Growing Helleri Hollies

Requirements

• Helleri hollies tolerate winter temperatures in U.S. Department of Agriculture hardiness zones 6 to 8. They grow in sun or partial shade, but they hold their shape best and produce an abundance of berries in full sun. Provide a loose, well-drained soil that is rich in organic matter. Helleri hollies may fail to thrive in a soil that is constantly wet.

Cultivation

• You can plant container-grown Helleri hollies any time of year but they get off to a better start when planted in fall. Apply mulch after planting to keep the soil cool and moist and prevent weeds. They need very little fertilizer, and too much nitrogen prevents flower and berry formation. Helleri hollies are drought tolerant and only need average amounts of watering, which usually means about 1 inch per week. Although they don’t require regular pruning, they tolerate severe cutting. This allows you to shape them into formal hedges. When grown in shrub borders or as specimens, shaping the top encourages the sides to spread.

Berries

• Helleri hollies are dioecious, which means that the flowers on the female shrubs must be pollinated by a male plant in order to produce berries. Planting a male close to a female produces more berries, but it is possible for a female flower to be pollinated by a male as much as 2 miles away. Bees and other insects carry the pollen from male to female plants. A Helleri holly’s small, black berries aren’t as ornamental as the bright red berries of an American holly, but they add an extra dimension to the fall and winter landscape. Hard pruning and hot summer weather may prevent Helleri hollies from producing berries.

Landscape Uses

• Their slow growth and neat shape make Helleri hollies ideal candidates for foundation plantings. They also make good hedges. Space them about 3 feet apart for an impenetrable boundary. The crowns eventually come together to form a formal, even hedge. Spacing them 5 feet apart or more allows their natural dome shape to develop. When planted in borders, they look best in groups of three or five. Single specimens adapt well to containers.