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Ilex crenata 'Sky pencil' |
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| Common name |
columnar japanese holly |
| Family |
aquifoliaceae |
| Life cycle |
evergreen shrub (Z6-9) |
| Flowers |
small cream (late spring) |
| Size |
to 6-10' high, 18" wide |
| Light |
sun-part shade |
| Cultural notes |
ordinary garden soil |
Shiny dark green leaves all year on a narrowly upright frame. Ours is still young, but we intend for it to be a focal point in our front-yard lane. Although the small creamy flowers in June are easy to miss, the black berries in fall have some ornamental value.
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In our garden, this plant grows in the following area: the lane About my plant portraits
PlantLinks to other web pages about Ilex crenata 'Sky pencil'
Visitors to this page have left the following comments| Laura R. Baker | Jul 10, 2004 | I just recently planted some sky pencil holly and the leaves on one of the plants have turned brown, however the branches are still pliable. We had a lot of rain and I wondered ir it got too much. Do you think the plant is dead or will it still come back? I appreciate your feedback.
Laura - I grow and like this plant, but am by no means an expert. I suggest you try asking your question on one of the Gardenweb forums. Thanks for visiting. |
| Ginny Phillips | Jan 17, 2005 | Hi, I am thinking of planting a Pencil Holly in our backyard. I try to plant shrubs that produce berries to benefit the birds. Is this a self-pollinator or will I need a male plant?
Good question - I don't really know, but we have just the one plant and it does bear fruit. Of course there may be other Japanese hollies in the neighborhood. |
| Steviepittsley | May 01, 2005 | Hi !!! Love your plants. I have many photoa of various plants , at my group site at Yahoo Http://groups.yahoo.com/groups/playinginthedirt
Feel free to browse, and snag any pix that you can use... Join if you'd like, and feel free to add a link .... happy gardening !! Stevie
Hi Stevie, thanks for the offer. All the photos on this site are from my own garden, though, and that's the point of the site. I'll stop by your group for a look-see though :-) |
| Joby Tasker | May 09, 2005 | Do you know how cold hardy this particular cultivar of holly is? I live in an area where we can have pretty harsh winters, will this species survive?
Joby, the information I have suggests it is hardy to USDA zone 6, meaning it may survive winters with temperatures down to -10°F. We had a few nights down to -5°F this winter, and the holly fared just fine. |
| Christina | Jun 20, 2005 | I am thinking of planting a few of these sky pencils. Do you know how much they will grow in a season?
They are slow growers, in my experience. Ours has put on maybe a foot of growth in two years. |
| Chiara | Jul 06, 2005 | I purchased a sky pencil which I would like to plant next to the mason stairs going to the patio. How far from the stairs should I plant it so that when it grows it will be just on the side without actually overgrowing the stairs. I would really appreciate any suggestions that you might have.
From my information, it would seem that about 1 foot away should meet your needs. |
| Kathleen | Jan 13, 2006 | This plant will be used at the entrance of a high school, and I need to know if the berries on this plant are poisonious ?
I cannot find any indication that it is poisonous - but to be sure, I would contact your local poison control center. |
| Mike | Apr 15, 2006 | I have 3 sky pencil hollies that were in terra cotta pots on our deck all winter and they seemed to do just fine-- nice and dark green, etc. but in recent weeks have become brittle and dried out. I'm afraid they are all going to lose their leaves! Our lowest temperature was +6 but we had a lot of wind all winter. Have you heard of anyone having problems like this? Mike outside Boston.
Did they get enough moisture through the winter? As evergreens, they need more than deciduous shrubs, even though (just like a Christmas tree) they may not show that they are in distress while temperatures are cold. |
| Tim Walton | May 28, 2006 | My twp pencil hollys are planted in a very small area in terms of soil. The area is about 2'x 2' and their leaves are falling off. Both bushes are looking thin and sick. my water sytem runs about 10 minutes twice per week. They are at the edge of the garden and do not get alot of water but I think they get run off under groung from the rest of the flower beds. Do you think that they need more or less water fom the symptoms that I am describing?
