Foster Holly

• Foster Holly is a cultivar of Ilex x attenuata and is an evergreen shrub or small tree that has a fine texture, and a dense, slender, conical, or pyramidal shape.
• It is slow growing and may reach up to 20 to 30 ft tall and 10 to 15 feet wide
• An abundance of small, pea-sized orangish-red-to-red berries ripen in the fall and persist through the winter
• The leaves of the foster holly are 1-4″ long with spiny marginal teeth and a leathery texture. They are dark green and stay attached all year.

PRO TIP: The plants of this species are dioecious, meaning that they have separate male and female plants. The female plant requires a nearby male pollinator plant to produce fruits. Foster’s Holly is the rare holly in which female plants produce fruit without fertilization from a male pollinator. Botanically speaking, it is parthenocarpic (from Greek, parthenos meaning virgin, and karpos meaning fruit). Therefore, it is unnecessary to purchase a male foster holly for fruit.