Habitat

• native to Japan and China
• zone 5

Habit and Form

• an evergreen small tree to 30' tall
• most plants are less tan 20' tall
• upright growing, mostly pyramidal
• dense foliage, but with some loose branches that provide a natural grace to the habit
• grows at a slow to moderate rate

Summer Foliage

• alternate evergreen leaves
• leaves very much resemble those of Ficus benjamina, the Weeping Fig or Kalmia latifolia, Mountain Laurel
• smooth shiny green
• 1.5" to 3" long, 0.75" to 1.25" wide, elliptical
• wavy margin, pointed tip, no spines

Autumn Foliage

• evergreen, no fall color
• often develops a yellow-green cast in exposed sites

Flowers

• dioecious, with male and female plants
• male flowers in clusters
• female flowers solitary
• individual flowers small and white

Fruit

• red berried held on long stalks
• generally quite showy
• turns red in fall

Bark

• thin and smooth
• can be described as gray-brown with green mixed in
• often largely hidden be foliage

Culture

• prefers moist, slightly acidic well-drained soil
• easily transplanted from a container or B&B
• full sun to light shade
• on of the most cold hardy evergreen hollies, but site the plant to avoid strong winter winds
• very tolerant of air pollution
• moderately salt tolerant

Landscape Use

• one of the most underutilized evergreen hollies
• useful for its cold hardiness
• pollution tolerance make it a good candidate for urban gardens
• for fruiting effect
• for evergreen foliage
• as a specimen small tree
• in a border or screen

Liabilities

• can be difficult to locate
• need female plants and male pollinator for good fruit production
• perhaps some cold damage in harsh sites in the colder parts of zone 5

ID Features

• alternate leaves
• spineless evergreen foliage with wavy margins
• foliage resembles Ficus benjamina, the Weeping Fig or Kalmia latifolia, Mountain Laurel
• smooth, gray-brown-green bark
• pyramidal habit with loose shoots extending form overall shape
• red berries on long stalks (if present, female plants only).

Propagation

• easily rooted by cutting in summer or winter
• seed germination can be slow due to dormancy

Cultivars/Varieties

There are no well-established cultivars, but male and female selections are sometimes offered by specialty nurseries to ensure fruit production in the landscape. Named forms may gain prominence in the future.