Silver Variegated Holly (Ilex aquifolium 'Argentea Marginata') – Evergreen Shrub (3L Pot)

An evergreen holly with glossy dark green leaves edged in creamy white, bright in the garden all year.

Growth is dense and broadly pyramidal, reaching around 8 to 10m by 4 to 5m if left alone, though it clips readily and is easily held at the size you want as a specimen, a formal or informal hedge, or a large container plant. The leaves are sharply spiny, and the variegation stays crispest in good light, so give it an open position if you want the silver margins at their best.

This is a female holly. Small white flowers open in late spring and early summer, and bright red berries follow from autumn into winter when a male holly is growing somewhere nearby; on its own it will flower but rarely fruit. It stands wind, cold and clipping, holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit, and needs little more than well drained ground that never sits wet. Prune in late winter or early spring to shape.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Silver variegated holly
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: Up to 8 to 10m tall by 4 to 5m wide, easily kept smaller with pruning
• Growth Habit: Dense, upright, broadly pyramidal evergreen shrub or small tree
• Perfect For: Hedging, screening, specimen planting, mixed borders, large containers
• Foliage: Glossy dark green leaves with creamy white margins, spiny edged, evergreen
• Flowering Time: Late spring to early summer, small white flowers, followed by red berries from autumn into winter where a male holly grows nearby
• Planting Position: Full sun or partial shade, and it copes with coastal wind and salt
• Soil Type: Moderately fertile and well drained; avoid waterlogged ground
• Hardiness: Fully hardy
• Maintenance: Low. Prune in late winter or early spring to keep it to size
• Seasonal Interest: Spring, summer, autumn and winter
• Type: Evergreen shrub