Rockwall, TX (November 26, 2024) – Hollies are the quintessential staple greenery for the winter holidays! Magnificent in shape, size and color, there are well over 500 species of hollies grown in the United States. Two outstanding holly species that grow beautifully in our Rockwall County area are Yaupon and Nellie R. Stevens. Both are considered attractive evergreen shrubs in nature with dark green foliage and can also be trained to grow into small trees.
The Yaupon holly (Ilex vomitoria) with the variety name Pride of Houston can be found in local nurseries. The female produces gorgeous red berries. Both the male and female produce beautiful white flowers in spring but only the female will start producing berries in the fall. Then come wintertime, the berries turn vibrant red and are perfect for holiday and wintertime color. The red berries are loved by birds and provide food in winter. During the winter of February 2021, also known as the Great Texas Freeze, American robins created quite a show in flocking by the thousands to the North Texas area Yaupon Holly trees, voraciously devouring their berries within minutes. If you’re a bird lover, yaupon hollies are great to have in your landscape. Yaupon hollies are drought tolerant and do not need to be fertilized. They grow in both sun and shade and have very little to no issues with pest problems. And the berries become prolific again, come springtime!
The Nellie R. Stevens (Ilex X), a hybrid holly, officially registered in 1967 with the Holly Society of America, is named after Nellie R. Stevens. This magnificent beauty is a Chinese holly crossed with an English holly (Ilex cornuta /I aquafolium). Although not native, they are adaptive, and are a popular choice for the area’s landscape. The pyramidal-shaped ones make for a perfect outdoor holiday decorating tree. This species has larger, darker green leaves and larger red berries. As an evergreen, they remain deep green and densely beautiful all year round. They also are excellent for privacy hedges, growing between 12 to 15 feet wide and up to 25 feet in height in oval formed shapes with multiple branches in its early growing stages. Like the Yaupon, the Nellie R. Stevens holly is drought tolerant, grows well in hard, clay soil, likes both sun or partial shade and has few insect and disease problems. Birds also love their berries, which like the Yaupon, provide food in winter.
Both varieties provide beautiful cut arrangements for holiday decorating as well as perfect evergreen enhancements to your landscape for many years to come. These two hollies are truly the gifts that keep giving!
Rockwall County Master Gardeners wish you and yours a very Holly Jolly Holiday season!
RCMGA is a volunteer organization of certified Texas Extension Master Gardeners under the leadership of Rockwall County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Collectively, our organization volunteers over 5000 hours annually in support of our mission to provide science-based, horticultural education and advice to the residents of Rockwall County. Our outreach comes in many forms, from classes and events for people of all ages and abilities, to our widely popular and accessible Ask A Master Gardener Program. The Ask A Master Gardener program features semimonthly, in-person consultation at the Rockwall County Public Library, weekly in-person or phone consultation from the Rockwall County AgriLife Extension Office and scheduled home visits to advise and identify particular issues. The program culminates in the warm weather months at the Rockwall Farmer’s Market, featuring familiar faces, great conversation, and gardening advice under the Rockwall County Master Gardener tent.
By Lisa Walker, Rockwall County Master Gardener. Rockwall County Extension Master Gardener Association is a 501c3 with a mission to provide research-based horticultural education and advice across Rockwall County.
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