Japanese Holly (Ilex Crenata ‘Hetzii’)

Features and Characteristics

Ilex crenata, commonly known as Japanese holly or box-leaved holly, is a dense, multi-branched, evergreen shrub with a rounded form that typically matures to 5-10’ tall and as wide. It is native to forests, thickets and mountain slopes in Japan, Korea, China and eastern Russia (Sakhalin). It is noted for its ovate to elliptic, crenate to serrulate, glossy, spineless, evergreen, deep green leaves (to 1 1/4″ long) which are attractive all year, 4 petaled white flowers which bloom in 3-7 flowered cymes in late spring (May-June), and black rounded somewhat inconspicuous fruits (drupes to 1/4” diameter) which mature in fall on pollinated female plants.

Genus name comes from the Latin name Quercus ilex for holm oak in reference to the foliage similarities (holm oak and many of the shrubs in the genus Ilex have evergreen leaves).

Specific epithet is in obvious reference to the crenate margins of the leaves.

‘Hetzii’ is a shrubby cultivar that grows in a rounded mound to 3-6’ (less frequently to 8’) tall. Pollinated flowers give way to berry like drupes that ripen to black and appear somewhat inconspicuous. ‘Hetzii’ is sometimes described in nursery literature as a larger form of I. crenata ‘Convexa’. Japanese holly foliage in general resembles that of boxwoods, except inter alia boxwoods have opposite leaves and no serration.