List of Japanese Holly Shrubs

Dwarf Forms

• Geisha is a dwarf cultivar of Japanese holly that grows to between 3 and 4 feet tall. It is slow to mature to full size, but it is suitable as a small hedge or for rock gardens. Geisha produces yellow berries when its inconspicuous flowers undergo pollination. Use Geisha between U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 5 through 8. Beehive is also smaller than the parent shrub, growing to 4 feet with a dense and very compact form. Developed at Rutgers University, Beehive has outstanding glossy leaves.

Yellow Foliage Forms

• Ilex crenata "Golden Gem" is a male cultivar, so it produces no berries. However, this dwarf shrub, growing to just 24 inches, has yellow foliage. Its leaves are as long as 1 ¼ inches. Golden Gem works along foundations or in rock gardens, growing in mounds. Golden Helleri is another cultivar with yellow foliage; it sometimes goes under the alternate names of Golden Heller or Helleri Dwarf Golden. At just 48 inches tall, it too is small, and like Golden Gem, it lacks flowering and fruiting ability and is grown mainly for its color.

Tall Forms

• Hetzii grows as tall as 8 or 10 feet, making it appropriate for use in hedges. It does have flowers and fruit, with foliage up to 1 inch in length. Hetzii is cold hardy to USDA zone 5 and grows into regions as warm as zone 8. Convexa also makes a fine hedge, as it is adaptable to pruning and shearing. Taking its name from its convex leaves, which bend into a bowl-like shape, Convexa grows to 10 feet high and can be as wide as 20 feet.

Distinctive Forms

• Sky Pencil lives up to its name, growing to 10 feet tall but having narrow widths of no more than 36 inches. The female specimens produce dark purple fruits. Grown between USDA zones 6 and 8, Shy Pencil is an option even for small yards since it takes up so little room, but it also is a choice for formal gardens. You will need to inquire about Variegata at specialty nurseries. These are a group of Japanese holly forms with different-colored leaves. Some may be all white, while others are combinations of green and yellow.