Overview

Introduce lasting beauty to your garden with the resilient Burford Holly live plant, a distinguished evergreen shrub known for its lush, dark green foliage and striking red berries. Scientifically known as Ilex cornuta, this variety of holly is a popular choice for both ornamental landscaping and creating effective privacy screens. Each purchase includes one healthy Burford Holly live plant in a 2.5 inch pot, ready to thrive in your outdoor space. This robust shrub offers year-round visual interest, with its glossy leaves providing a vibrant backdrop even in the cooler months, and its bright red berries adding a festive touch in the fall and winter.

The Burford Holly is celebrated for its hardiness and adaptability, making it an excellent addition for gardeners seeking a low-maintenance yet impactful plant. Whether you’re designing a formal garden, a naturalized area, or simply looking to add a touch of classic elegance, this evergreen holly shrub will not disappoint. Its dense growth habit and attractive appearance make it a versatile choice for various landscape applications.

Key Benefits

The Burford Holly live plant offers a multitude of benefits, making it a highly desirable addition to any garden or landscape design. Its enduring qualities and aesthetic appeal contribute significantly to its popularity.

• Year-Round Visual Appeal: Enjoy vibrant, glossy dark green foliage throughout all seasons. The evergreen nature of the Burford Holly live plant ensures your garden maintains color and structure even in winter, providing continuous beauty when other plants are dormant.
• Attractive Red Berries: In early fall, this holly produces abundant, bright red berries that ripen and persist through winter, offering a beautiful contrast against the dark green leaves. These berries also serve as a valuable food source for local wildlife.
• Excellent for Hedges & Privacy Screens: The dense growth habit of Ilex cornuta makes it an ideal candidate for creating effective hedges, borders, and privacy screens. It can be easily shaped and maintained to desired dimensions.
• Low Maintenance: Once established, the evergreen holly shrub is relatively low-maintenance, requiring minimal care. It is tolerant of various soil conditions and generally resistant to pests and diseases, making it suitable for busy gardeners.
• Drought Tolerant: This hardy shrub exhibits good drought tolerance once mature, reducing the need for frequent watering in established landscapes, especially in regions with periods of dry weather.
• Adaptable to Various Climates: Thriving in USDA zone 6-9 holly, the Burford Holly is adaptable to a wide range of climates, tolerating both heat and moderate cold, ensuring its successful growth in many parts of the US.
• Wildlife Attraction: Beyond its beauty, the red berries attract birds, adding life and activity to your garden, making it a living ecosystem.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Burford Holly live plant is straightforward, ensuring it flourishes and enhances your garden for years to come. Proper planting and consistent care in its early stages will lead to a robust and beautiful shrub. This plant thrives in well-draining soil, which is crucial for its health. Amend heavy clay soils with organic matter to improve drainage, or sandy soils to improve water retention.

For optimal growth, the Burford Holly prefers a location with full sun to partial shade. Full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight daily) will encourage the densest growth and the most abundant berry production. While it can tolerate some shade, too much shade may result in sparser foliage and fewer berries. This evergreen holly shrub is hardy in USDA zone 6-9 holly, meaning it can withstand winter temperatures down to -10°F (-23°C). In colder parts of its range, a sheltered location might be beneficial. Regular watering is important during the first year of establishment to help the root system develop. Once established, it is relatively drought-tolerant but will benefit from deep watering during prolonged dry spells. Fertilize in early spring with a balanced slow-release fertilizer formulated for evergreen shrubs. Pruning can be done in late winter or early spring to shape the plant, remove dead or damaged branches, and maintain desired size. Understanding Ilex cornuta care ensures a healthy, vibrant plant.

Size & Details

You will receive one healthy Burford Holly live plant, carefully packaged and shipped in a 2.5 inch pot. At this stage, the plant is young and ready to be transplanted into your garden or a larger container. Ilex cornuta is a broadleaf evergreen shrub that typically grows to a mature size of 8 feet tall and wide, though it has been recorded reaching up to 25 feet under ideal conditions. Its growth rate is moderate, allowing for easy management and shaping as it develops. The leaves are glossy, leathery, and rectangular, featuring 4 to 5 spines on the leaf margin, giving it its characteristic holly appearance. Flowers are dull white and fragrant, blooming in early spring, followed by the distinctive red berries that ripen in early fall. The bark is initially smooth and light gray, developing a finely flaky texture with age. Stems can be green or red to burgundy, often intensifying in color during winter. This size is perfect for starting your own evergreen holly shrub landscape project.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big does this Burford Holly live plant get? A: A mature Burford Holly live plant typically reaches 8 feet tall and wide, although some specimens have been known to grow up to 25 feet in optimal conditions. Its moderate growth rate allows for easy size management through pruning.
• Q: What size pot does it come in? A: Each Burford Holly live plant is shipped in a 2.5 inch pot, providing a healthy root system ready for transplanting into your garden or a larger container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? A: The Burford Holly live plant is an outdoor evergreen shrub. It is best suited for garden beds, hedges, or large outdoor containers where it can thrive in its preferred climate.
• Q: How much sunlight does it need? A: For the best growth and berry production, Ilex cornuta prefers full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) but can tolerate partial shade. More sun generally leads to denser foliage and more berries.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? A: Yes, the Burford Holly is considered a relatively easy-care plant once established. It is drought-tolerant and generally resistant to pests and diseases, making Ilex cornuta care manageable for most gardeners.
• Q: What USDA zones is it suitable for? A: This evergreen holly shrub is hardy in USDA zone 6-9 holly, meaning it can tolerate winter temperatures down to -10°F (-23°C).
• Q: When is the best time to plant Burford Holly? A: The best time to plant Burford Holly is in spring or early fall, allowing the plant to establish its root system before extreme summer heat or winter cold.
• Q: Will it produce red berries? A: Yes, the Burford Holly live plant is known for producing abundant bright red berries that ripen in early fall and persist through winter, adding significant ornamental value to your landscape.
• Q: What kind of soil does Burford Holly prefer? A: Burford Holly thrives in well-draining soil. It is adaptable to various soil types, but amending with organic matter can improve drainage in heavy soils and water retention in sandy soils.
• Q: Is it deer resistant? A: While no plant is entirely deer-proof, Burford Holly is generally considered to be deer-resistant due to its spiny leaves, making it a good choice for areas where deer are a concern.