Two genera of the family Aquifoliaceae, ” Ilex” (common “Holly” of Europe) and Nemopanthus, are commonly known as hollies. Species number more than 400, mostly evergreen shrubs and trees. The most popular garden varieties are English holly, I. Aquifolium: American holly, I. opaca; Chinese holly, I. cornuta; and Japanese holly, I. crenata.
It is usually best to buy potted or basketed hollies, especially if they must be shipped any distance. Few hollies are grown from seed or collected from the wild. Propagation is by cuttings from named varieties; grafted hollies often sprout from the under-stock.
Hollies grown from rotted cuttings will often form berries when small, although they will not berry every year. Holly grows swiftly but needs judicial pruning, Hollies will reach eight feet and higher at 15 years of age, but will be less broad and dense. They should be pruned freely to maintain a dense, bushy growth.