ILEX. Holly. A huge genus of shrubs and trees, widely scattered over the earth in both temperate and tropical regions. They are noted both for their leaves, which are often toothed and glossy in surface, and for their fruits, which can provide welcome end-of-season color. The fruiting (“female”) and pollinating (“male”) flowers are usually borne on different plants. I have only dabbled in this group, which has largely fallen out of grace, like many foliage shrubs, with California gardeners in their frenzy for spectacular flowers. The following make an odd and meager start, but they are interesting individually. They thrive in sun or light shade, in most reasonably well drained soils, with moderate watering. Both of the following are hardy to 0^oF. or less.

crenata ‘Sky Pencil’. Japanese holly. I. crenata is a plant with many forms, nearly all of them distinguished by dense growth and small oval, scalloped-edged leaves. Their berries are small, blackish and not particularly ornamental. ‘Sky Pencil’ is a recent introduction of narrowly upright-oval form, described as growing up to 5’ (I would expect more, though slowly). The leaves are about an inch long, deep green in color and glossy. It resembles a boxwood more than it does most hollies.

latifolia ‘Purple Power’ (protected under COPF license). I. latifolia is a shrub or small tree, sometimes growing as much as 50’ high but usually much less. It has extremely large, dark leaves and (on female plants) large orange-red berries. ‘Purple Power’ was introduced by Piroche Plants of British Columbia. It has dark, lacquered 5-8" leaves, dramatically overlaid with purple in new growth.