Christmas Jewel® holly is an open pollinated seedling of a female I. pernyi and an unknown male holl y that was discovered and selected by the Head family of Seneca, South Carolina. Christmas Jewel holly is tolerant of most soils except poorly-drained ones and can be grown in full to partial sun. It is drought tolerant once established. Mature plants do not tolerate root disturbance, so it is best to site the plant in its permanent position, preferably one that provides winter protection for the first year or two. The Christmas Jewel holly is an upright, compact, dense evergreen tree with a pyramidal form. It has narrow, dark green glossy leaves with spines that are blunt and do not hurt when touched. It is self-pollinating and also has a heavy set of red fruit that provides winter interest as well as winter food for wildlife. It appears to be cold hardy having survived a severe northern Delaware winter. It can be pruned, but will usually retain its shape without pruning. Propagation of this plant is prohibited. This cultivar is suitable for a winter garden where it would make an excellent specimen, accent, hedge or foundation plant. As the leaf spines are not sharp, it can be grown near walkways and patios without fear of injuring passers-by. Diseases, Insect Pests, Other Plant Problems: No known disease or insect problems. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common diseases and insect pests. More information on Ilex .
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.
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; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
6-feet-12 feet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 6 ft. 0 in. - 10 ft. 0 in. | Width: 6 ft. 0 in. - 8 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
3 - Shrub (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Dense; Erect; Pyramidal
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Obovate
Leaf feel
Glossy
Leaf value
Long-lasting; Showy
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Medium green with blunt spines.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Fragrant
Flower form
Cyme; Insignificant
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Inconspicuous white flowers in the spring. This exclusively female plant does not need any pollinators to produce fruit.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Red/Burgundy
Fruit type
Berry
Fruit value
Long-lasting; Showy
Fruit detail
Large red Winter berries are very attractive. The berries are apple red by Christmas and last until early summer. Berries appear even without a pollinizer.
Bark color
Light Gray
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
South Carolina
Distribution
Middle and South eastern United States.
Wildlife value
Fruits are attractive to birds. Flowers attract bees. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.
Attracts
Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Wildlife Food Source
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Spring; Summer; Winter
Fruit type
Berry
Edibility
Use caution. Berries are slightly toxic to humans if eaten in quantity.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area; Walkways
Landscape theme
Winter Garden
Design feature
Accent; Hedge; Specimen
Garden tags
#evergreen tree #red fruits #small tree #glossy leaves #winter interest #evergreen #spiny leaves #shrub
Problems & Resistance
Fire risk
medium flammability
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Fruits
Poison symptoms
Minor toxicity. Ingestion may cause vomiting, diarrhea, or other illness in humans.