Are you a celery fan? Done right, it’s satisfyingly flavorful with a pleasing texture that leaves you wanting more.But it can be difficult for the home gardener to achie
12.06.2023 - 01:11 / gardenerspath.com / Laura Ojeda Melchor
How to Plant and Grow Oak Leaf Holly Ilex x ‘Conaf’Oak Leaf holly is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub with glossy foliage that produces bright red berries in autumn, and provides year-round interest in the garden.
Named for the unique, shapely leaves that resemble those of an oak tree, Oak Leaf holly (Ilex x ‘Conaf’) reaches a mature height of 10-15 feet with a spread of seven to nine feet.
So if you love the shape of oak leaves but don’t want to plant a giant tree in your yard, just as there exists a holly oak, which is an oak tree with holly-like leaves, you’ll be pleased to discover there is also an Oak Leaf holly!
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A perfect, not-too-huge addition to your yard, Oak Leaf holly grows naturally in a pyramid shape and responds well to pruning, should you prefer to grow it as a formal hedge or privacy screen.
Ready to learn all about these stately plants? Here’s what we’ll cover:
What Is Oak Leaf Holly?Ilex is a large genus in the Aquifoliaceae, or holly family, and Oak Leaf is a hybrid cultivar that delivers pleasing color to gardens in USDA Hardiness Zones 6-9.
The evergreen foliage emerges in a rusty-red color before maturing into a deep emerald green with prickly leaves that have a darker center and subtly lighter edges. Each leaf has three to five serrated margins, with small, sharp prickles on the ends.
Delicately scented cream-white flowers bloom in spring and then produce small green berries that turn into red-orange, 3/8-inch beauties in the fall.
And unlike most hollies that are either male or female, this hybrid is a hermaphrodite, with both female and male reproductive structures on each flower, so it
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