Native Holly Bush on Gulf Islands

Can anyone tell me how to get a native holly bush to produce berries. Also, what would be the latin name for this wild holly that seems to grow quite commonly here on Gabriola Island?

 

Rosiewild

Hollies are quite often male and female plants i.e. ther are just like humans and have separate sexes on separate plants. in that case you need to have both present in the area in order to produce berries.

with the history of civilization (?) in this area the wild holly on the gulf islands may be an escapee from a garden. This is a common occurence where ever formal gsrdens have been established. the berries may have been transported through various means such as rodents or birds.

if you could attach a picture we may be able to identify the holly and give you more advice. you may want to search through E-Flora BC: Electronic Atlas of the Plants of British Columbia http://www.eflora.bc.ca/

to see if that can help. it lists only one species of Ilex (true hollies) in the gulf Islands/ lower mainland.

pierrot

 

Yes, I was going to mention that there are no hollies native to British Columbia, and (at least in the forests near UBC), they have the potential to be quite a problem where they have escaped.

 

Ilex aquifolium has definitely reached the point of being accurately described as an abundant, reseeding pest species in and around communities down here.

"In the Seattle area, it comes up wild all over...It is now so abundant as to be weedy, unlike any other holly cultivated here." (Jacobson, Wild plants of Greater Seattle)


In addition, some plantings of the common species are spoiled by holly leaf miner, others a leafspot that causes the lower leaves to drop at this time of the year--just when the plants should be reaching their annual peak of beauty. During a visit to VanDusen Botanical Display Garden, Vancouver one year the English hollies had dropped their lower leaves and the Highclere hollies had not, reinforcing the superiority of the hybrid (where climate is suitable). Grub yours out and replace with Highclere hollies ('Cameliifolia' and 'Wilsonii' are two locally prevalent cultivars) if you wish to have holly.

 

One other possibility is that rosie is referring to the oregon grape.

Berry production on these is often dependent on adequate light, and possibly a bit of summer moisture?

 

Thanks, but I am familiar with the Mahonia (Oregon Grape) family. I am quite sure it is in the holly family and can get 12- 15 feet tall.

 

Just so you know, Oregon grape is a barberry relation--some would have it in the same genus--and English holly grows 60' high in Seattle.