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Ilex opaca – American Hollies

The aristocrat of evergreens, this very deer-resistant holly has been overshadowed in recent years, although the popularity of the plant remains strong. This pyramidal tree keeps its vibrant fruit through the winter when the red of the berries contrasts against the green foliage and is a striking specimen all year. Most become stately, handsome trees over time. To set fruit, a male pollinator is needed. They grow well in full sun or partial shade. Cultivars listed are hardy to Zone 5 unless otherwise indicated. Standard sizes for shipping are one quart (6" to 12” plants), one gallon (12" to 18" plants), and two-gallon (18" to 24" plants) containers.

See below for all of our offerings. For wholesale inquires, please click here.

Click here for a United States Zone Map.
 

Best Cultivars for Eastern United States

I. New England – Zone 4B to 6A

Any Pride variety, Old Heavy Berry, Satyr Hill, Merry Christmas
 

II. Pennsylvania, New York, Interior New Jersey – Zone 4B to 6A

Any Pride variety, Satyr Hill, Cave Hills

III. Southern New York, Long Island, New Jersey – Zone 5 to 6A

Any listed cultivar. Most familiar: Satyr Hill, Old Heavy Berry, Dan Fenton, Miss Helen, any Pride variety

IV. Mid Atlantic, South, Missouri, and Tennessee – Zone 5B to 6A

Any listed cultivar

V. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky – Zone 5A to 6A

Any Pride variety, Old Heavy Berry, Satyr Hill

Zone 6B -5° to 0° F
Zone 6A -10° to -5°F
Zone 5B -10° to -15°F
Zone 5A -15° to -20°F
Zone 4B -20° to -25°F

Orlando Pride Opacas

These seedlings were chosen by Oralndo Pride in the 1930s for their vigor, orange-red to red fruit, and extreme cold tolerance to -30 degrees F. These are the most hardy Americans available! (Zone 4 possibilities with site selection/placement and mulch protection.)
4B   -20° to -25°F

Arlene Leach

True American Holly look with dark leaves and large red fruit. Matures at 40'.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallons: $70.00 3-Gallons (2 1/2 -3’): $90.00

Carnival

A rapid, dense grower with deep green leaves and large red fruit. A Holly Ridge favorite. Matures at 40'.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallons: $75.00  

Mary Holman

Grand-dame of the holly world, with nice spring green leaf and round matte red fruit. Matures at 30'.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallons: $70.00

Arthur Pride and David Leach

Strong male pollinators for all opacas. Make especially good companion plants for Pride females. Matures at 35. Suggested ratio is 1 male per 5-7 females. We have tried other Eastern males and found them wanting in shape, performance and longevity.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallons: $70.00

Pride Female

We know these are a Pride holly, but have been mixed, we think mostly with Arlene Leach.

Quart: $15.00  Gallon: $25.00  2-Gallons: $50.00

Red-Berried Female Varieties

Cave Hill

Out of Kentucky, clean, flat, oblong, glossy leaf. Good quality plant, keeps form well, cardinal red fruit.  Good Zone 6 plant.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallon: $70.00  

Dan Fenton

Developed at Rutgers University. Oval leaves are glossy black-green, off-set by dark red globe fruit. Very narrow growth. One of the top five cultivars.

Quart: $25.00   Gallon: $40.00   2-Gallon: $70.00

Lacquerberry

Good dark green leaf with the Chinese red fruit. Largest fruit of any cultivar. Grows rather densely.

Quart: $25.00   Gallon: $40.00   2-Gallon: $70.00

Martha’s Vineyard

A Polly Hill intro. Smaller leaves with nice fruit set.

2-Gallon: $50.00

Miss Courtney

This recently-registered opaca is a hardy plant with dark carmine fruit, conical shape grows rather quickly (12”- 15” annually).

Quart: $25.00 Gallon $40.00   2-Gallon $70.00

Satyr Hill

Probably the best-known commercial grower. Has tortoise shell leaf and large red-orange fruit. Open form, Eastern favorite. Does well both North and South.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallon: $70.00

OLD, OLD TIMERS — OLD LADIES

All these girls sit back in their rocking chairs and watch the newcomers fade into the mist. They have withstood the test of time and Mother Nature.

