On "another gardening forum" it was common for punters to post questions about hollies, particularly the somewhat ubiquitous-on-the-east-coast American holly, in the conifer forum. As though people thought it was a conifer because it was prickly! However I've spotted an amusing similarity to 'real' conifers. Most broad leaved evergreens will throw new shoots if they are cut to the stump. This is definitely true of small Ilex opaca, which are quasi-weeds in wilder parts of my garden. But I have now cut down 2 large 40-50' trees with trunks over 2 ft. wide. They were perfectly healthy, just no longer needed where they were. I expected to have to take steps to 'murder' the trunk via the customary means I use like drilling a few holes and filling with herbicide. Guess what...like a conifer...they go completely dead! No new sprouts! Even the native eastern maples will activate some dormant buds when I've cut down huge 75'+ trees with meter wide trunks. Not these hollies. Wonder if the same is true of the Eurasian hollies or is this conifer-like trait unique to the American Ilex opaca?
