Characteristics
| Hardiness zone | 5b |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | evergreen |
| Plant form | pyramidal |
| Mature height | 20 feet |
| Spread | 10 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | dry to moist |
| Plant origin | hybrid |
Nellie R. Stevens Holly
Botanical name: Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’
This splendid ornamental evergreen keeps its pyramidal shape with little to no pruning; it has glossy, toothed foliage and loads of brilliant red fruit that attracts birds; unusual drought and heat tolerance; a vigorous grower.
Ornamental Features
Nellie R. Stevens Holly is primarily grown for its highly ornamental fruit. It features an abundance of magnificent red berries in late fall. It has attractive dark green foliage. The spiny oval leaves are highly ornamental and remain dark green throughout the winter. The flowers are not ornamentally significant.
Landscape Attributes
Nellie R. Stevens Holly is a dense multi-stemmed evergreen tree with a distinctive and refined pyramidal form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and is best pruned in late winter once the threat of extreme cold has passed. It is a good choice for attracting birds and bees to your yard. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Nellie R. Stevens Holly is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
Planting and Growing
Nellie R. Stevens Holly will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 50 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It is very adaptable to both dry and moist growing conditions, but will not tolerate any standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, acidic soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.
