How Much Does a Holly Sapling Cost Per Plant? A Detailed Guide to Types, Characteristics and Planting Methods

Holly, an evergreen tree, is a type of flowering plant; its seeds and bark can be used medicinally; the leaves have a heat-clearing and detoxifying effect; the bark can be used to extract tannin extract; the wood is hard and can be used as material for fine work.So what does holly look like? How much does a sapling cost per plant? What types are there? How is it planted? According to data, holly is about 2 to 25 m tall and is divided into trees and shrubs. The bark is gray or light gray, with longitudinal grooves, and the twigs are light green and hairless. The leaves are thinly leathery, narrowly oblong or lanceolate, with acuminate tips, wedge-shaped bases, and shallow rounded serrations along the edges, turning reddish-brown and glossy after drying. The petals are purplish-red or pale purple and curl outward. The fruit is oval or nearly spherical, and dark red when ripe.

How much does a holly sapling cost per plant?

What types of holly are there?

1. Large-leaved holly: a plant in the Aquifoliaceae family; its leaves are larger and thicker than those of the glossy privet, and it was seen before at the Nanjing Zhongshan Botanical Garden. It is an evergreen tree in the genus Ilex of the Aquifoliaceae family. The trunk is straight, the branches and leaves are lush, and the tree shape is graceful, resembling the southern magnolia. The colors of the leaves, flowers and fruit change richly.

2. Glossy privet: a commonly used tree species in landscaping. Oleaceae family, Ligustrum genus. Evergreen large shrub or tree.

3. Small-leaved privet: generally pruned into a ball shape, it is also good material for making bonsai and a commonly used rootstock for grafting osmanthus.

4. Japanese holly: Zhejiang is its place of origin. It seems to be a plant with thorns.

5. Red-fruited holly: it bears red fruits, has a tall crown, is evergreen all year round, and is covered with red fruits in autumn and winter. Also known as firethorn, flame tree, red fruit, auspicious fruit, etc. An evergreen shrub with thorny branches. Simple leaves alternate, flowers in spring and fruit in autumn. The flowers are white as snow and usually bloom in early May. The fruits are red in clusters, ripening in autumn and remaining on the plant for a long time. From a distance they look like flames. In winter, under a covering of white snow, they have a special charm. In the spring of the following year, the fruits fall and then it blooms. Its ornamental value is extremely high.

6. French holly: its place of origin is France, and it is generally used as a hedge. Its leaves are thick and glossy, and it is mostly clustered.

How is holly planted?

1. Holly saplings are generally propagated by cuttings: it is best to take softwood holly cuttings during the plum rain season. The cuttings should be 6-8 cm long, with the lower leaves removed, leaving only 1-2 leaves and shortening them, inserted to a depth of 1/2. Sandy soil should be used as the substrate. After insertion, build a frame for shade, spray water frequently, and keep it moist; roots should form after about 1 month. You can first cut obliquely from the middle-upper part of the crown, take vigorous side branches 5-10 cm long, remove the lower small leaves, and keep all the upper leaves. Then treat with rooting powder and insert the cuttings into the seedbed with the cut end facing down. The seedbed site should be chosen in a ventilated and shade-tolerant place, and cuttings can also be taken under shade, with an extremely high survival rate.

2. Watering and fertilizing

After the saplings planted that year are watered thoroughly once, they can be left to grow naturally. Depending on the soil moisture, water once every 15 days. Combined with intertillage and weeding, apply fertilizer appropriately 1-2 times each in spring and autumn every year, generally using a thin liquid fertilizer mainly based on nitrogen.