Liberty Holly
Ilex x ‘Conty’ (PP#12,009)
Liberty Holly
Ilex x ‘Conty’ (PP#12,009)
How are the heights measured?
All tree, and nothin' but the tree! We measure from the top of the soil to the top of the tree; the height of the container or the root system is never included in our measurements.
What is a gallon container?
Nursery containers come in a variety of different sizes, and old-school nursery slang has stuck. While the industry-standard terminology is to call the sizes "Gallon Containers", that doesn't exactly translate to the traditional liquid "gallon" size we think of. You'll find we carry young 1-gallons, up to more mature 7-gallons ranging anywhere from 6 inches to 6ft.
How does the delivery process work?
All of our orders ship via FedEx Ground! Once your order is placed online, our magic elves get right to work picking, staging, boxing and shipping your trees. Orders typically ship out within 2 business days. You will receive email notifications along the way on the progress of your order, as well as tracking information to track your plants all the way to their new home!
Why are some states excluded from shipping?
The short & sweet answer is: "United States Department of Agriculture Restrictions." Every state has their own unique USDA restrictions on which plants they allow to come into their state. While we wish we could serve everyone, it's for the safety of native species and helps prevent the spread of invasive disease & pests. We've gotta protect good ole' Mother Nature, after all.
About Me
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The Liberty™ Holly is a wonderful holly tree, noted for its rapid and vigorous growth. It has beautiful deep-green glossy leaves, that look beautiful all year round. The leaves are large, with striking ‘saw-tooth’ edges, and they show off the bright orange-red berries beautifully. These appear in fall, and they last all through fall and most of the winter too, before being taken by birds as an important winter food for them. This holly is fast growing, adding as much as 18 inches of growth a year. It is naturally dense and pyramidal in shape, reaching 15 to 20 feet tall and spreading 12 to 15 feet across at the base. It is perfect for a lawn specimen, or in the background of your garden. It is easily grown as a screen or clipped into a beautiful hedge.
- Beautiful dark, rich-green and glossy foliage
- Upright pyramidal form
- Unique ‘saw-tooth’ leaf margins
- Rapid growth rate for quick results
- Grows well in the heat and humidity of hot states
Grow the Liberty™ Holly in full sun to partial shade. It grows best in moist but well-drained soil, but it will grow well in almost any garden soil, as long as it is not constantly wet. This vigorous hybrid plant is usually not bothered by pests or diseases, and normally left alone by deer too. It can easily be trimmed into perfect pyramids, or a neat hedge. Untrimmed or lightly-trimmed trees usually carry the most berries. Branches can be cut for your home in winter, or to create Christmas wreaths with a unique look.
- Plant Hardiness Zones 7-9
- Mature Width 12-15
- Mature Height 15-20 ft.
Holly bushes are essential evergreens in all the mild and warmer parts of the country. Their glossy foliage and bright red berries are enduring symbols of winter, and they add interest and color during this darkest time of year. In summer too, they create a strong backdrop to the color of our gardens, and for hedges they simply cannot be beaten. The Liberty Holly is an outstanding holly bush, well-adapted to hotter areas, with striking foliage and bright orange-red berries. It has a naturally pyramidal form, dense growth, and striking foliage that creates a distinctive look. If you are looking for holly bushes for a beautiful hedge, or as specimens in your garden, this is almost certainly exactly what you are looking for.
Growing Liberty™ Holly
The Liberty Holly grows rapidly and vigorously, adding about 18 inches each year when young, and so soon becoming a dense, upright, pyramidal plant of striking outline. With little or no trimming it will make a beautiful lawn specimen, or backdrop to your other garden planting. In time it will grow 15 to 20 feet tall, with a spread of between 12 and 15 feet. It can also easily be trimmed into the perfect formal specimen, on a lawn, along a driveway or walkway, or turned into a solid hedge or screen. Although it naturally grows quite large, it is easily trimmed and maintained at a smaller size, depending on your needs.
Appearance
The most striking and unique feature of this holly is the foliage. Instead of the usual ‘holly leaf’ form, with several large spines, the leaves of the Liberty Holly are oval shaped, 3 to 4 inches long and 1½ to 2¼ inches wide. Along the edges is a tight row of short spines, with 15 to 20 spines on each side. This crisp ‘saw-tooth’ edging makes the Liberty Holly very attractive, and quite different from most other holly bushes. The leaves are a very dark, rich green, with a bright, glossy surface, and always look striking and attractive.
In spring inconspicuous flowers appear at the bases of the leaves, along the stems. These are yellowish-green, and they grow on the stems of the previous year. Over summer they turn into small green berries, which later turn yellow, and then by fall become bright orange-red, lasting throughout fall and most of the winter too. They make a wonderful showing, and really brighten the winter months. During the colder weather they will attract feeding birds to your garden too, bringing flashes of color and movement to the still winter scene.
Planting and Initial Care
The Liberty Holly is easy to grow in most garden soils, provided they are well-drained and not constantly saturated with water. This variety is well-adapted to warmer regions, and it thrives in zones 7 to 9. It will also grow well in sheltered spots in zone 6. Plant your trees in full sun for the densest growth and the most berries, but they will also grow in partial shade, where they can be kept denser by trimming. For a hedge, plant trees 5 to 8 feet apart, and up to 10 feet apart for a screen. With its rapid growth-rate, your Liberty Holly hedge will soon be dense and solid, and it will look wonderful all year round.
Trim lightly in late spring, to shorten the new growth back by a few inches. New shoots will develop from the cut branches, and these should be trimmed again in late fall. This trimming schedule will maximize the amount of newer, berry-carrying stems, while keeping your plants always looking neat. Fertilize in early spring with a suitable fertilizer for evergreens, and water during dry spells. Established plants are moderately drought resistant. This tree is rarely bothered by pests or diseases, making it easy to grow and trouble-free. For the best berry production, grow this tree within 200 feet of a male holly tree, ideally of a Chinese holly.
History and Origins of the Liberty™ Holly
The Liberty Holly originated as a seedling grown in 1989 by Jack Mitchell Magee, from Poplarville, Mississippi, from seed he collected from a tree of the holly, Ilex ‘Mary Nell’. That tree was created in 1962 by Joe McDaniel in Semmes, Alabama. He took pollen from a male tree of the Tarajo Holly (Ilex latifolia), which comes from southern Japan and China. He used this to pollinate a tree of the holly ‘Red Delight’, which is a hybrid between the Chinese Holly, Ilex cornuta and another Chinese species, Ilex pernyi. Mary Nell was the name of Joe McDaniel’s wife.
The Liberty Holly differs from its parent mainly in the unique dark, spiny foliage, and it was granted a patent in 2001. This complex hybrid parentage brings immense vigor and health to the Liberty Holly, making it a top-rate choice for rapid growth, toughness and vigor even in hot states, and for overall beauty. This desirable plant is in high demand, and our trees, grown under license, are top quality, and selling fast. To enjoy this unique tree in your own garden, order now while our stocks last.
