Sky Pencil Holly

From PlantWiki

Sky Pencil Holly
Sky Pencill Holly
Species
Ilex

HISTORY

Holly is known in the horticultural world as Ilex, a genus of some 600 species of evergreen plants in the ancient family Aquifoliaceae. The Sky Pencil Holly is a cultivar from the Ilex crenata species commonly known as Japanese Hollies. The crenata species are natives of eastern China, Japan, Taiwan and Korea. Known as “Haiinutsuge” in Japan, it thrives in a wide range of soils there naturally on ridges around wetlands to dry, thinner soil types. The Japanese Holly family contains plants ranging from low growing ground hugging varieties to those that bear a single stem tree form up to 10 feet tall hug. Unlike the familiar Christmas Holly leaf, these evergreen shrubs and trees have smaller oval shaped leaves identifiable by a lightly serrated edge. The Sky Pencil Holly was discovered growing in the wild in Japan and cultivated in gardens there before arriving in the USA. The very narrow, rigidly upright form is highly unique and was introduced to American homeowners by the United States Arboretum.

CHARACTERISTICS

The textural effect of all Japanese Holly plants is densely foliated with a multitude of fine strong stems. The leaves are small, glossy and rich dark green in color measuring about 1/4 – 1/2 inch wide and 1/2 – 5/8 inch in length. The flowers are tiny four-lobed, greenish- white shapes borne in May-June. The fruit of the Sky Pencil Holly is as with the rest of the species, a black drupe or berry about ¼ inch in size. All hollies are evergreen plants that thrive in range of soils with a pH of 3.7 and 6.0.

Sky Pencil is highly unusual and unique, in that it grows without shearing or assistance into a skinny lustrous green column. At maturity this upright evergreen shrub never exceeds 2.5-3.0 feet wide, though it can slowly reach 10 feet tall. It prefers full sun to a few hours of shade a day and will grow in many different soils with adequate drainage. Sky Pencil Holly is hardy as far north as zone 5 with protection from the drying frigidity of the north and west wind in winter. The warmest climate this lovely Japanese Holly does well in is zone 8.

HOME USES

Since its introduction to the US market, Sky Pencil has been created quite a stir among professional landscapers and homeowners for the exclamation point natural presence that it is. This columnar evergreen shrub is perfect for planting in the smallest spaces and remaining in perfect control without constant shearing. The plant lends itself well to all manner of landscape design uses as a framing shrub with four season beauty, a widely spaced hedge for semi-privacy plantings and as a singular statement of accent.

In zone 6 and lower it is excellent planted in container gardens and formal planters flanking the front entry. You will find the versatile Sky Pencil Holly shrub framing signs at subdivision and commercial property entrances and in many different uses throughout the yards and gardens of homes from coast to coast. The shape never breaks from its very tight narrow form and the height is easily controlled by clipping back the top of the bush when it has reached the desired height.