‘Sky Pencil’ holly is a female cultivar of Japanese holly ( Ilex crenata ). ‘Sky Pencil’ is an evergreen shrub with densely branched, tight, columnar (fastigiate) growth habit. It is a member of the holly family (Aquifoliaceae). Sky Pencil Holly is easy to transplant and urban tolerant. Plant in the full sun to partial shade in acidic well-drained soil though it tolerates a wide range of soil types, from moist to dry, and prefers clay. It tolerates shade and air pollution. However, it does not do well in alkaline soils or under drought conditions. It has a slow growth rate and may not thrive in areas with high heat and humidity (USDA zones 8 and 9). ‘Sky Pencil’ holly is an all-female cultivar that needs a male pollinizer to produce fruit. It has a fastigiate form, meaning narrowing toward the top and having upright, usually clustered, branches that it maintains without pruning. It is a good container or accent plant. ‘Sky Pencil’ is a popular cultivar in situations that show off its fastigiate form, such as a formal English garden or as a contrasting accent among low, rounded shrubs in an Asian or winter garden. Because it its distinctive growth habit, it is not suitable for naturalistic landscape designs. ‘Sky Pencil’ was voted Holly of the Year for 2004 by the Holly Society of America. Diseases, Insect Pests, and Other Plant Problems: This plant needs protection from the wind and cold with a wind break and mulching. Spider mites and nematodes are occasional pests. Alkaline soils will cause the leaves to turn yellow. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common diseases and insect pests. More information on Ilex crenata .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Fills a similar nicheAcer platanoides 'Stand Fast'Cephalotaxus harringtoniaSyringa pubescens subsp. pubescens
Full plant profile
Growing Conditions
Plant type
Perennial; Shrub
Life cycle
Woody
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Wet
Available space
3 feet-6 feet; 6-feet-12 feet
Mature size
Height: 4 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 0 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Columnar; Dense; Erect; Multi-stemmed
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Ovate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Long-lasting
Leaf size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are alternate, glossy, dark green, slightly convex, and 1 3/8 inches long and 3/4 of an inch wide.
Flower color
Green; White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Cyme
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Small (1/4 inch), dull, greenish white fragrant flowers in spring that form in clusters of 1 to 3. Pistillate cyme, in leaf axils of current season's growth; staminate solitary in leaf axils of current season's growth.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Black
Fruit type
Berry; Drupe
Fruit value
Showy
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
Black, globose, berrylike-fruit on pollinated female plants from fall to winter that are 1/4 inch in length. Fruits are hidden below the foliage. Sky Pencil Holly cultivars are all female, thus a male cultivar is required nearby for pollination.
Bark color
Dark Gray
Bark detail
Smooth, gray-brown or slightly greenish.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems are green on current season growth, and turn gray-green to gray-brown by year 2 or 3. They are often densely pubescent on young stems. Dense and rigid at maturity.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
East Nepal to Temperate East Asia, Japan and Korea
Wildlife value
The small fragrant flowers attract bees. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.
Attracts
Bees; Pollinators; Specialized Bees
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall; Winter
Fruit type
Berry; Drupe
Edibility
Use caution. Human ingestion of berries can cause minor toxic reaction.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Patio; Walkways
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; English Garden; Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Border
Garden tags
#columnar #mixed borders #black fruits #easy to transplant #small tree #dark green #shrub #glossy leaves #border planting #urban conditions tolerant #clay soils tolerant #stormwater demo garden orange co #full sun tolerant #partial shade tolerant #formal garden #accent
Problems & Resistance
Insect problems
Leafminers of Hollies; Pests of Holly
Resistant to
Pollution
Particularly resistant to
Mildly resistant to damage by deer.
Propagation
Seed; Stem Cutting
Fire risk
medium flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits
Poison symptoms
Minor toxicity. Ingestion may cause vomiting, diarrhea, or other illness in humans.