pool or having hybrids become invasive. My plan was to plant this one female ilex opaca, see how it goes, and if it does well by more next year (including a male). Depending on my answers to the above questions, I could move some of my hollies or go ahead and buy a male American Holly now.

Definitely no amendment. A cliff nearby let you see the different layers of soil. I think it's layers of stuff deposited at different times by glaciers. I think the holly is in one of the more "clayish" spots. Major problem is the holly was planted too late in the Fall. I'm using the other "happy holly" as a contrast to help figure out what is wrong. The happy holly was planted in the Spring in a mulched amended bed created for something else that either was never planted or died. Much more exposed to wind, but more shade. The two sad holly are in a spot more exposed to sun, less exposed to wind, with the natural clay/sand layers common in the area.