Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'
Chinese Holly, Horned Holly
Chinese Holly, Horned Holly
Type Tree, woody plant
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Spread 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Growth rate Average
Form Rounded and vase shaped
Exposure Partial shade or partial sun to full sun
Persistence Evergreen
Hardy range 7A to 9A
Height 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Spread 15' to 25' / 4.60m to 7.60m
Growth rate Average
Form Rounded and vase shaped
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, flooding and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to wet or submerged 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, flooding and some salt.
This plant will grow in very dry to wet or submerged 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
Burford Holly does well in full sun or part shade and is very tolerant of drought. In fact they are so resistant to drought that cut stems last a long time and can be used in flower arrangements. Flowering and subsequent fruiting is reduced in shady locations. It is well suited for low-maintenance landscapes which receive little or no irrigation or fertilizer after trees are established. Burford Holly is surprisingly flood tolerant - better than any other hollies tested. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Plants in containers tolerate moderate soil salt solutions up to about 4 mmhos/cm according to the saturated media extract method.
Plants can be limbed up to form a multi-trunked small tree well suited for the patio or in another location requiring a small tree. The canopy fills with a dense thicket of foliage which makes a good rousting site for birds. Trees have also been used along streets where overhead power lines limit usage of large trees. It also does well in small sidewalk cutouts. This plant grows too tall to be used as a hedge. The Dwarf Burford is better suited for this purpose although this too grows to more than 15 feet tall.
Wood is considered diffuse porous meaning that there is little difference in size of pores between spring and summer wood.
Use as a street tree
This plant can be grown as a multi-trunk tree for use in highway median strips and in landscapes, or can be used as a street tree where there is not a need for tall-vehicle clearance beneath the crown. The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless it is properly trained from an early age to develop one main trunk. The effort required initially to train this tree for street tree use, however, may be offset by its advantages.
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.
Burford Holly does well in full sun or part shade and is very tolerant of drought. In fact they are so resistant to drought that cut stems last a long time and can be used in flower arrangements. Flowering and subsequent fruiting is reduced in shady locations. It is well suited for low-maintenance landscapes which receive little or no irrigation or fertilizer after trees are established. Burford Holly is surprisingly flood tolerant - better than any other hollies tested. This plant is considered mostly allergy free and causes little or no allergy problems in most people. Plants in containers tolerate moderate soil salt solutions up to about 4 mmhos/cm according to the saturated media extract method.
Plants can be limbed up to form a multi-trunked small tree well suited for the patio or in another location requiring a small tree. The canopy fills with a dense thicket of foliage which makes a good rousting site for birds. Trees have also been used along streets where overhead power lines limit usage of large trees. It also does well in small sidewalk cutouts. This plant grows too tall to be used as a hedge. The Dwarf Burford is better suited for this purpose although this too grows to more than 15 feet tall.
Wood is considered diffuse porous meaning that there is little difference in size of pores between spring and summer wood.
Use as a street tree
This plant can be grown as a multi-trunk tree for use in highway median strips and in landscapes, or can be used as a street tree where there is not a need for tall-vehicle clearance beneath the crown. The small stature and low, spreading, branching habit makes pruning for vehicular clearance difficult unless it is properly trained from an early age to develop one main trunk. The effort required initially to train this tree for street tree use, however, may be offset by its advantages.
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.
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