Re: Ilex opaca

Marge,
Thanks for all that info.  So many Cardinals and only one Pope!  I'll wait
to see how serious he is about this Holly.  Possibly a localnursery would
order it in for us.
Kitty
neIN, Z5
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marge Talt" <mtalt@hort.net>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Sunday, February 20, 2005 6:18 AM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] Ilex opaca


> > From: kmrsy@comcast.net
> >
> > Speaking of hollies....Has anyone grown Ilex opaca, american Holly
> north
> > of Zone 6? I'm supposed to find one for the display gardens, but
> we're
> > in Z5, and all my references say 6. anyone?
> ----------
>
> Kitty, I am south of you; have several in my woods and find seedlings
> all the time - I could send you some but they are tiny tots:-)  I.
> opaca is native (according to Galle's tome on hollies) from MA to PA
> and W. VA, south to Florida and West to Texas, Missouri, Tenn and
> Indiana, so, since you are in Indiana, it should grow where you are.
> As with a lot of trees, you would be better off getting one that came
> from native stock or had at least been propagated and reared in your
> area or north of you rather than south.
>
> The species is a nice tree but not particularly exciting.  Grows VERY
> slowly.  I have them in the garden, too - some naturally and some I
> moved as found seedlings years ago.  There are numerous cultivars out
> there in the trade tho' not all are readily available.  Seems to me
> that wholesale growers are all growing about the same 10 plants - no
> matter where they are:-)
>
> Galle says that 'Cardinal' is a female, selected in MA by E. Dilatush
> before 1942, so it's been around a while.  Description is:  Leaves
> dark olive green, elliptic, keeled, curved, 2-3/4" - 3-1/8" long x
> 1-3/8"-1-5/8" wide.  5-6 spines on each side, margins reflexed,
> slightly wavy, petioles 1/4" long; fruits light red, borne singly,
> globose, 5/16" dia.; compact, slow habit of growth; early heavy
> fruiting.
>
> He notes that there is also a 'Cardinal Compact' - also female,
> selected in 1929 in NJ, introduced by the same person that is more
> compact in habit but that both clones lack outstanding features.
>
> There is also a 'Cardinal Hedge' - also female, syn. 'Cardinal
> Improved', selected about 1932 at Boyce Thompson Institute;
> introduced by the same E. Dilatush in 1948.  He gives a detailed
> description of it - has vivid red fruit and is nearly as wide as
> tall.....and there's a 'Cardinal Supreme', also female introduced by
> the same Dilatush in 1948.  He notes that while the parent of
> 'Supreme' was attractive the offspring have a stretched appearance.
>
> As you get into this, if you are thinking about getting 'Cardinal',
> you might want to make sure which one it is, given the propensity for
> confusing names in the nursery trade:-)
>
> If you're buying for a display garden, wonder if you couldn't work
> getting things wholesale and, thus, deal with some of the growers
> directly, or at least the local wholesale suppliers?  I have been
> doing a lot of searching for wholesale suppliers lately - have huge
> list of links on the other computer.  It's too late and I'm too tired
> to go look right now, but if you're interested, I can do this and
> check some availability lists to see who might have what I. opaca
> clones in production and where..
>
> And, yes, for I. opaca you do need a male.
>
> I put a lovely I. opaca in my #1 garden design job last fall - my
> installer got it at one of the local wholesalers.  The male clone
> wasn't available, so needs to go in this spring.    It was 'Merry
> Christmas'; the male I wanted was 'Jersey Knight'.  'Merry Christmas'
> was introduced by that same Dilatush (boy was he busy); original
> plant from the Catskill mountains in NY...there's also an 'improved'
> version of it according to Galle, and I do not know which we actually
> got, but it's a lovely tree and it was about 8' tall when installed;
> took 4 guys to move that rootball.   Would seem to me that this one
> might be fairly readily available in the trade and from northern
> blood, which would make it naturally hardier.
>
> Well, that's all for tonight; running out of steam here:-)
>
> Marge Talt, zone 7 Maryland
> mtalt@hort.net
> Editor:  Gardening in Shade
> Shadyside Garden Designs
> -----------------------------------------------
> Current Article: Plant Exchange
> http://www.suite101.com/welcome.cfm/shade_gardening
> ------------------------------------------------
> Complete Index of Articles by Category and Date
> http://mtalt.hort.net/article-index.html
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
> message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE GARDENCHAT
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index