Ilex crenata Golden Gem - Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata Golden Gem - Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata Golden Gem
Japanese Holly, Box-leaved Holly, Box-leaved Ilex, Dwarf Holly
Plant fragile in my experience: the young plants took well, but gradually the plant withers (as it happens after 1 year, the warranty no longer applies); this happened with 4 young plants planted at different times. Maybe it doesn't tolerate limestone; I now replace it with the lonicera nitida, which is foolproof.
Thierry, 25/06/2024
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This plant carries a 24 months recovery warranty
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Description
The 'Golden Gem' Ilex crenata is a variety of Japanese Holly with an interesting compact and spreading habit, as well as bright foliage which is golden from October to March. This small shrub stands out in winter when other plants are dormant. This relation of the holly is a small evergreen shrub that tolerates pruning very well, and can be used to replace boxwood in landscaping. Its small size and natural elegance make it particularly suitable for small gardens and container gardens. The Japanese holly is easy to grow in loose soil, not too chalky but slightly acidic, in full sun or partial shade.
The Japanese holly, in Latin Ilex crenata, is a shrub native to Japan that belongs to the Aquifoliaceae family, just like the common holly. The 'Golden Gem' variety, as its name suggests, has been selected for its yellow leaves. It is a slow-growing shrub, especially during the establishment phase which lasts 2 to 3 years. This variety has a bushy, highly branched, low, wide, and dense habit. The branches tend to grow horizontally, giving the unpruned shrub a broad cushion-like silhouette. At maturity, when allowed to grow freely, it will reach an average height of 80 cm (31.5 in) to 1 m (3 ft 4 in) with a spread of 1 m (3 ft 4 in) to 1.50 m (4 ft 11 in). Its tiny leaves are 1 cm (0.4 in) long round and leathery. They are golden when they emerge and turn green in summer. They are slightly glossy and non-prickly. All hollies are dioecious plants, meaning there are male plants with male flowers and female plants with female flowers. Only the female plants produce berries. The Golden Gem Japanese holly is a female clone. It produces small inconspicuous flowers in May-June, but they are nectar-bearing and matte white in colour. After fertilisation by a male holly planted nearby, they will develop into fleshy, round berries that are shiny black and 6 mm (0.2 in) in diameter. The seeds are dispersed by birds that love the fruits.
With faster growth than boxwood, Ilex crenata Golden Gem will please gardeners who love contemporary style, French gardens, well-maintained hedges, and topiary. It is perfect in a container on the terrace or balcony. Undemanding, it dislikes excessive sunlight and limestone soils, and prefers well-drained, loose, deep, and fairly fertile soils. Hardy well beyond -15°C, it likes partially shaded to shaded areas, for example under trees or facing east. Planted alone, shaped into topiary, or trained as a small tree, it is particularly striking in winter. Plant in Zen gardens alongside dwarf bamboos, Japanese maples, camellias... Its association with Mexican orange trees and bushy honeysuckles (Lonicera Nitida, Lonicera pileata) is also interesting for creating the persistent structure of a border.
Ilex crenata Golden Gem - Japanese Holly in pictures
Plant habit
Flowering
Foliage
Botanical data
Ilex
crenata
Golden Gem
Aquifoliaceae
Japanese Holly, Box-leaved Holly, Box-leaved Ilex, Dwarf Holly
Cultivar or hybrid
Planting and care
To plant the Golden Gem holly, add a generous amount of potting soil with compost and incorporate it into the soil of your garden to slightly acidify and fertilize it. If your soil is rich in active limestone, the holly may tend to develop chlorosis (the foliage gradually turns yellow around the leaf veins) and struggle to thrive. Choose a sunny location, but not scorching, partially shaded (or shaded in hot climates). Follow the watering (with non-calcium or low calcium water) for the first 2-3 years, especially during summer and in case of prolonged drought, to help the bush establish itself. It will then manage on its own as it tolerates drought quite well, in partial shade and deep soil.
When you want to give a specific shape to this crenate holly, trim it once or twice a year: first in early summer, and possibly in September-October. Ilex can be attacked by holly leaf miners, white scale insects in spring, and mites and aphids in summer. Consider applying a preventive treatment at the beginning of the season. Ilex crenata prefers climates with cold winters and mild, not too hot 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).
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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.