Ilex crenata Dark Green - Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata Dark Green - Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata Dark Green - Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata Dark Green
Japanese Holly, Box-leaved Holly, Box-leaved Ilex, Dwarf Holly
It's growing slowly, with a little patience we'll see the progress.
Nath44, 27/05/2025
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Description
Ilex crenata Dark Green is a variety of Japanese holly that can be used in the garden as a boxwood substitute. This evergreen, non-prickly shrub has small, glossy dark green leaves and can be shaped into any desired form. It also has the advantage of being resistant to diseases. The female plants produce beautiful black berries from September to March. Whilst it is very hardy and grows faster than boxwood, it still requires a limestone-free, moist soil and a sheltered position away from the scorching sun to thrive. Often used in Japanese gardens, it is perfect for topiary and cloud pruning, known as Niwaki. It is also a great alternative to diseased boxwoods attacked by the box tree moth.
The crenate holly is a shrub native to Japan, belonging to the Aquifoliaceae family. The 'Dark Green' variety reaches a height of 2.5 to 3m and a spread of 1 to 1.25m, with a fairly fast growth rate. It is also characterized by its small, tough, very dark green, crenated, non-prickly and glossy leaves. All hollies are dioecious plants, meaning there are male and female flowers on separate plants. Only the female plants bear fruits, which are highly valued for their ornamental value.
The female Dark Green Japanese holly produces small, inconspicuous but nectar-rich flowers in spring, which are a matte white colour. After being pollinated by a nearby male holly, these flowers will form fleshy, round, shiny black berries. Distinguishing the sex of the flowers requires a trained eye; they all have four white petals and a waxy surface, but male flowers can be recognized by their four prominent yellow anthers, while female flowers have a short, green, oval pistil. The same shrub can produce both male and ineffective female flowers, which cannot be pollinated. The seeds are dispersed by birds that love the fruits.
Growing faster than boxwood and easily shaped according taste, Ilex crenata Dark Green will please gardeners who enjoy well-maintained hedges and plant sculptures. It is perfect for low hedges, alongside Laurel, Coroneaster, or Mexican Orange. It primarily dislikes limestone soil, which causes its beautiful foliage to turn yellow, and prefers well-draining, fertile soils. Hardy well below -15°C, it thrives in partially shaded to shaded areas, such as under trees, at the edge of woodlands or in a large natural garden. When planted as a solitary specimen, shaped into topiary, or trained as a small tree, it becomes a focal point in winter. It can also be used in large containers. Plant it in Zen gardens alongside bamboo, Japanese maples, camellias...
Ilex crenata Dark Green - Japanese Holly in pictures
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Ilex
crenata
Dark Green
Aquifoliaceae
Japanese Holly, Box-leaved Holly, Box-leaved Ilex, Dwarf Holly
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
To plant the holly bush, use a generous amount of compost and incorporate it into the soil of your garden, in order to slightly acidify the soil while enriching it. If your soil is rich in limestone, the holly bush will tend to develop chlorosis (the foliage gradually turns yellow around the leaf veins). Choose a semi-shaded or shaded location in a warm climate. Water (with non-calcareous water) for the first 3 years, especially in summer in case of prolonged drought, to help the plant establish itself. It will then manage on its own, as it tolerates drought quite well. In the first few years, prune in spring, selecting the branches you want to keep. Step back to view your holly bush in order to determine the shape and arrangement of the short stems. The ilex can be attacked by holly leaf miners, white scale insects in spring, and mites and aphids in summer. Optionally, apply a preventive treatment at the beginning of the season. Ilex crenata has a preference for climates that combine cold winters and mild summers.
Planting period
Intended location
Care
Planting & care advice
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Hardiness is the lowest winter temperature a plant can endure without suffering serious damage or even dying. However, hardiness is affected by location (a sheltered area, such as a patio), protection (winter cover) and soil type (hardiness is improved by well-drained soil).
In temperate climates, pruning of spring-flowering shrubs (forsythia, spireas, etc.) should be done just after flowering.
Pruning of summer-flowering shrubs (Indian Lilac, Perovskia, etc.) can be done in winter or spring.
In cold regions as well as with frost-sensitive plants, avoid pruning too early when severe frosts may still occur.
The harvesting period indicated on our website applies to countries and regions in USDA zone 8 (France, England, Ireland, the Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...) fruit and vegetable harvests are likely to be delayed by 3-4 weeks.
In warmer areas (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), harvesting will probably take place earlier, depending on weather conditions.
The sowing periods indicated on our website apply to countries and regions within USDA Zone 8 (France, UK, Ireland, Netherlands).
In colder areas (Scandinavia, Poland, Austria...), delay any outdoor sowing by 3-4 weeks, or sow under glass.
In warmer climes (Italy, Spain, Greece, etc.), bring outdoor sowing forward by a few weeks.
The planting period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a (East Coast and Midlands: Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny, Portlaoise). It will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the north-west (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal, Westport), delay planting by 1 to 2 weeks in spring and bring it forward by 1 to 2 weeks in autumn compared to the dates given, preferably choosing periods without strong winds.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (Wicklow Mountains, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks, Connemara, Killarney), it is best to plant in spring (April–May) or autumn (September–October), avoiding periods of waterlogged soil in winter and strong winds, which pose the main risk to newly planted trees in these areas.
The flowering period indicated on our website applies to regions in USDA Zone 9a, such as the East Coast and Midlands, including Dublin, Wexford, Waterford, Kilkenny and Portlaoise.
This will vary depending on where you live:
- On the west coast and in the northwest (Galway, Limerick, Sligo, Donegal and Westport), it will be delayed by one to two weeks compared to the given dates, due to stronger Atlantic winds and less spring sunshine.
- In the inland hills and plateaus (the Wicklow Mountains, the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Connemara and Killarney), flowering will be delayed by two to three weeks. Flowering mainly occurs between May and July, with the limiting factors being less frost and more of the excessive humidity, strong winds and lack of sunshine that are characteristic of these areas.
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