Holly is unique among evergreens in that there is no limit to the extent which it may 
be pruned; it will sprout anew. Hollies cut to the ground will sprout again from the base. 
If your Holly needs pruning, because it is thin, or because it is not “thrifty,” do not hesitate 
to prune. But do keep an eye on the framework of the tree as you prune so that you will 
end up with the shape you wish. You cannot glue ‘em back on, y’ know. 
Pruning also helps thin trees to thicken their foliage. Whenever a twig or branch is 
cut, several new branches will sprout from the vicinity of the cut end. 
The best time to prune is mid-December thru mid-March. All pruning should consist 
of clean cuts by pruners or saw. Branches that are broken roughly off require a terrific 
amount of energy to heal. It has been estimated that a ragged break requires more energy 
to heal than would be required to grow an eight-foot branch. Breaking down of the trees 
in the wild by vandals has done more to kill Holly than any other cause. Our woods are 
spotted with Hollies that are little but a dying mass of scars. These same trees would to- 
day be beautiful specimens if the branches had been cut clean with saw or pruners. In 
our orchards here, there are many trees which have been cut heavily each year for 
thirty years, and yet which, each year, produce as much as three hundred pounds of cut 
Holly per tree. 
INFORMATION ABOUT BERRIES: MALE AND FEMALE HOLLIES. 
There are both male (pollen-bearing) and female (berry-bearing) Hollies. Pollination 
is accomplished by insects, mostly by bees. Lone Hollies sometimes miles from others of 
their kind, have been known to bear berries because bees have carried pollen to them. In sec- 
tions of the country where much Holly has been planted, it is sometimes possible to plant a 
tree anywhere in town and expect that the bees will accomplish pollination from neighboring 
trees. The best rule to follow in planting, though, especially with small Hollies, is to be 
sure that the female trees are planted within sight of a male tree, whether in your yard or a 
neighboring one. One male to ten or fifteen females is sufficient. 
The flower of the female Holly has small whitish petals with a knobby green center. 
The male flower has the same whitish petals but a yellow pollen center. They are easily 
recognizable at bloom time; usually early May. 
Occasionally people mention to us that they have a Holly which bears tiny green 
berries that never get large enough to turn red, but which fall off shortly after they form. 
The truth of the matter is that they have never had berries. The petals have fallen off the 
flowers, and the green center of the flower has remained on the tree for a few days, and 
unpollinated, has fallen off also. These flower centers were the “berries” that the peo- 
ple “lost.” A male is needed when this situation occurs. 
People often inquire at what age their Holly should begin to bear berries. The best 
answer is to say that young Hollies are very unpredictable. If you were to own a hundred 
trees of one variety, you might find that only about thirty out of a hundred of them bore 
berries each year, if they were between the ages of two and twelve. Mature Hollies of 
twelve to sixteen years of age bear steadily year after year. Younger Hollies bear more 
steadily in a direct ratio to their health. It seems to be the prime duty of a young tree 
to GROW, and secondarily to bear berries. If young trees are underfed or neglected, they 
are therefore less likely to bear. Older Hollies, on the other hand, will bear whether 
poorly fed or not. Berries seem to be more important to a Holly than growth ONLY after 
they have matured. 
Hollies do equally well in sun or shade but generally bear more berries in the sun. 
The foliage is often more attractive in the shade. Light shade seldom affects bearing. 
Lots of water during the growing season seems to increase the yield. 
COMMERCIAL GROWING OF HOLLY 
Hollies are seldom grown from seed because the young seedlings do not bloom for at 
least eight years. It is thus impossible to tell male from female. The habit of growth of a 
seedling is unpredictable also, and many may have hereditary leaf discolorations, poor 
bearing habits, etc. 
Grafted Hollies usually are avoided in that a graft consists of a twig from a good 
Holly parent grafted on the root of a wild Holly and, as the wild Holly root often is vigorous 
enough to send out foliage which blends with and overshadows the good Holly grafted 
thereon, few growers practice the method. 
Rooted cuttings have proved very successful and the method is widely used throughout 
the nation. Rooted cuttings (twigs) taken from a superior parent will grow up with the 
identical leaf, sex, and root characteristics of the parent, as well as the same general 
trunk structure. 
Cuttings are generally taken in August, as they are most easily rooted at that time. 
The cut twigs have their bottom leaves removed, then the bared stem is treated in hormone 
solution to hasten rooting. The prepared cutting is placed in sand for several months 
until it is well rooted. At potting time the cuttings are removed from the sand and those 
which have rooted the best are potted carefully in small three-inch pots or bands. A 
