Alaska Holly Hedge Plants

Ilex aquifolium Alaska: Female Green Holly Plants, Guaranteed Red Berries

Delivered by Mail Order Direct from our Nursery with a Year Guarantee

Ilex aquifolium Alaska, is a guaranteed female clone of the native green holly, sure to have red berries in the winter when still quite young. It grows into a medium-sized tree as well as making a first class evergreen hedge plant or topiary specimen. A tall holly hedge is one of the best windbreaks there is, thanks to the spiny, wavy, leaves that obstruct the moving air. 
View our selection of holly hedging plants or our full range of hedging.

Alaska Holly plants are only delivered pot-grown, year round. All our hedge plants are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots and pot aren't measured).

Features:

• Evergreen leaves muffle sound & slow wind well.
• 100% female plants, self fertile
• Beautiful clipped hedging
• Shade and damp tolerant
• Honey fungus resistant
• RHS Plants for Pollinators 
• Technical RHS Award of Garden Merit
• To 8 metres as a tree

Growing

Hollies will grow on just about any soil, both chalky and acidic. They grow well in quite deep shade, near the sea, and in areas of atmospheric pollution. Mature plants are drought resistant.

Spacing a Holly hedge: Plant Holly at 2 or 3 plants per metre, 33-50cm apart.

Did You Know? 

Alaska was bred in 1960 by German nursery H. and D. Nissen.

Holly leaves are responsive to their environment; the high up leaves on a tall tree are safe from being eaten and lose their spines. Holly wood is strong and flexible, able to resist the stresses of snow piling up on its branches and strong, wintry winds without breaking. 

This is perhaps the most deserving of our Technical RHS Award of Garden Merit's: Ilex aquifolium has one, and Alaska is an all female clone of the species. It's smaller, but apart from that it's hard to tell them apart.

Growing Holly:
Alaska Holly lives up to its name and is extremely hardy. It grows well in windy locations as well as coastal regions and in industrial areas. Hollies all do well in poor soils and shady spots and they succeed in both chalky, alkaline and acidic soil.
Holly does not grow well if the site is too wet and boggy, but it likes damp soils and will cope with occasional waterlogging.

Rabbits love young Holly plants - Protect them:
Newly planted Holly of all varieties is a target for sweet little bunnies, which like to bite young, green holly plants off at ground level.
If you have rabbits in your area, protect your plants with small tree guards.

Prepare your site before planting:

Although Alaska Holly is very tough it will appreciate a good start in life. Clear away all weeds, and dig the ground well, incorporating some well rotted organic matter. Holly also benefits enormously from Rootgrow when planting.

Remember to water establishing plants during dry weather for at least a year after planting. Note: Holly sometimes drops its leaves soon after planting. This is normal, as it prevents the plants from losing moisture through their leaves, so if your soil is dry, water your plants thoroughly.