<i>Ilex</i> Red Beauty

Red Beauty keeps its pyramidal shape with little or no pruning.

Red Beauty features bright-red berries that are easy to see, not hidden among the foliage. Photos courtesy of Pennsylvania Horticultural Society

SPECIFICS Name: Ilex Red Beauty Description: Densely branched pyramidal tree that grows up to 10 feet high. Dark, glossy evergreen leaves are a handsome backdrop for red berries. A male pollinator is needed for berry production. Try ‘Blue Boy,’ ‘Blue Prince’ or ‘Blue Stallion.’ Hardiness: USDA Hardiness Zone 6-8. Landscape uses: Specimen tree or accent plant. Plant in well-drained acidic soil in full sun or part shade. Awards: Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Gold Medal Plants 2010 (www.goldmedalplants.com).

In 1982, hybridizer Elwin Orton of Rutgers University set out to develop a new type of compact-growing holly. He was disenchanted by the tall, rangy, coarse growth of three native hollies (Ilex opaca) planted near his ranch-style home.

Instead he wanted a holly that was hardy enough to cope with typical East Coast conditions; have beautiful shiny, dark green foliage that would hold its color well throughout the winter; and have an elegant, pyramidal shape. He also added other attributes to his wish list: Abundant bunches of good sized, bright red berries that would be well displayed and not hidden among the leaves; not suffer from any major pests and diseases; and required minimal maintenance.

Persistence pays off
After 22 years of hybridizing and thorough testing, he succeeded with Ilex Red Beauty, which is available from Garden Splendor. Orton combined the best genetic traits of the now famous and widely grown Meserve hollies — originally created by 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,” Orton said.

Ilex × meserveae (blue hollies) are reliable and hardy, but they tend to be rather shrubby in shape and require shearing to establish and maintain a good form.

Ilex Red Beauty is naturally shapely with little intervention, and maintains rich, dark green foliage during the winter months. In 20 years of field testing at New Brunswick, N.J., the foliage has never shown any sign of cold injury. Extended trials will determine the exact cold tolerance. But for now, researchers know it performs well in USDA Hardiness Zone 6 and higher.

“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,” Orton said. “It had never been pruned. It was very dense and self-compacting with a tight pyramidal habit. It’s a winner.”

Red Beauty fruits heavily in autumn, producing abundant clusters of bright red, good-sized berries that are prominently displayed toward the extremities of the foliage. To ensure consistently heavy fruit set, it is important that a compatible male selection be nearby, including male I. meserveae cultivars. Trials at Garden Splendor found Ilex ‘Blue Prince’ to be an excellent pollinator.

For more: Garden Splendor, www.gardensplendor.com/corp.