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.
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.
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.
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Details
Description
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.
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sky Pencil Japanese Holly produce flowers?
Inconspicuous; prized for foliage.
Is Sky Pencil Japanese Holly evergreen or deciduous?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly is Evergreen.
What are the special features of Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly is Easy Care, Ornamental Berries, Compact Form.
Is Sky Pencil Japanese Holly resistant to pests or animals?
Rabbit Resistant, Tolerates Urban Pollution
How fast does Sky Pencil Japanese Holly grow?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly has a Moderate growth rate.
What is the growth habit of Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly grows in an Columnar habit.
Where can I use Sky Pencil Japanese Holly in my landscape?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly is suitable for: Border, Container, Privacy Screen.
How can I use Sky Pencil Japanese Holly in my garden design?
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.
What color is the foliage of Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly has Dark Green foliage.
What plants grow well with Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
Good companion plants for Sky Pencil Japanese Holly include: Peony (Paeonia); Azalea (Azalea); False Holly (Osmanthus); Blueberry (Vaccinium); Astilbe (Astilbe).
How do I care for Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
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.
What is the history of Sky Pencil Japanese Holly?
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.
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About Us
We have been pioneers and craftsmen in the art of growing plants for 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.