Holly olive

Holly olive: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Dense, slow-growing evergreen shrub of 2–4 m.

Leaf

Opposite, 3–6 cm, leathery and glossy dark green; young leaves with 1–4 pairs of spiny teeth, older leaves often untoothed.

Bark

Greyish-brown and smooth.

Flower

Small, white, sweetly scented flowers in clusters in the leaf axils, in September–October.

Fruit

Bluish-black drupes, rare in our climate.

Difference from holly

Holly has alternate leaves and red berries.

Difference from Oregon grape

Oregon grape has compound leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring.

Flowering: September–October · Pruning: April–June

Identify by feature: Spiny leaves · Evergreen leaves

Looks like it, but isn’t

• Holly Ilex aquifolium: alternate leaves and red berries. Difference from holly
• Oregon grape Berberis aquifolium: compound leaves and yellow flower clusters in spring. Difference from Oregon grape

Why grow it?

• Sweetly scented flowers in September–October, as the garden winds down.
• An evergreen, spiny hedge that keeps out unwanted visitors.
• Late nectar for bees and bumblebees; a dense nesting site.
• Grows in sun, partial shade and shade, on almost any soil.

Holly olive: where does it grow best?

• Sun, partial shade or shade; in sun it flowers best.
• Any free-draining soil, acid or chalky; no wet feet.
• Plant it where you pass by in autumn: next to a path, a terrace or the front door.
• Allow 2–3 m width.

Light

Sun to shade

Legal basis

Any garden soil

Moisture

Normal

Size

3 m tall, 2.5 m wide

Hardiness

Throughout Belgium, no protection needed

Goes well with

• Holly: Two spiny evergreens for a mixed hedge: holly brings the red berries, holly olive the autumn scent.
• Witch hazel: Scented flowers in winter: together, fragrance from autumn to spring.
• Laurustinus: An evergreen that flowers in winter, once the holly olive has finished.

Good and bad companions

Goes well with

• Tolerates shade and suits planting under large trees such as: ginkgo, box elder, ash, honey locust, field maple, silver maple

Holly olive: when and how to plant it?

1. Plant in spring (April) or early autumn (September–October), root-balled or from a pot.
2. For a hedge: 2–3 plants per metre.
3. Dig a generous planting hole and mix in a little compost.
4. Water generously after planting and in dry spells during the first year.

Care

Watering

Regularly in dry spells during the first year; rarely needed after that.

Feeding

A little compost in spring.

Mulch

A layer of leaf mould or wood chips keeps the soil cool and moist.

Gloves

Wear them for clipping and for weeding under the shrub: the young leaves prickle.

Tip: Want variegated leaves? The variety ‘Goshiki’ has yellow-mottled leaves and bronze young shoots, and stays compact.

Holly olive: when to prune it?

Pruning months: April–June.

When: In spring (April–May); trim a hedge once, in May–June.

How:

• It grows slowly and takes pruning well, even into old wood.
• Trim a hedge once a year; trimming later in summer costs you the autumn flowers.
• Prune a free-standing shrub with secateurs: hedge shears cut leaves in half and they turn brown.

Caution: Wear sturdy gloves against the spines, and don’t prune while birds are still nesting in the shrub.

Pruning: when and how · Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Cuttings

In summer, take semi-ripe cuttings of 10–15 cm and root them under glass or plastic; it is a slow process.

Layering

Bend a low branch to the ground, nick it lightly and cover it with soil; after a year you can cut it free.

Holly olive: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy throughout Belgium: no protection needed.

• Hardy in Belgium and the Netherlands.
• In hard frost, young plants and variegated forms may suffer leaf damage; they sprout again in spring.

Diseases and pests

• No flowers: Trimmed too late in summer: the flower buds were on the shoots you cut off. Trim no later than June.
• Scale insects: Small brown scales on twigs and leaves, with sticky honeydew. Brush them off or cut out affected shoots.
• Wet soil: Yellow leaves and dying branches on wet soil. Plant it in a free-draining spot.

Through the year

• April: Formative pruning; plant root-balled or pot-grown plants.
• May: Prune; trim the hedge.
• June: Last month to trim the hedge.
• July: Take semi-ripe cuttings.
• September: Flowering: sweetly scented white flowers; plant.
• October: Flowering continues: late nectar for bumblebees.
• December: Evergreen structure in the winter garden.

What can you use it for?

Garden and landscape

Evergreen, spiny hedge or shrub with fragrant flowers when the garden winds down in autumn.

For wildlife

Late nectar for bees and bumblebees; a dense nesting site.

Did you know?

• Despite its leaves, it is not related to holly but to olive and lilac.
• In Japan, at the Setsubun festival, people hang a sprig of holly olive with a sardine head on the door to keep evil spirits away.