Ilex Crenata Glory Gem Japanese Holly

Ilex Crenata Glory Gem is usually referred to as Japanese Holly. It’s good for topiary, low hedging and evergreen ground cover.  Japanese Holly Glorie Gem originates from Japan, China, and Korea and has small dark green leaves which are soft enough to touch. The bushy foliage is ovate and in spring small creamy flowers appear on the tips. Pollinators love these easily accessed flowers and if left to mature they turn into small black berries for the birds.  Japanese Holly Glorie Gem is a good plant for ground cover or to fill in border gaps. Its evergreen foliage brings winter colour and provides a pretty backdrop for summer flowering perennials. 

Height And Spread Of Ilex crenata Glory Gem
If left to its own devices Japanese Holly Glorie Gem can grow to eight metres by four metres over 20 years, but it is easily kept small with regular trims.

How Hardy Is Ilex Crenata Glory Gem
This is a hardy Ilex down to sub-zero temperatures. It withstands drought once established and is rarely bothered by pests.

How To Use Ilex Crenata Glory Gem
Japanese Holly Glorie Gem is a popular topiary plant as it is slow growing and has small leaves suitable for shaping into topiary domes, topiary balls, or topiary cones. It’s a good replacement for box as it’s not affected by blight. Although slow growing, Ilex crenata makes a very attractive evergreen hedging plant.  
Grow Glorie Gem in the border to fill gaps or in a container on the patio to brighten up dull decking. 
It’s also a great general border plant for wildlife-friendly spaces where its dense evergreen leaves provide shelter for insects and the small flowers feed pollinators. 

How To Care For Ilex Crenata Glory Gem    
Japanese Holly Glorie Gem will grow in exposed and sheltered positions but it prefers full sun or partial shade in any well-drained soil. You can leave this evergreen shrub to grow wild, but as topiary it needs a twice-yearly trim to maintain its shape.
Water well until established and frequently in hot weather if grown in a container. Container specimens also benefit from regular feeding to maintain the colour of the leaves. 
If grown in a border mulch well in early spring to seal in moisture and suppress weed competition.