Date: 16 Jun 2019
Horned Holly - a cool bonsai plant
By Onika Amell, tropical plant specialist
Q: I live in Chickasaw, Alabama. I am a beginner bonsai grower. I received a lovely little Horned Holly as a birthday present and I want to know if it is a suitable plant to bonsai?
A: The Ilex cornuta - Horned Holly, or Chinese Holly, is very popular as
a bonsai species. It is loved for its very beautiful and distinctive
rectangular foliage and for its small, white flowers which give way to large, red
berries. The berries are larger than those of the European Holly. The leaves are
rectangular and unusually shaped with three large spines at the apex. This
bonsai will take both sun and shade, but semi-shade is preferred in midsummer.
If indoors, give it plenty of bright light. When kept outdoors, your Horned
Holly bonsai will need some frost protection and should be sheltered from
strong or cold winds.
It will need a fair amount of water and should not be allowed to completely
dry out. Watering during the heat of summer is especially important, as well
as in spring right before the fruit production, and should be reduced during
winter. This species will also appreciate regular misting of the foliage.
Repot this bonsai every 1 to 2 years in early spring, using bonsai soil - TopTropicals
Adenium Soilless Mix. Fertilize the holly every two weeks throughout the
growing season using either a balanced fertilizer diluted to half strength.
We recommend for this purpose Tropical Greenhouse Plus - Plant Booster. Pruning should be done in
early spring.
Horned Holly is also very popular as a hedge plant as it grows dense
and compact. It will grow to between 3 and 5 feet tall and will spread to an
equal distance, giving it a round, shrubby form. It is cold hardy! Zones 6
through 9. It will tolerate a wide variety of soils as long as it is
well-drained. It likes sun or part shade. It is heat and drought tolerant once
established, and are often used in xeriscaping. Its branches produce dark olive-green
foliage that is often cut for indoor decorations during the holidays.
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