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Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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Posted by waitforspring z6MA (My Page) on Tue, Jul 13, 04 at 8:42
My yard came with many hollies and in the wooded part they're fine, but in the front where I'm trying to have a perennial garden they are a pain--literally.
I've cut down 2 and would love to see the rest(3 more) go. Everyone else thinks they're lovely (they are the most admired thing in my yard), but they don't have to try to keep them from taking over the yard and get stabbed by the leaves. These trees are about 20' high and 10-15' in diameter(and get wider by the day) and I can't afford to have them professionally pruned every year and I sure can't keep up with them yet I feel guilty about wanting to get rid of them. Anyone else dealt with this problem? |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
Tue, Jul 13, 04 at 9:01
| Every day, I cut and pull holly out of my foundation beds. I got rid of the tree sized hollies when I moved in, but the roots are still in the ground and sending out shoots constantly. I drilled the stumps a few weeks ago, and poured straight Roundup into the holes. That should take care of the problem (I hope!). I have 3 dwarf hollies in an island bed, that are much more well behaved. All they need is light pruning every year, and they don't seem to colonize. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| Thanks Donn, it's good to know that I'm not the only one. I'm still fighting sprouts from the 2 we took down too, but that's nothing compared to the fight with the ones still standing. Now if I can just convince DH that it's best to take down the others and plant something better behaved. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| Are they small enough to get dug up and moved to my house? |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| No Rosemarino. I don't think 20 foot tall holly trees would move very easily. I've had many people admire them and I've told them I'd be happy to give them to them if they want to move them, but nobody likes them THAT much. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| Does Holly do well in shady situations? I need something evergreen, huge and slightly invasive as a screen and winter cover for birdies. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 14, 04 at 5:57
| Most hollies love shade, but many are more than slightly invasive. They spread on their own, and the berries get planted by birds as well. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| If you give it a real good pruning it should last for several years, and it cuts out any of the old leaf miners, and yellowing leaves as well. I have one this size and it needs to be contained. You can limb up the bottom to make it a lollypop shape, and then underplant. I keep mine around for year round interest, plus the birds use it for shelter and food. There is nothing more beautiful, IMO, than after a snowfall, seeing the cardinals on a holly. That in itself is worth keeping the tree for. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| Are there dwarf varieties that will stop spreading out after awhile? I can tolerate a spread of about 5' in all directions. After that, it would be encroaching on other areas. Also, would Holly look stupid in front of a tidal marsh with those long reeds sticking up behind it? I want something to transition between where my grass ends and the tidal marsh begins. I want something that might look a little wild and needs little maintenance. I just can't decide on what to put back there. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
Wed, Jul 14, 04 at 17:22
| There are lots of dwarf Holly varieties, but I think other plants would look better in front of the reeds of the marsh. Ornamental grass would look great, and natural, and requires very little care. You might also try a tall Heather, which may be evergreen, depending on your zone. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| The hollies in my yard are growing in everything from full sun to fairly dense shade although the ones in shade don't seem to grow quite as fast-- or maybe I just don't notice their growth as much since they don't interfere with my perennial bed. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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| I'm in zone 6, coastal CT. What's reducing my options is that there are large Maples in the rear of the yard creating a lot of shade. Whatever I put back there would have to be able to thrive in a mostly shady situation. I'd prefer something evergreen since I have a lot of resident year round birds back there. I'd like to provide them with some shelter for the winter. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
Thu, Jul 15, 04 at 5:59
| A recent thread on the Ornamental Grass Forum, discusses grasses for shade. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Ornamental Grass for Shade
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Claire z6b MA Coastal (My Page) on
Sun, Jul 18, 04 at 11:10
| rudysmallfry: Maybe Inkberry (Ilex glabra)? It's a native holly and should like being next to a tidal marsh. It's not huge though, and it does sucker so it would spread. I don't know how much shade it would take, but it will take some. -Claire |
Here is a link that might be useful: Ilex glabra
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by pct_az z7 Prescott AZ (My Page) on
Sun, Jan 16, 05 at 0:34
| The holly in my yard is not large, but it is impossible to get rid of. I dug a huge hole for a small holly, was amazed that it had a root-chunk (?) just underground about the size of a 10' bag of flour... Getting all that out didn't kill it. That one isn't so bad, its in the orchard out back. But there are some hollys in my front yard that I need to get out. One is right close to a pine tree, and I'm afraid digging it up will harm the pine. After the bark beetle of the last couple of years, I am grateful for all my healthy pines and don't want to do anything to stress them. The other is growing straight up through a juniper groundcover. I don't know what its called, but its about 3 or 4' high and 15 or so feet around. The holly sticking up in the middle looks awful. But the juniper is also healthy and beautiful, and I can't get in there to dig up the holly without destroying it. Any ideas? Thanks. Arizona mountains, zone 7. |
RE: Does anyone else have mixed feelings about holly?
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- Posted by Donn_ Z 7, seaside,NY (My Page) on
Mon, Jan 17, 05 at 8:38
Use Roundup, or one of it's equivalents, and just apply it to the holly. Get the strongest mix they make. Slither into the Juniper  , saw off the biggest Holly trunks, drill holes as deep down into them as your drill bit will reach, and pour in the RU, straight, undiluted. Don't spill it on anything else. If you just can't get inside to the trunks, you can try to kill it by applying a strong dilution to all the leaves. It's easy to apply to just the holly leaves by putting on a rubber examination glove followed by a cotton glove with rubber nubbies. Dip two fingers into the RU, squeeze off the excess, and caress the leaves, both sides, rubbing with the nubbies. Some Hollies, like Ivys, have a waxy coat on their leaves, and you need to get the RU through it. Mixing in some detergent helps, but makes it harder to apply. You'll still have to get inside the Juniper to cut out the dead Holly. Good luck! |
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