Ilex crenata 'ELLIPTA ELEGANS'

Many people mistake Japanese holly for English box thanks to its small, evergreen leaves. This resemblance was also the main reason why it was chosen to become the hardy substitute for true box which is dying in all Europe as well as in the UK. Japanese holly a versatile, evergreen, and almost maintenance-free plant available in many varieties offering different shapes and sizes.

Ellipta Elegans is a Japanese holly variety from Ingo Stührenberg’s Nursery in German nursery town Wiesmoor and boasts elegant foliage and attractive habit. Its evergreen leaves are small, narrowly elliptic, partly glossy, bright chartreuse as they emerge and dark green when they mature. It naturally forms a dense, broadly pyramidal, somewhat tiered shrub about 1.5m tall and wide. Use it just like a box plant - in the same spot or a container or among other large-leaved, evergreen plants to which its delicate foliage will provide a great contrast.

It can be pruned and clipped in almost any way from early spring by end July. Japanese holly is usually trouble-free, tolerates any soil apart from compacted (clay) and boggy, and can withstand summer dry spells once established. However, for best results and leaf colour grow it in medium fertile, moist but well-drained acid soil. Fully hardy to abt. -27°C (USDA zone 5b).

Last update: 26-10-2020