American holly

American holly (Ilex opaca 'Clarendon') is an evergreen shrub or small tree with an upright, pyramidal form growing up to 20 feet tall. This plant prefers to be in full sun to part shade and needs moist, slightly acidic soil with a pH level of around 6.0-7.0. Water this plant regularly during its first 1 to 2 growing seasons until established. After that, water it during prolonged periods of dry weather to keep the soil moist but not saturated. Water the soil deeply, providing approximately 1-2 inches of irrigation per week or as needed.

American holly (Ilex opaca 'Clarendon') prefers full sun to partial shade, so it needs at least 4 to 6 hours of direct sunlight each day. During the hottest parts of the day, some shade is beneficial. In very hot climates, the holly can take some full sun, but it is usually better to provide afternoon shade to protect the plant from sunburn. Since American holly will usually tolerate shade, avoid planting it in an area of full sun that will be fully exposed to the direct sun for the entire day.

Pruning American holly (Ilex opaca 'Clarendon') should be done during the late winter or early spring when the shrub is still in its dormant state. Pruning should be very minimal, only removing diseased, dead, or broken branches, to maintain the shrub's attractive shape and size. Yearly pruning should encourage new growth and help keep the holly from becoming too large. For a more drastic pruning, this should only be done in early spring every 3-4 years to reduce and reshape size, only removing up to 1-third of the shrub. After pruning, apply a balanced fertilizer to help encourage new growth.