 
Merry Christmas

Okay, who can miss with this name? Slower growth but as one Eastern grower said, “I can wait, fruit set is what I want.” Great landscape specimen, matures to 40’.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon $40.00. 2-Gallon: $70  

Miss Helen

Vintage, reliable variety, slower growing opaca with egg drop oblong cherry red fruit. Adapts well to both northern and southern climes. Out of Baltimore.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallon: $70.00

Old Heavy Berry

Can you say sloooow growing? We love it – the name says it all! Dark turtle-shaped leaves with massive clusters of dark red fruit distinguish this plant from others. (Not recommended for folks over 50 years of age.)

Quart: $30.00 Gallon $45.00 2-Gallon: $70.00

orcharding

The opacas listed below are “orcharding” varieties, meaning they grow more open branches than dense, forming a wider base, but still retaining an overall conical shape. The orcharding term comes from when opaca branches were harvested for winter décor.  I know it’s an oxymoron to say there is a fast-growing American holly, but these do put on more growth annually than the average variety.

Torchbearer
A heavy shotgun blast of dark red berry producer with a good central leader, introduced in the 1940s. Smaller mature growth, approximately 20 feet.
Quart: $25.00 Gallon $40.00. 2-Gallon: $70.00   

Carnival 

See under Pride variety.

 
Christmas Carol

Developed in Mentor, Ohio, at the high point in holly-dom (1950s). This stout grower is truly a handsome adult.
Quart: $25.00 Gallon $40.00   2-Gallon $70.00

ODD FELLOWS

Maryland Dwarf

A squat, low growing and spreading entry. It is a “very shy fruiter” wrote one wit. Grows to 6’ across, 2’ high. Expect 4” to 6” average annual growth.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon $45.00. 2-Gallon: $70.00

Clarendon Spreading

This is Maryland Dwarf on semi-steroids. Bigger leaf, more fruit, same M.O. Expect 6” to 8” annual growth.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon $40.00   2-Gallon $70.00

Christmas Snow

One of two known variegated opacas (Stewart’s Silver Crown is the other), it has creamy white edges. Like many variegates plants, it is not a real strong grower. New growth is pinkish.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $60.00

Stewart’s Silver Crown

Very similar to Christmas Snow. New growth is lime green.

Quart: $30.00 Gallon: $60.00

Chief Paduke

Very unusual foliage, long narrow leaves up to 4” (think: Basset hound) that are dark olive green. Fruit is elliptical, dark red and hidden by foliage. Out of Paducah, Kentucky. Cool plant.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallon: $70.00

Vera

Extremely narrow grower, slow, 6’ high to 1’ wide ratio. It is heavily berried with a spray of bright red larger fruit. Aggressive growth pattern.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallon: $70.00

Cumberland

Small adult height, 12-15 feet. Very dense with wide base. Good solid fruit producer.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00

Yellow-Berried Female Varieties

Most yellow-fruited varieties have difficulty thriving in Zone 5A (-15/-20°F) and should be protected in winter. (Unless otherwise noted, yellow-berried female plants are best suited for Zones 5B and 6, -10/-5°F.) 

Canary

Leathery light green leaves with clear lemon fruit. Matures at 25'. Tolerates cold (-10/-15°F) well.

Quart: $25.00  Gallon: $40.00  2-Gallons: $70.00

Longwood Gardens

A Longwood Gardens introduction, this handsome plant produces bright yellow fruit. Darkest green leaf of the yellows. Matures at 25’. Best yellow variety.

Quart: $30.00 Gallon: $50.00 2-Gallon: $80.00 

Winter Sun®

A Holly Ridge introduction into the opaca family. An unusual berry color of bright orange/yellow into peach. Grows in part shade as do most opacas.

Quart: $30.00  Gallon: $50.00  2-Gallons: $80.00 3-Gallon: $100.00

Other Species of Hollies

Ilex Attenuata

Longwood Garden
Produces bright yellow fruit on very long (3”) narrow serrated leaves. Zone 6, please!

Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallon: $70.00

Foster’s #2
Has been in production for over 60 years. Same leaf as above but with dusky red fruit. Very rapid grower (1’ plus), will burn to ground in abnormal cold weather. Zone 6. It has been tried and will not survive in Zone 5.

Gallon: $30.00

Ilex aquifolium – English Holly

Largely grown on both coasts, this shiny, spiny-leafed holly is more adjusted to Zone 6 (above 0 degrees F) locations, but will tolerate Zone 5 if protected. Male pollinator is ‘Blue Prince’ or ‘Blue Stallion.’

