![]() This is due to a lack of sunlight penetration to the bottom portion of the shrub. Something you are unlikely to read in a plant description is that the lower portions of this shrub’s branches sometimes drop their leaves, leaving unsightly “bare legs.” The root ball should be set in the hole so that the top roots sit at or slightly above ground level when planting is complete. It should be as deep as the distance from the top roots to the bottom of the root ball. The pros at the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center recommend preparing a hole that is two to five feet wide. This can cause even a moisture-loving plant to suffer from oversaturation, as water is likely to pool instead of draining away, limiting the roots’ intake of essential oxygen. Elevate the CrownĪ common mistake gardeners make when planting is to set the crown, or the point where the branches meet the roots, too deeply in the soil. You’ll read about one shortly, in the “Substitute for Boxwood” section, and you’ll be introduced to several others in the photo captions throughout the article.Īllowing suckers to remain in proximity to the main shrub may be detrimental to all in the form of crowding that causes reduced airflow and root space, competition for nourishment, and reduced sun exposure. You can reduce the risk of suckering by purchasing a cultivated variety, rather than a straight species. If they are uprooted with care, you may be able to transplant them. The species plant, as it appears in the wild, is prone to “suckering.” In addition, stressors like a lack of water or root damage from mowing equipment can make a plant more likely to sucker.Īs soon as you see sprouts growing under or near your shrub, pull them out and discard them, unless you want multiple hollies to grow. If they are not removed, you may end up with a “colony” of shrubs that sprouted from the first one. Suckers are shoots that grow randomly from a shrub, tree, or other woody plant’s roots. So, you may want to buy a female, give it a year or two, and if you don’t get fruit, seek out a male from a reputable nursery. The closer you plant a male and female, the greater the chance of pollination.Īlso, the primary pollinators of these plants are bees, so if you have an abundance of flowers, the odds of producing fruit are even greater.Īnd finally, since this is a native plant, it’s possible that a male may be growing near enough for pollinators to visit it and then come to your property. ![]() That’s a great question, and there’s not a definite answer. The logical question I’m sure you’re thinking is, “How far apart should I plant them?” ![]() However, only the female sets fruit, provided there is a male shrub in the vicinity to provide the pollen necessary for fertilization. This is a dioecious species, and both male and female plants produce flowers. 'Shamrock' is a compact rounded cultivar that grows 3-4' tall and suckers less than the species.I. Specific epithet means smooth in reference to plant leaf surfaces. Genus name comes from the Latin name Quercus ilex for holm oak in reference to the foliage similarities (holm oak and many of the shrubs in the genus Ilex have evergreen leaves). Dried and roasted inkberry leaves were first used by Native Americans to brew a black tea-like drink, hence the sometimes used common name of Appalachian tea for this shrub. in areas where beekeepers release bees from late April to early June to coincide with inkberry flowering time. This honey is locally produced in certain parts of the Southeastern U.S. Gallberry honey is a highly-rated honey that results from bees feeding on inkberry flowers. If pollinated, female flowers give way to pea-sized, jet black, berry-like drupes (inkberries to 3/8" diameter) which mature in early fall and persist throughout winter to early spring unless consumed by local bird populations. Greenish white flowers (male in cymes and female in cymes or single) appear in spring, but are relatively inconspicuous. Leaves usually remain attractive in winter unless temperatures dip well below zero. Spineless, flat, ovate to elliptic, glossy, dark green leaves (to 1.5” long) have smooth margins with several marginal teeth near the apex. It is native to the coastal plain from Nova Scotia to Florida to Louisiana where it is most commonly found in sandy woods and peripheries of swamps and bogs. It typically matures to 5-8’ tall, and can spread by root suckers to form colonies. Ilex glabra, commonly called inkberry or gallberry, is a slow-growing, upright-rounded, stoloniferous, broadleaf evergreen shrub in the holly family.
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