English Holly

Ilex aquifolium

English Holly is a shrub for structure, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay, loam, sandy soil or chalk, flowering May, Jun.

Where to use it in a border

At around 400 cm, it sits best toward the back of a border, or on its own as a focal point with room around it. Give it about 300 cm of room to spread. It is hardy across USDA zones 6a to 9a and rated H5 by the RHS, so check it suits your area before planting.

It appears in our lists of full sun, shade, clay soil, sandy soil, chalk soil, evergreen plants.

Border Builder uses English Holly's height, spread, soil, bloom months and companions to place it in a full border plan for your own conditions, on iPhone and iPad.

Flowering through the year

Worth knowing

• Evergreen, so it keeps the border furnished through winter.
• It tolerates a shaded, north-facing spot.
• Not recorded as pet-safe; site it away from pets that graze if that matters to you.
• Its flowers are valued by bees and other pollinators.

Good companions

Plants that share its conditions and style, chosen to complement its place in the border:

• Bugleto edge in front
• Anise/Blue Sageto edge in front
• Atamasco Rain Lilyto edge in front
• Bearberryto edge in front
• Black Cohoshto edge in front
• Blue Mistflowerto edge in front

Garden styles

Formal Native Wildlife garden Woodland