Albo – Marginata
Variegated with white to yellow margins. New growth is often pink. Female, but light fruiter. Great for cut branches and wreaths. Will have quart size in Spring 2022.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $50.00

Ferox
Olive-colored leaf with many small spines with white variegation. Compact, globe grower that grows to only 2' high by 3'-4' wide. 

Quart: $25.00 (6” to 8”)  2-Gallons: $60.00 

Ilex glabra – Inkberry

Small, globe shaped, evergreen holly with flat elongated, serrated leaves. Adapts well to shade and heavy soils. Very hardy. Grows to 4'-5' wide and 6'-8' high. Will often loose bottom foliage, which can be rejuvenated by interior pruning. Good to Zone 5. Fruit if any is black.

Compacta
Improved strain remains dense at early age with dark green leaves.

Quart: $10.00  Gallon: $20.00 2-Gallons: $40.00

Nordic®
Graceful mounding plant which needs little attention. Will grow into Zone 4.

Quart: $10.00

Male
Oh yes, we do need him for purple black fruit.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $45.00 

Ilex x. meservae – Blue Hollies

The evolution of this plant over the last twenty years marks it as the most popular of all hollies on the market today. This versatile shrub grows to at least six rounded feet with dark blue-green leaves. This plant must have well-drained soil as it is prone to root rot in heavy soils.

CAUTION: DEER GREATLY ENJOY THIS PLANT ALL YEAR ROUND!!!

Mademoiselle(TM) 
A brand-new holly cultivated by Holly Ridge Nursery, distinguished by its burgandy new growth. Can be grown as a hedge or conical upright. Aggressive new growth.

Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00 2-Gallon: $65.00

Blue Prince
Pollinator for ‘Blue Princess.’ More cold tolerant than earlier varieties.

Quart: $15.00 Gallon: $25.00  2-Gallons: $45.00

Blue Princess
A vigorous grower with clusters of bright red fruit, contrasted nicely against dark blue-green foliage. Will grow to 8' x 8'.

Quart: $15.00  Gallon: $25.00  2-Gallons: $50.00

Dragon Lady
Beware of my very sharp claws but embrace my narrow pyramidal shape and dark red fruit. Really, I won’t bite. I also need the male boy toys.

Quart: $15.00 Gallon: $35.00 2-Gallons: $65.00

Blue Stallion
What weaklings! I grow to a conical 20' and can take care of the ladies. I’m a bargain at any price, if I say so myself.

Quart: $15.00 Gallon: $25.00

Ilex pedunculosa

Unusual and not readily available, this hardy upright evergreen has ficus-like leaves and cherry red drupes. It loves the shade and protected (out of wind) sites. Needs both sexes to produce fruit since no other Ilex is blooming at this time. (Both male and female are 1 gallon.)

Female:

Gallon: $25.00 2-Gallons: $60.00 3-Gallons (3 to 4 feet): $100.00

Male:

2-Quart: $25.00 Gallon: $40.00

Ilex Verticillata

Winterberry Holly, Michigan Holly, Swamp Holly

These deciduous hollies are best known for their attractive fruit, which colors by October and lasts through January (until the cedar wax-wings or robins gobble them up – or wild turkeys!). They are grown in the trade for cut florist stems at the holidays. Great Eastern native restoration plant. Thrives in moist, heavy, wet soils but must have a good amount of sun.

All the below are priced the same:

Quart: $18.00 Gallon: $30.00 2-Gallons: $45.00

Jim Dandy
Male pollinator for Aurantiaca and Red Sprite.

Oosterwijk
An introduction from Holland with long straight stems, excellent for flower arrangements. Jim Dandy pollinates.

Red Sprite
True dwarf with handsome compact form and large red fruit. Jim Dandy pollinates.

Southern Gentleman
Late male pollinator good for Winter Red, Winter Gold, Sparkleberry or Maryland Beauty.

Winter Red
Has become the industry standard. Matures at 12' with tons of cherry red fruit. Always dependable.

Winter Gold
A chance sport (mutation) off of Winter Red. It really depends on the soil make-up for color but most often will have an orange to gold finish sometimes with a pink blush. Apollo or Southern Gentleman pollinates.

Sparkleberry
Best stems for cutting branches. Distinctive purple/red new foliage. Needs Southern Gentleman as pollinator.

Maryland Beauty
Long graceful new growth into cutting branches. Colors early (nice deep red). Heavy, heavy yield of fruit. Southern Gentleman is the pollinator.

 
One male is good for 5 females and should be planted within visual range for best fruit set.