Ilex cornuta 'Rotunda'
Chinese Holly, Horned Holly
Chinese Holly, Horned Holly
Type Shrub, woody plant
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Spread 6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate Slow
Form Rounded
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 4' to 6' / 1.20m to 1.80m
Spread 6' to 10' / 1.80m to 3.00m
Growth rate Slow
Form Rounded
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Bloom Color White
Bloom Time Spring
Bloom Time Spring
Environment
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.
This plant tolerates drought, occasional wetness and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to occasionally wet soil.
Suitable soil is well-drained/loamy, sandy or clay.
The pH preference is an acidic to alkaline (less than 6.8 to more than 7.7) soil.
Leaf Color Green
Fall Color No change in fall color
Fall Color No change in fall color
Culture Notes
Growing best in rich, well-drained, slightly acid soil, this holly does well in full sun or part shade. However, flowering and subsequent fruiting is reduced in shady locations. It is drought-tolerant and easy to grow once established. It is well suited for low-maintenance landscapes which receive little or no irrigation or fertilizer after trees are established. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
This is a common hedge plant for the south. Scale is about the only thing that causes some problems. A dense rounded silhouette develops without clipping making it well suited for planting along a foundation. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart to form a hedge, farther apart in a shrub border. It is often used as a mass planting on commercial properties to form a low shrub mass around parking lots. One yearly pruning can easily keep this plant in bounds in most landscape settings, unless it is clipped into a formal hedge. Two to four clippings may be needed for hedges. Clip the hedge so it is wider at the bottom than at the top to allow maximum light penetration to bottom foliage. This will help keep the hedge full to the ground.
Fertilization once each year is all that is needed to maintain good leaf color and adequate growth. Cease fertilization as the plant reaches the size you desire.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
Growing best in rich, well-drained, slightly acid soil, this holly does well in full sun or part shade. However, flowering and subsequent fruiting is reduced in shady locations. It is drought-tolerant and easy to grow once established. It is well suited for low-maintenance landscapes which receive little or no irrigation or fertilizer after trees are established. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people.
This is a common hedge plant for the south. Scale is about the only thing that causes some problems. A dense rounded silhouette develops without clipping making it well suited for planting along a foundation. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart to form a hedge, farther apart in a shrub border. It is often used as a mass planting on commercial properties to form a low shrub mass around parking lots. One yearly pruning can easily keep this plant in bounds in most landscape settings, unless it is clipped into a formal hedge. Two to four clippings may be needed for hedges. Clip the hedge so it is wider at the bottom than at the top to allow maximum light penetration to bottom foliage. This will help keep the hedge full to the ground.
Fertilization once each year is all that is needed to maintain good leaf color and adequate growth. Cease fertilization as the plant reaches the size you desire.
Planting and establishing shrubs
The most common cause of young plant failure is planting too deep. Plant the root ball no deeper than it was in the nursery. In most instances, the root flare zone (point where the top-most root in the root ball originates from the trunk) should be located just above the landscape soil surface. Sometimes plants come from the nursery with soil over the root flare. If there is soil over this area, scrape it off. The planting hole should be at least twice the width of the root ball, preferably wider. In all but exceptional circumstances where the soil is very poor, there is no need to incorporate anything into the backfill soil except the loosened soil that came out of the planting hole. Never place ANY soil over the root ball. If a row or grouping of plants is to be installed, excavating or loosening the soil in the entire bed and incorporating organic matter enhances root growth and establishment rate.
Weed suppression during establishment is essential. Apply a 3-inch thick layer of mulch around the plant to help control weed growth. Keep it at least 10 inches from the trunk. If you apply it over the root ball, apply only a one or two inch layer. This allows rainwater and air to easily enter the root ball and keeps the trunk dry. Placing mulch against the trunk or applying too thick a layer above the root ball can kill the plant by oxygen starvation, death of bark, stem and root diseases, prevention of hardening off for winter, vole and other rodent damage to the trunk, keeping soil too wet, or repelling water. Regular irrigation through the first growing season after planting encourages rapid root growth, which is essential for quick plant establishment.
