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Sky Pencil Japanese Holly
Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil'
Pronunciation: EYE-leks kre-NAY-tuh
SKU #04493
A narrow, columnar form with dark green foliage that stays neat year-round, and often sports small purple berries in fall, with a male pollenizer nearby. Leaves lack sharp points, making it ideal for decks, patios, or entryways as a vertical accent or privacy screening. Makes an elegant, formal statement in large containers. Evergreen.
LIGHT: Full sun
WATER: Water when top 2 inches of soil is dry.
SIZE: Moderate growing 6 to 8 ft. tall and 2 to 3 ft. wide.
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Be Inspired: How to Use this Plant
| Bloom Time | Inconspicuous; prized for foliage. |
|---|---|
| Deciduous/Evergreen | Evergreen |
| Special Features | Easy Care, Ornamental Berries, Compact Form |
| Problems/Solutions | Rabbit Resistant, Tolerates Urban Pollution |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Columnar |
| Landscape Use | Border, Container, Privacy Screen |
| Design Ideas | This columnar holly makes a great vertical accent in narrow spaces. Use in portable pots and boxes for porch, patio and terrace. Try pairs to flank a wall fountain or a sculpture. Use four matched at corners of a simple parterre. Exceptional at front entry to traditional architecture. Plant close together for a windbreak, privacy screen or solid background for an artistic focal point. |
| Foliage Color | Dark Green |
| Companion Plants | Peony (Paeonia); Azalea (Azalea); False Holly (Osmanthus); Blueberry (Vaccinium); Astilbe (Astilbe) |
| Care Instructions | Prefers light, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soils, but highly adaptable. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system. Tolerates mild drought, when established. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer in spring. Prune annually to shape. |
| History | Ilex crenata is native to Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Sky Pencil is a cultivar found in 1985 in the garden of Dr. Masao Yokoi in Kawaguchi, Japan by Longwood Gardens curator, Rick Darke, and chief horticulturalist, Sylvester March. It was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. |
| Lore | 'Sky Pencil' is an all-female cultivar which needs a male variety nearby as a pollenizer, in order to produce berries. |
Details
| Bloom Time | Inconspicuous; prized for foliage. |
|---|---|
| Deciduous/Evergreen | Evergreen |
| Special Features | Easy Care, Ornamental Berries, Compact Form |
| Problems/Solutions | Rabbit Resistant, Tolerates Urban Pollution |
| Growth Rate | Moderate |
| Growth Habit | Columnar |
Style
| Landscape Use | Border, Container, Privacy Screen |
|---|---|
| Design Ideas | This columnar holly makes a great vertical accent in narrow spaces. Use in portable pots and boxes for porch, patio and terrace. Try pairs to flank a wall fountain or a sculpture. Use four matched at corners of a simple parterre. Exceptional at front entry to traditional architecture. Plant close together for a windbreak, privacy screen or solid background for an artistic focal point. |
| Foliage Color | Dark Green |
| Companion Plants | Peony (Paeonia); Azalea (Azalea); False Holly (Osmanthus); Blueberry (Vaccinium); Astilbe (Astilbe) |
Care
| Care Instructions | Prefers light, slightly acidic, moist, well-drained soils, but highly adaptable. Water deeply and regularly during the first growing season to establish an extensive root system. Tolerates mild drought, when established. Feed with a general purpose fertilizer in spring. Prune annually to shape. |
|---|
History
| History | Ilex crenata is native to Japan, China, Korea and Taiwan. Sky Pencil is a cultivar found in 1985 in the garden of Dr. Masao Yokoi in Kawaguchi, Japan by Longwood Gardens curator, Rick Darke, and chief horticulturalist, Sylvester March. It was introduced by the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington, D.C. |
|---|---|
| Lore | 'Sky Pencil' is an all-female cultivar which needs a male variety nearby as a pollenizer, in order to produce berries. |
Retailers Near You
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Retailers Near You
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About Us
We have been pioneers and craftsmen in the art of growing plants for nearly
100 years. Since our founding in Southern California by Harry E. Rosedale, Sr.
in 1926, we have been absolutely dedicated and obsessed with quality.
We have been pioneers and craftsmen in the art of growing plants for nearly 100 years. Since our founding in Southern California by Harry E. Rosedale, Sr. in 1926, we have been absolutely dedicated and obsessed with quality.