You'll be fascinated by the Sky Pencil Holly's shape - growing skyward naturally without the need for trimming. So, if youÕre looking for a sleek, updated, stylish look, use these Hollies with their tall, narrow, columnar shape.
This columnar holly makes a great vertical accent in narrow spaces. Use in portable pots and boxes for porch, patio and terrace. Try pairs to flank a wall fountain or a sculpture. Use four matched at corners of a simple parterre. Exceptional at front entry to traditional architecture. Plant close together for a windbreak, privacy screen or solid background for an artistic focal point.
Prefers light, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soils, but highly adaptable. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system. Tolerates mild drought, when established. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer in spring. Prune annually to shape.
Ilex crenata is native to Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Sky Pencil is a cultivar found in 1985 in the garden of Dr. Masao Yokoi in Kawaguchi, Japan by Longwood Gardens curator, Rick Darke, and chief horticulturalist, Sylvester March. It was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C.
A narrow, columnar form with dark green foliage that stays neat year-round, and often sports small purple berries in fall, with a male pollenizer nearby. Leaves lack sharp points, making it ideal for decks, patios, or entryways as a vertical accent or privacy screening. Makes an elegant, formal statement in large containers. Evergreen.
