Chinese Holly 'Carissa'
Ilex cornuta 'Carissa'
Chinese Holly 'Carissa' is a shrub for edging, structure, suited to full sun to partial shade and clay or loam, flowering Apr, May.
| Type | Shrub |
|---|---|
| Mature height | 120 cm |
| Spread | 150 cm |
| Aspect | full sun to partial shade |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Hardiness | USDA 7a-9b |
| Pollinator-friendly | Yes |
| Pet-safe | No |
Where to use it in a border
At around 120 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 150 cm of room to spread. It is hardy across USDA zones 7a to 9b, so check it suits your area before planting.
It appears in our lists of full sun, clay soil, evergreen plants, pollinator-friendly plants.
Border Builder uses Chinese Holly 'Carissa''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.
- 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:
- Annual Vincato edge in front
- Dusty Millerto edge in front
- Japanese Holly 'Sky Pencil'for height behind it
- Wax Begoniato edge in front
- Anna's Magic Ball Arborvitaeto edge in front
- Arborvitae 'Hetz Midget'as a partner at the same level
Garden styles
Formal Foundation planting Modern
Sources
Bloom timing and hardiness drawn from: