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I have two holly bushes in my garden; Ilex 'Golden King' which I know is female (an has produced berries), and Ilex 'Ferrox Argentea', the hedgehog holly which ws bought on the understanding it was a male and thus help produce the desired berries on the other.

However for two years running now there has not been a single berry on the Golden King. This is effectively since both plants were moved to their current locations which are within the same border (so no problem with distance.

I was starting to wonder what was wrong. I had thought that maybe the hedgehog holly (male) was a bit too over shadowed by other plants (its still quite small) and either it wasnt flowering or the pollenating insects just werent finding its flowers. Then i read something in a recent edition of Gardeners World magazine which talked about 'insignificant' berries on ilex Ferrox Argentea! This obviously indicated that this variety is actualy female. Now if i had been getting beries OK then I would have thought that the magazine people had got their info wrong, but since I hadnt been getting berries it made me wonder if the label that came with the plant was wrong and the variety is truly a female. Thus i have no chance of getting berries on either of my existing hollies.

Can anyone tell me for certain just what gender the hedgehog holly is? Am I just unlucky not to get berries or have i got the wrong plant?

Thanks

Hi Garden Apprentice

Don't actually know much about Holly but just did a quick search on the RHS plantfinder    :)

Ilex aquifolium 'Ferox Argentea' (male/v) Award of Garden Merit (H4) 1993

Large, bushy evergreen shrub with purple young shoots. Leaves small, spiny on upper surface as well as the margins, broadly edged with creamy-white. Flowers small, dull white

Ilex × altaclerensis (Hort. ex Loud.) Dallim. 'Golden King' (female/v) Award of Garden Merit (H4) 1993

Small bushy evergreen tree with broad ovate, slightly spiny leaves margined with bright yellow. Flowers small, dull white; berries brownish-red, not abundant

Perhaps it's a case of waiting until next season and having a close look at the flowers to make sure they are male/female...

Apparently berry production can also be reduced by cold winds and wet periods during flowering, which prevent insects from pollinating.

Or maybe one or both plants are not quite mature enough yet?

I'm sure someone who actually knows what they're talking about will be along shortly!  ;D

the male flowers are small but obvious when you look for them so when the time is right you have to check if that is happening as some hollies can take ages to flower

You must remember that for any berry or fruit to be produced the weather needs to be right when the flowers are out. You might need to wait a year or two for the trees to establish.

Ferox Argentea is a sterile male cultivar and will not set fruits. It is not suitable as a pollinator for other (female) cultivars.
Ferox Argentea (c1662) is actually called 'silver hedgehog' and is the variegated cultivar derived from the oldest known named cultivar in the Ilex genus the  green-leaved Ferox (c1635) 'hedgehog' also a sterile male.

I just listened to the news and you are not the only one to suffer.

Thanks for replies.

I have had berries on the female before, two maybe three years ago, so at the time thought that all was well, but like i said above nothing for the last two years, so i dont think that the bad summer this year has made all that much difference (although probably wouldnt have helped). To be honest i dont think the male has even flowered in the last two years, so weather and lack of pollenating insects wouldnt have made the slightest bit of difference! This is what made me wonder if it (the hedgehog holly) was a female.

I am guessing that the times i did have berries on the Golden King, i was lucky and the plant just happened to have been visited by a bee (or what ever) that had also visited previously a male  in another garden - but since none of my near neighbours appear to have a holly bush, it would have been a pretty long distance bee!

How definate is that bit about the hedgehog holly being a sterile male? What source does that bit of info come from? If certain it looks like i will have to go out and get another holly. Never mind good excuse to have another one in the garden! ;D

Can anyone recomend a good male variety (readily available) that will earn its keep?

Thanks

The source of the information regarding the hedgehog holly being a sterile male is the book "Variegated Trees and Shrubs: The Illustrated Encyclopedia By Ronald Houtman"
How accurate? well it is sold clearly described as a sterile male SEE HERE.

A few suggestions for good male pollinators.
Ilex aquifolium 'Myrtifolia Aureomaculata'
Ilex x meserveae 'China Boy'
Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince'
Ilex aquifolium 'Silver Queen'
Ilex Elegantissima

Quote from: Baccy Man on December 11, 2007, 10:55:25
The source of the information regarding the hedgehog holly being a sterile male is the book "Variegated Trees and Shrubs: The Illustrated Encyclopedia By Ronald Houtman"
How accurate? well it is sold clearly described as a sterile male SEE HERE.

A few suggestions for good male pollinators.
Ilex aquifolium 'Myrtifolia Aureomaculata'
Ilex x meserveae 'China Boy'
Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Prince'
Ilex aquifolium 'Silver Queen'
Ilex Elegantissima

Sorry, just checking. Many thanks for the info. Time to go shopping I think!

No offence taken, I question most things I read on the internet until I have verified the facts myself.

Never grown holly myself. May give it a go though. Newspapers this morning are saying that holly is going to be really expensive this year.

Quote from: ktlawson on December 12, 2007, 09:30:06
Never grown holly myself. May give it a go though. Newspapers this morning are saying that holly is going to be really expensive this year.

it wont be in future if you grow your own. Might be a few years before you have enough to use for decorations though, as hollies aare quite slow growing.

Quote from: ktlawson on December 12, 2007, 09:30:06
Newspapers this morning are saying that holly is going to be really expensive this year.

...or you could just cut it from the trees in your local park - one of our plot holders saw a couple cutting some off and putting it in bin liners - will probably turn up in the local market at the weekend!!

Quote from: froglets on December 12, 2007, 17:37:14

Quote from: ktlawson on December 12, 2007, 09:30:06
Newspapers this morning are saying that holly is going to be really expensive this year.

...or you could just cut it from the trees in your local park - one of our plot holders saw a couple cutting some off and putting it in bin liners - will probably turn up in the local market at the weekend!!

I wouldnt reccomend doing that without asking. Technicaly it would be theft (and possibly vandalism too). I guess though if you asked if it was Ok and the bush needed pruning anyway, some parks staff at least would be amenable to you doing it.

Same would apply to holly growing out in the countryside. Even if the plant is growing wild, and cutting it doesnt deplete the plant too much, If its on private land, ASK FIRST!

oops, my comment kinda got lost without the eye and hand gestures.  We were horrified & wouldn't advocate doing it.  Thanks for making it clear GA

Quote from: Garden Apprentice on December 13, 2007, 10:01:15

I guess though if you asked if it was Ok and the bush needed pruning anyway, some parks staff at least would be amenable to you doing it.


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When I was council foreman, I would turn a blind eye to any of the groundsmen 'giving' a bit of holly away, after all a few seasonal perks where in order.

We often had a request to cut a bit for councillor so and so. Sauce for the goose came to mind. The men always seem to leave the hollybush pruning until mid december and my kids were flavour of the month at school when they took in their xmas decoration contributions.

Don't just dive in with your pruners, go and see the lads in their tea hut, a bottle of beer is a great persuader, and if you leave your name and address on the back of a £5 note it might be delivered.

I found a large broken holly branch in the local woods, full of berries so I took some!
Then I saw a council man doing his rounds, I was very quick to say it was off a fallen branch and was willing to show him where it was.

He said exactly what ACE suggested...."Its no problem, the more they are cut the better they grow." Its a pity all park staff dont realise that.

There is a huge holly tree in a graveyard not far from me that is so full of berries its more red than green. Because people keep taking bits of it home each year.