Sex of Ftolltes 
Most Hollies have a definite sex, that is, either 
male or female. In young Hollies it is impossible 
to tell them apart until they are old enough to 
blossom since the leaves and general appearance 
of both sex trees are identical. The flower of the 
female tree when pollinated forms the berry and 
although the male does not bear fruit it is neces- 
sary to have a male tree close enough to the fe- 
male so that the bees and insects as well as nor- 
mal air currents will carry the pollen from the 
male or staminate flower to the female or pistillate 
flower. 
Your Holly will bloom in early May. The dif- 
ference between the male and female trees can be 
determined by noting the difference in the blos- 
soms. The flowers of the male tree grow in clust- 
ers and the stamens are large and erect, and the 
pistil or center of the flower is quite small. On the 
female Hollies we find only one flower on a stem, 
the stamens appear small and withered and the 
pistil is a large greenish knob which develops into 
the berry when pollinated by the male flower. 
In the growing of isolated Hollies it must be 
remembered that both sex trees must be in the 
immediate vicinity in order to have the female 
produce berries. Hollies have been known to pro- 
duce berries when the trees have been separated 
several miles but there is no assurance that pollina- 
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