'Schilling's Dwarf 'Holly Ilex vomitoria
Introduction
The symmetrical, dense, rounded form
of Schelling’s Dwarf Holly
requires infrequent pruning to
maintain its four to six-foot
height and spread (Fig. 1). Ideally
suited as lowgrowing foundation
plants, Schelling’s Dwarf
Holly works well as a tall groundcover
for it forms a low dense cover
of green foliage when planted
in mass. It is often sheared
into low hedges in formal gardens,
similar to the boxwoods in the
early American gardens. The small,
dark green leaves have a reddish
cast when they are young and
no spines. This cultivar of a
male plant will produce no berries.
General
Information
Scientific name: Ilex vomitoria ‘Schilling’s
Dwarf’
Pronunciation: EYE-lecks vom-mit-TOR-ee-uh
Common name(s): ‘Schilling’s
Dwarf’ Holly
Family: Aquifoliaceae
Plant type: shrub
USDA hardiness zones: 7 through 10
Planting month for zone 9: year round
Origin: native to Florida
Uses: bonsai; foundation; mass planting;
container or aboveground planter;
superior hedge; espalier
Availablity: generally available
in many areas within its hardiness
range Description
Height: 4 to 7 feet
Spread: 6 to 10 feet
Plant habit: round
Plant density: dense
Growth rate: slow
Texture: fine
Foliage
Leaf arrangement: alternate
Leaf type: simple Trunk/bark/branches:
not particularly showy; typically
multi-
Leaf margin: serrate
Leaf shape: ovate
Leaf venation: pinnate
Leaf type and persistence: evergreen
Leaf blade length: less than 2 inches
Leaf color: green
Fall color: no fall color change
Fall characteristic: not showy
Flower
Flower color: white
Flower characteristic: spring flowering
Fruit
Fruit shape: no fruit
Fruit length: no fruit
Fruit cover: no fruit
Fruit color: no fruit
Fruit characteristic: no fruit Trunk
and Branches
trunked or clumping stems
Current year stem/twig color: gray/silver
Current year stem/twig thickness:
thin Culture
Light requirement: plant grows in
part shade/part sun
Soil tolerances: extended flooding;
acidic; slightly alkaline; sand;
loam; clay
Drought tolerance: high
Soil salt tolerances: moderate
Plant spacing: 36 to 60 inches
Other
Roots: sprouts from roots or lower
trunk
Winter interest: no special winter
interest
Outstanding plant: not particularly
outstanding
Invasive potential: not known to
be invasive
Pest resistance: long-term health
usually not affected by pests
Use and
Management
Growing well in sun or light shade
in soils from dry to wet, Schellings
Dwarf Holly withstands drought when
established and is highly salt-tolerant,
making it ideally suited to seaside
plantings. It is a selection of the
native Yaupon Holly which grows naturally
without irrigation on the dunes along
the Atlantic Ocean. Growth rate is
slow to moderate. Plant four to five
feet apart for mass planting. Be
sure to set plants several feet back
from a walk, driveway or lawn area,
because plants grow wider than tall
and often require pruning to control
their lateral growth. If you need
to prune in this manner, be sure
to leave the bottom of the plant
much wider than the top so lower
foliage is left on the plant. If
you attempt to shear vertically,
the lower branches are shaded and
often lose foliage. This will give
the shrub an unsightly, dark, leafless
bottom. Propagation is by cuttings.
Pests and
Diseases
No pests or diseases are of major
concern.
by Edward F. Gilman
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