Home Page
Garden Club
What to Plant
World of Plants
David's Garden
Other
Listen to David Wilson as he discusses Ilex ‘Red Beauty’ on the March 26, 2006 The Paul Parent Garden Club radio show [1:28 minutes]
From the inspired hybridizing hands of Dr. Elwin Orton of
Rutgers University (New Brunswick, New Jersey) comes this exquisite
new holly hybrid: Ilex ‘Red Beauty’.
In 1982 Dr. Orton set out on a mission. Disenchanted by the tall, rangy, coarse growth of three native hollies (Ilex opaca) that were planted in a corner bed near his ranch style home, he was inspired to develop a new type of compact growing holly:
A tall order you might say. But after 22 dedicated years of hybridizing and thorough testing, he has succeeded.
With consummate skill, detailed expert knowledge, and a good deal of patience, Dr. Orton has combined the best genetic traits of the now famous and widely grown Meserve Hollies (originally created by Mrs. F. Leighton (Kathleen) Meserve) with the refined foliage and shapely habit of Ilex pernyi. The result is a densely branched, semi-dwarf growing holly that has naturally sufficient apical dominance to form a tight pyramidal shape with little or no pruning. It has refined, dark green, spiny leaves "the way holly leaves should be," says Dr. Orton.
Those familiar with the excellent Ilex x meserveae (blue Hollies) will recognize that while they are reliable and hardy, they tend to be rather "shrubby"; in shape (requiring shearing to establish and maintain a good form) with foliage that may go "off color" in winter. Ilex ‘Red Beauty’ is naturally shapely (with little intervention) and maintains rich, dark green foliage during the winter months. Interestingly, in 20 years of field-testing at New Brunswick, New Jersey (Zone 6a), the foliage has never shown any sign of cold injury. Extended trials will determine the exact cold tolerance. But for now, we know that it performs well in Zone 6 and above.
“It clearly stood out in the trial fields. After 10 years of evaluation, the original plant was only 7 feet tall by 4 feet wide at the base. It had never been pruned. It was very dense and self-compacting with a tight pyramidal habit. It's a winner!”
-- Dr. Elwin Orton, Rutgers University
As you can see from the pictures, it fruits heavily in autumn, producing abundant clusters of bright red, good sized berries that are prominently displayed towards the extremities of the foliage.
To ensure consistently heavy fruit set it is important that there be a compatible male selection nearby. We believe that any of the existing male meserveae cultivars should prove to be suitable. In our trials, we have found Ilex ‘Blue Prince’ to be an excellent pollinator. Visit our plant encyclopedia to learn more about Ilex and how you can get copious crops of berries on your hollies.
The plant was earmarked for propagation and extended evaluation. Now, after trials by our Garden Splendor® growers, we have the pleasure of offering this breakthrough hybrid for you to enjoy.
This is one that we believe is destined to become an award winner and an industry standard in the years ahead. We are proud that Garden Splendor® has the honor and privilege to share in the introduction of this new variety of evergreen Holly that has been specifically hybridized, tested, and evaluated for its superior performance in east coast garden conditions.
Ilex ‘Red Beauty’ is, quite simply, an excellent plant that has been trialed and tested. Grown to the highest possible standards, it is just one example of the care and consideration that goes into our special Garden Splendor® product line.
Since 1939, the American holly (Ilex opaca) has been the official state tree for the state of Delaware?
When the Pilgrims landed the week before Christmas in 1620, on the coast of what is now Massachusetts, the evergreen, prickly leaves and red berries of American holly (Ilex opaca) reminded them of the English holly (Ilex aquifolium), a symbol of Christmas for centuries in England and Europe. Since then American holly, also called White holly or Christmas holly, has been one of the most valuable and popular trees in the eastern United States for its foliage and berries. It is used for Christmas decorations and for ornamental plantings.