EVERGREEN TREES AND SHRUBS. 583 



hedge-hog holly, /. a. ferox, with leaves crowded with spines and 

 rolled at the edges ; the white-edge-leaved, I. a. alba marginatutfi, 

 and the yellow-edge-leaved, I. a. aurea-fnarginatuffi. 



The American Holly, Ilex opaca, is a beautiful conical ever- 

 green tree, similar in appearance to the European sort, and some- 

 what hardier, but not fully at home north of Washington, though 

 grown with some success all over the country. In South Carolina 

 it becomes a tree from sixty to eighty feet in height : in the middle 

 States half that size, and at the north still less. The leaves are 

 thick, tough, and very glossy, scolloped and armed with spines on 

 their edges. Most specimens we have seen growing in open ground 

 at the north are not sufficiently covered with foliage to conceal the 

 hard stiff ramification of the branches, which present an appearance 

 similar to the pin oak. But if these were cut back to thicken the 

 growth, the tree could doubtless be made to develop much of the 

 beauty that has made the European holly a favorite for hedges ; 

 the leaves of the American species having the same kind of 

 glossiness. At the north it should be treated as a half-hardy 

 shrub, and when clipped to promote a dense growth, the pruning 

 should be done with a knife between the leaves, as the latter when 

 cut have rusty edges that mar the cleanly character of the foliage. 

 A deep, rich, cool soil, and rather a shady place, are essential to 

 its handsome growth. 



MAHONIA, OR ASH-BERRY. Mahonia. 



These are mostly natives of the valley of the Columbia river, 

 and the finest low evergreen shrubs we have. The leaves are thick 

 and glossy like those of the holly, with scolloped and prickly edges. 

 Though pretty hard'.', they are often injured by cold in winter. If 

 not planted where living evergreens protect them in winter, they 

 should be well covered with evergreen boughs. Their growth is so 

 low and bushy that this can easily be done. 



The Holly-leaved Mahonia, M. aquifolium, is the best known 

 variety. It forms a low broad bush covered with deep green glossy 

 leaves, many of which in winter and spring are spangled with deep 



