December 2003

Plant Data

Plant Image:

sites/default/files/plant-of-the-month/dec03_0.jpg

Botanical Name:

Ilex cornuta 'Burfordii'

Common Name:

Burford Holly

Nativity:

Ilex cornuta is native to East Asia; 'Burfordii' is a cultivar developed from a sport discovered on a plant growing in a Georgia cemetery around 1900.

Growth Habit:

A tree to 15 ft tall and 10 ft wide. It naturally forms a dense shrub, but can be pruned into a small tree by removing the lower limbs. It is easily shaped, and can even be espaliered along a wall.

Growing Requirements:

Full sun or partial shade with regular watering. It is adaptable to different soil types, and is drought-tolerant once established.

Features:

Burford Holly has glossy dark green leaves with only one spine on the tip. The small white flowers are not an important ornamental feature, but are followed by clusters of large red berries in fall that last for months. Unlike some types of holly, Burford Holly is self-fertile and a single plant will have prolific fruit.

Where at Lotusland:

There are two specimens growing in the Arboretum, an area between the Aloe Garden and the Japanese Garden which has many unusual trees and shrubs.

December 2003

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Madame Ganna Walska