The new Ilex opaca, American holly, was planted today. Don Forde, from Stonegate Landscaping, put it in where the pear tree had been.
It's a pretty little shape, at least from this side, the side facing the house. The back side, facing the meadow, is not very full. That is the side that was up against pine trees in the nursery field.
Will full sun make that side branch out and fill in?
What about down below? I had wanted a holly that branched down to the ground. I don't think this one will fill out below, but the slightly curved stem is kind of interesting. There is a small single branch at the bottom that needs to be cut off.
American holly is a slow grower. We paid a fortune (!) for one this size. It's taller than I am, but just. Shapely on one side, a good single leader, but not really very full on the other side (yet), and not likely to sweep to the ground (ever). That may be a good thing for the lawn mower --- brushing up against the spiny leaves is painful.
It was a size that I could not have planted myself, in fact it took three men to plant this one --- they dug the hole and put it in by hand and it took some doing. It has a very large, well developed root ball.
I'm happy with it, and glad it was professionally planted. I do hope it fills in.
Hello, holly!
