Plant: Helleri - Holly
Holly · Ilex crenata 'Helleri'
Size: 1 gal
Light
Bloom
Mature size
More about this plant
Helleri is a dwarf Japanese holly forming a dense mounded spreading shrub only 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, covered in small flat dark green glossy leaves with a few crenate teeth near the tip. Non showy greenish white fragrant flowers open in spring and this female clone bears small black drupes infrequently in fall. It grows slowly, needs little maintenance, and takes full sun to partial shade on well drained acid to neutral clay, loam or sandy soil, tolerating deer, drought, pollution and poor soil. Introduced in 1936, it suits low hedges, borders, containers, small spaces and formal mass plantings.
- Full Sun
- Grows to 4 ft tall and 5 ft wide
- Blooms in spring
- Hardy in USDA zones 5-8
- Evergreen foliage
Plant description
Helleri is a dwarf Japanese holly forming a dense mounded spreading shrub only 2 to 4 feet tall and 3 to 5 feet wide, covered in small flat dark green glossy leaves with a few crenate teeth near the tip. Non showy greenish white fragrant flowers open in spring and this female clone bears small black drupes infrequently in fall. It grows slowly, needs little maintenance, and takes full sun to partial shade on well drained acid to neutral clay, loam or sandy soil, tolerating deer, drought, pollution and poor soil. Introduced in 1936, it suits low hedges, borders, containers, small spaces and formal mass plantings.
- Flowers
- Non showy greenish white fragrant flowers appear in spring, rarely observed in clusters.
- Foliage
- Small alternate simple flat dark green leaves under an inch long with a few crenate teeth toward the tip.
- Fruit
- Small globose berrylike black drupes appear infrequently in fall.
- Bark & stems
- Stems are green on current season growth and turn gray green to gray brown by the second or third year; bark is smooth gray brown to slightly greenish.
- Native range
- East Nepal to Temperate East Asia, Japan and Korea
