Mary Nell Holly

Ilex x ‘Mary Nell’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 7a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub or Tree

Height at Maturity: 15-20′

Width at Maturity: 8′

Spacing: 8′ for solid hedges or screen planting; 14’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Dense, Pyramidal

Growth Rate: Moderate, Fast

Flower Color: White

Flower Size: Small

Flowering Period: May, June

Flower Type:

Fragrant Flowers: No

Foliage Color: Dark Olive Green

Fragrant Foliage: No

Berries: Yes

Berry Color: Red

Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, Low when established

Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Silty

Soil Moisture / Drainage: Well Drained Moist to Somewhat Dry

Soil pH: 5.5 – 7

Maintenance / Care: Low to Average

Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds

Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Mildew, Heat, Clay Soil

Description

Mary Nell Holly is a care-free large evergreen shrub or small tree popular for its lustrous dark green leaves and the LOADS of bright red berries in fall that persist through winter. Mary Nell has a natural pyramidal form handsome enough to be a specimen tree while growing fast enough to form a quick privacy screen. Grows full to the ground however lower branches can be removed to form a highly attractive tree form specimen.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing naturally in a pyramidal form 15 to 20 feet tall and 8 to 10 feet wide at its base, the Mary Nell Holly can be grown as a large shrub or small tree. It is ideal for use as a focal point specimen, in groupings, or in single or staggered rows as an evergreen privacy screening in landscape borders. Also effective to frame corners or as an accent tree in home foundation plantings or to line a driveway or street. A fine addition to holly gardens, wildlife gardens, red theme gardens and cottage gardens.

Suggested Spacing: 8 feet apart for privacy screen, 14 feet or more apart for space between trees

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7a, where this Holly variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

The Mary Nell Holly is exceptionally easy to grow. It adapts to many soils preferring a moist but well-drained acidic soil of average fertility. Alkaline soils result in chlorosis (yellowing of leaves) which can be corrected by the application of chelated iron and/or soil sulfur. More berries are produced in full to mostly sun however you can expect a good crop even with some shade. Six hours of direct sunlight per day is suggested. Relatively low maintenance when left to grow natural. That said, many landscapers will perform an annual pruning or shearing to maintain a more formal appearance or to control size.

Important Note: Any heavy pruning after spring flowering will reduce or eliminate berry production.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for a Holly tree.

How To Plant A Holly Tree In The Ground Or In Pots

How To Prune A Holly Bush Or Tree

How To Fertilize & Water A Holly Tree

Privacy Screen Design And Planting Tips

Plant Long & Prosper!

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