Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Sourcing Holly

Options
  • 28-10-2020 4:36pm
    #1
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,972 Mod ✭✭✭✭


    I'm thinking of adding some holly (Ilex aquifolium) plants to the back garden. I'm not aware of any holly nearby so I was thinking of one male and two or three females. I'm thinking of plants around 1 to 2 metres tall.
    Contacting garden centres was unsuccessful - I'd be lucky if they even stocked holly never mind getting the size right.
    I was in touch with a nursery who has holly but cannot say whether I'd get male or female. At €25 per plant, I'm not going to spend the money to find none of them flowering/fruiting.
    So how do I know whether I'm getting plants that will actually flower?

    One option might be to approach a local farmer and ask them if I could dig up a few plants growing in a ditch but chances are that trying to get something out without damaging it are probably slim.

    Any thoughts on what I can do?


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    magicbastarder
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Arts Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 48,484 CMod ✭✭✭✭magicbastarder


    tullys nurseries may be able to help, they stock them in 2L pots for €8 each.

    https://shop.tullynurseries.ie/Product/View.aspx?Code=ILE037


  • Options
    #3
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,488 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Don’t dig up wild holly, just don’t.

    Plenty of online suppliers.

    Future forests in cork would be my go to. Been using Them for trees and hedging for about 20 years and never disappointed.


  • Options
    #4
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,972 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    magicbastarder wrote: »
    tullys nurseries may be able to help, they stock them in 2L pots for €8 each.

    https://shop.tullynurseries.ie/Product/View.aspx?Code=ILE037
    Thanks - those ones are small but they may be able to source some.
    _Brian wrote: »
    Don’t dig up wild holly, just don’t.
    Yeah, hadn't thought too much about it but you're right!
    _Brian wrote: »
    Plenty of online suppliers.

    Future forests in cork would be my go to. Been using Them for trees and hedging for about 20 years and never disappointed.
    FF currently have no stock but I'll give them a shout.


  • Options
    #5
    RachelsCousin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 64 ✭✭RachelsCousin


    Would you go for a self fertile plant,
    Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol' should be easily available here. That way they should all have berries if you've limited space.


  • Options
    #6
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,972 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    RachelsCousin wrote: »
    Would you go for a self fertile plant,
    Ilex aquifolium 'J.C. van Tol' should be easily available here. That way they should all have berries if you've limited space.
    Thanks but I prefer the more traditional holly leaf


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    RachelsCousin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 64 ✭✭RachelsCousin


    Seth Brundle wrote: »
    Thanks but I prefer the more traditional holly leaf

    Cool. Haven't seen the leaf up close.

    Try Hylands nursery in Wexford. They sell the size you're looking for, rootballed. I'm assuming by that size they can tell the sex based on whether or not it has berries (they grow wild around me here, but I don't know how young they flower).


  • Options
    #8
    RachelsCousin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 64 ✭✭RachelsCousin


    RachelsCousin wrote: »
    Cool. Haven't seen the leaf up close.

    Just looked it up. I'd clearly mixed it up with something else in my head looking at the leaf!


  • Options
    #9
    hirondelle
    Registered Users Posts: 326 ✭✭hirondelle


    _Brian wrote: »
    Don’t dig up wild holly, just don’t.

    Plenty of online suppliers.

    Future forests in cork would be my go to. Been using Them for trees and hedging for about 20 years and never disappointed.

    100%- tried to dig some up once and just wrecked the plant.


  • Options
    #10
    Goldfinch8
    Registered Users Posts: 529 ✭✭✭Goldfinch8


    Seth Brundle wrote: »
    Thanks but I prefer the more traditional holly leaf

    If you prefer the more traditional style holly leaf, I could perhaps recommend Ilex Aquilfolium 'Alaska' to you. As far as I know it is a female self pollinating variety. It's leaves are smaller than the Common Holly (Ilex Aquilfolium) but they have a nicely pointed glossy leaf. It also produces a nice crop of berries.
    I included a number of young common holly trees in a small woodland that I planted 16 years ago but they all turned out to be males by the looks of things!
    I then decided to plant a few 'Alaskas' a number of years ago as I wanted berries. I have them dotted around the garden and around the edge of the wood and I am delighted with them. They are a pretty holly with usually a nice conical shape.
    I have just taken a pic of one as an example. I have a couple of better formed Alaskas but it's a wet evening out there and I snapped the one nearest to me.

    attachment.php?attachmentid=531069&stc=1&d=1603992433


  • Options
    #11
    Seth Brundle
    Moderators, Politics Moderators Posts: 38,972 Mod ✭✭✭✭Seth Brundle


    Thanks Goldfinch - that's nice and a good solution!
    I had it in my head that Alaska had two-tone leaf colours.

    I just need to find some on sale.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    looksee
    Registered Users Posts: 28,113 ✭✭✭✭looksee


    https://futureforests.ie/products/ilex-aquifolium-alaska#:~:text=A%20slow%2Dgrowing%20evergreen%20tree,spiky%20leaves%20and%20red%20berries.&text=Ilex%20aquifolium%20Alaska%20also%20makes,to%20include%20in%20mixed%20hedges.
    Another one for my list!


Advertisement