Do Holly Bushes Need Sun?

USDA Zone 3 and 4

• Despite a close association with Christmas, many hollies lack extreme cold hardiness. One that does have an ability to grow in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 3 and 4 is winterberry (Ilex verticillata). Native to New England, the Great Lakes and southeastern portions of Ontario, winterberry grows between 6 and 10 feet in poorly draining areas. Winterberry will grow in partial shade, but a full sun location results in the plant generating more of its attractive red fruits, notes the University of Connecticut Plant Database. Afterglow is a female cultivar of this deciduous shrub that is smaller than the parent species at between 3 to 6 feet. Afterglow does great in full sun, but it also tolerates a partly shady site.

USDA Zones 5 and 6

• Blue holly (Ilex x meserveae) is a holly hybrid for USDA zones 5 and 6 that grows on average to 8 feet tall. In partial shade, blue holly develop a more open habit, with more room between branches than it will have when planted in full sun. Highlights include evergreen, bluish-green leaves and red berries on female specimens. Possumhaw (Ilex decidua) is a deciduous holly shrub native to the eastern United States. Council Fire is a cultivar for full sun or part shade, growing to 12 feet and capable of producing orange-red berries on its female plants. Use it in groups or accent your landscape with it as a specimen plant.

USDA Zones 7 and 8

• American holly (Ilex opaca) grows as a small tree in USDA zones 7 and 8, but multiple cultivars of this holly are available. Maryland dwarf is a female form that is just 3 feet high, but capable of spreading out to 10 feet, making it useful along foundations and as a hedge. In zones 7 and 8, protect it from the heat of midday by placing it where it will receive some afternoon shade, advises the Missouri Botanical Garden. William Hawkins is a much larger American holly bush, but it too benefits from shade in the afternoon in such hot climates. William Hawkins grows to 15 feet as a male cultivar, meaning it lacks the ability to generate berries, but it does feature lush evergreen leaves with spiny, toothed edges.

USDA Zone 9

• Winter Gold is a form of winterberry that tolerates USDA zone 9 heat, turning golden-yellow in the fall before losing its leaves. Sun or partial shade work for Winter Gold, a cultivar known for its yellow-orange berries that stay on it through much of the winter.
  Inkberry (Ilex glabra) grows into zone 9. Inkberry, generating blackish fruits to go with evergreen foliage, has good tolerance for shade. It sends out suckers from its roots, helping it create colonies in the wild. Inkberry does poorly when planted in soils featuring a high pH level.