Thank,
Tim
Sorry Tim, any advice I'd give you would be guesswork - I'm not an expert on their cultural requirements. Mine doesn't get a whole lot of water, and seems to do OK. |
| Caroline | Jul 05, 2006 | Hi, I like your website! I am considering planting sky pencils as a privacy border. I have a smaller yard and thought they would provide a more narrow border. Do you think they would work for this?
Caroline, I think they are better used for accents - in my experience, they grow too slowly to be useful for privacy hedging. |
| Nicole | Oct 07, 2006 | Great site! Question for you...have you experienced any problems with planting the sky pencils in pots rather than the ground?
Nope - I have just one sky pencil, and it's planted in terra firma. |
| Phyllis | Sep 01, 2008 | Hello can you tell me the difference in the Pyramid Holly and the Pencil Holly? They really look alike to me. Does the Pyramid really grow in a Pyramid shape in stead of straight up and down like the pencil Holly? Or are the Pyramids just pruned that way.
I've not grown pyramid holly - perhaps somebody else will know the answer... |
| ACWinOH | Oct 18, 2008 | I planted our Sky Pencil 05/2006 and it put on a lovely growth spurt and then slowed dramatically. Ours is the focal point in our raised entry bed with bright shade and appx 37" tall now. I've not had berries so I'm guessing I have a male? No worries, I'm very happy with the plant. He started out at appx 25" so you see what I mean by growth spurt the first year. We are Zone 5a-ish on Lake Erie Coast in Northern Ohio and have not had problems despite the fact that I often forget to water. - Carol |
| Jeri / just north of Atlanta | Mar 21, 2009 | No comment, just a queston! I am considering planting two pencil holly bushes in pots next to my front entrance. I have a large front porch, so, the plants will receive good indirect sunlight, but no direct light. Will they live/thrive in this environment?
In your climate, that may be just right. Good luck. |
| ardenia | Apr 02, 2009 | I have an area of 9"x10' in the shade. I'd like to plant the sky pencil. it would have to grow about 5' tall to fit the purpose of privacy. is this area too narrow this plant? |
| Jack | Jun 04, 2009 | We recently had four Sky Pencils planted. Two have a cord tied around them, the other two don't.
Should the cords stay or be cut? Or should each have a cord around them?
I've no idea what the cords are doing, but they certainly aren't necessary, and could become harmful in the long run. I would remove them. |
| nevada smith | Jun 12, 2009 | The sky pencil is not very hardy in any part of Ohio. It's somewhat like spending your money on Rhodos and Azaleas in the Spring buying rush! Garden Centers love it but they hope you don't bring them back to be replaced under the warranty! Of course every "exception" proves the rule, I know some folks have had luck with this plant, but please don't waste your money buying it. Buy a Green Mountain Boxwood, it is much hardier and can be shaped in this bizarre shape!
Lanscaper for 30+ years!!! |
| August | Jul 02, 2009 | Has anyone had problems with flies in their sky pencils? Ours seem to be breeding flies in late June and July.
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| Sherry | Jul 13, 2009 | I have two sky pencil shrubs but recently they have dried out and are shedding of their leaves. Do you know if the shrubs are cut all the way back, will they come back healthy? |
| Dania | Sep 19, 2009 | I have planted nine sky pencils throughout my Oklahoma garden (zone 7). Four have had leaves turn yellow and then dry out and the plant dies. The stems turned a gray color (almost like aspens). When I pulled them up, the roots did not look unhealthy and were still alive. They are supposed to be easy to grow and I don't understand what has happened. Has anyone else experienced problems with them? |
| rock | Oct 02, 2009 | What time of the year do I plant sky pencils. I live in Kansas City, MO
They will be planted in the ground, not in containers |
| tisha | Oct 25, 2009 | I want to plant the sky pencil plants in containers to put on the front porch on each side of my door and put some pansies with them.
I thought they would look nice with the holidays approaching.
How do the sky pencil plants do in containers? I have heard that I need to put rocks, or something in the bottom of the pot so that the roots don't become root-bound. Any suggestions will help. |
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Last modified:
October 10, 2004
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