Sky Pencil Holly

A very distinctive holly

Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’ is a slow growing, narrow, strongly columnar evergreen Japanese Holly with a shiny foliage of convex, dark green leaves, which holds all year. Small black fruits follow the tiny white flowers in late summer and fall. ‘

Sky Pencil’ is a female cultivar which needs a male pollinator in order to produce fruit. Introduced by the US National Arboretum, its pencil-thin growth habit makes it perfect for small gardens. Terric as a narrow hedge or screen, it also provides a rare natural, vertical accent in the landscape. An ideal focal plant in the garden.

• Grows up to 6-10 ft. tall and 18-36 in. wide.
• A full sun to part shade lover, this plant is easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils. This plant is not fussy and tolerates a wide variety of soils. However, it prefers moist, slightly acidic soil with good 10 drainage. Some drought tolerance once established.
• May be aected by aphids, scale insects, holly leaf miner or holly leaf blight.
• Perfect as a specimen plant, foundation plantings, hedges or screens or wall-side borders.
• Does not need to be pruned or trained to maintain its shape.