Landscape Arrangements With Japanese Pencil Shrubs

Boxwood Substitute

• "Sky Pencil" features small (.5 to 1.5 inches) leaves and a dense texture, making it a good substitute for boxwood (Buxus spp.), generally hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8. Applications include hedges, especially in landscape situations where planting strips are narrow or height is more important than width. For hedging, plant the shrubs close together -- about 1.5 feet apart -- to create a "green wall" effect. For a staggered hedge, plant more than 3 feet apart, choosing the exact space between plants according to the dimensions of the allotted space.

Adding Definition

• Vertical accents are also excellent ways to define specific areas. A pair of "Sky Pencil" hollies might flank the entrance to a driveway or walkway. A single specimen might set off a corner planting area. The shrubs could be used to line both sides of a driveway. Quartets of "Sky Pencil" could be used at the four corners of a large square or rectangular bed, or alternately, serve as the focal point in the middle of such a landscape. This treatment would be effective in a formal potager or kitchen garden, as well.

Container Growing

• One of the beauties of "Sky Pencil" is that it is also suitable for container culture. Large, decorative containers of the Japanese holly would be perfect to set off the corners of a square terrace or patio and would also work at the top or bottom of a set of porch steps. In large containers, the shrubs could be underplanted with sun-loving annuals or perennials. Container growing also allows gardeners to use "Sky Pencil" outside of its hardiness range, as long as the plants are stored in a cool, protected location during the winter months.

Holly Culture

• Japanese hollies are dioecious, and plants are either male or female. "Sky Pencil" is a female variety and is slightly more decorative in the landscape if it produces fruit after the late spring flowers. For pollination and fruiting, a male Japanese holly like "Golden Gem" (Ilex crenata "Golden Gem"), hardy in USDA zones 5 through 8, should be grown nearby. Fruiting or not, "Sky Pencil" is vigorous, thriving in well-drained, slightly acidic soil in full sun to light shade. Japanese holly has been reported as invasive in a few places, including West Virginia.