Ilex cornuta ‘O’Spring’
COMMON NAMES
O’Spring Chinese Holly
Ilex (EYE-leks) - Latin name for Quercus ilex; now applied to Holly genus
cornuta (kor-NOO-tuh) - horned, in reference to the spines on the leaves
'O’Spring' - cultivar name
GROUP
Dicot
FAMILY
Aquifoliaceae
ORIGIN
Species - Eastern Asia; Cultivar -
DESCRIPTION
O’Spring Chinese Holly is an evergreen shrub/small tree that averages 8 to 12 feet in height with a 6 to 8 foot spread. It is can be maintained as a hedge or trained as a multi-stemmed small tree. It has an upright habit with an irregular pyramidal form as it ages. It has a slow to moderate growth rate.
Leaves are evergreen, ovate-shaped with spined margins, alternate in arrangement, simple, shiny, and dark green in color with creamy-yellow variegation. It has pinnate veins.
The white flowers are fragrant, small, and are borne in clusters. It blooms in the springtime.
This cultivar is said to be a male and thus does not produce berries (though there are some sources that say just the opposite – we have yet to see any berries.).
HARDINESS
It is hardy in USDA Zones 7 to 9. It has good heat tolerance.
LIGHT
Full sun/part shade; it will be a bushier plant in full sun, but it likes a little shade from the hot afternoon sun; it can become a little leggy in heavy shade.
SALT
Poor Salt Spray Tolerance – it’s risky for this plant to be put in a coastal area as it has minimal tolerance. It would require multiple layers of protection such as in a greenhouse, indoors, or in a small enclosed area such as a courtyard beyond the dunes.
SOIL
It will grow on a wide variety of well-drained soils, preferring a slightly acid soil of pH 6.0 to 6.5, but tolerating a wider range.
WATERING
It has good drought tolerance once established, so minimal watering is needed for survival in dry spells. As with most plants, though, ample irrigation in droughts keeps it healthier and looking better.
PROPAGATION
Semi-hardwood cuttings taken in summer with a rooting hormone and put under mist will usually produce roots in about 16 to 20 weeks.
PRUNING
If clipping as a hedge, try to keep the top more narrow than the bottom to keep the plant from becoming leggy-especially if grown in partial shade. It can be trained as a multi-stemmed tree with diligent removal of lower branches or it can be left to its natural somewhat pyramidal form.
FERTILIZING
Since it prefers an acid soil, a slow-release balanced analysis fertilizer for acid-loving plants is best. If your soil is already acid enough, then a general slow-release analysis can be used.
PESTS
Aphids - University of California
Florida Wax Scale - University of Florida
Black Scale - University of Florida
Tea Scale - University of Florida
Citrus Longhorned Beetle - University of Florida
Twolined Spittlebug - University of Florida
Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter - University of Florida
Southern Red Mite - University of Florida
Twospotted Mite - University of Florida
False Spider Mite - Brevipalpus californicus - University of Florida
Red and Black Flat Mite - University of Florida
Twobanded Japanese Weevil - University of Florida
Holly Leaf Miner - Missouri Botanical Gardens
Whiteflies - University of California
Saddleback Caterpillar - University of Florida
Thorn Bug - University of Florida
DISEASES
Sphaeropsis Gall - University of Florida
Ramorum Blight - University of Arkansas
Botryosphaeria Canker and Dieback - Virginia Cooperative Extension
Rhizoctonia Root and Stem Rot - Michigan State University
Witch’s Broom - University of Florida
Black Root Rot - Cornell University
DEER
Resistant
There are very few totally “deer-proof” plants. There are also, relatively speaking, few plants that are considered a preferred food supply of deer. Most plants fall in the big gap between. One of the biggest variables is the available preferred food supply in a given area. If their preferred food is scarce, they will munch on most anything.
OTHER
USES
Specimen plant, hedges/screening, mixed borders, mass planting
A search of California Poison Control, ASPCA, Texas A&M University, Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, University of Wisconsin, Poisonous Houseplants and Ornamentals - Merck Vet Manual, Purdue University - Guide to Toxic Plants in Forages, Poisonous Plants of the Southeastern United States - Alabama Cooperative Extension, Florida Poison Control, and The Cat Fanciers Association did not show this specific plant on any of their lists.
California Poison Control does give Ilex spp. a listing of:
3 – Moderate - Ingestion of these plants is expected to cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and other symptoms that may cause illness but is not life-threatening.
The Cat Fanciers Association lists Holly as toxic to cats.
Some Holly species have documented evidence of toxicity such as Ilex opaca – American Holly; Florida Poison Control lists as: American Holly - Eating leaves and berries can cause drowsiness, vomiting, and dehydration.
The general warning for many other hollies seems to apply mostly to the berries, but if this cultivar is a male it shouldn’t produce berries.
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