How to Grow Native Holly for Beautiful Winter Color—Even After the Holidays

Native hollies provide more than just beautiful red berries and Christmas aesthetics. These plants support local fauna, and they provide food and shelter for wild birds. They also contribute to a region's biodiversity, since they grow better than ornamental and nonnative plants—and require less upkeep.

So how should you care for these beautiful plants, and what other benefits do they provide? Read on to learn more about how they can add significant value to your garden.

Why You Should Grow Holly

Hollies are more than just a holiday icon. In fact, holly berries provide essential nutrition for birds in winter. “When other food sources may be scarce, holly berries provide vital fats for birds like bluebirds and cedar waxwings,” says Mary Phillips, the head of native plant habitat strategy at the National Wildlife Federation. These berries often soften after a freeze, too, helping birds survive even during late winter.

Native hollies also provide habitat and shelter for birds and other small animals. In spring, holly is especially important—its spiny or thick foliage provides a safe, predator-resistant space for squirrels and small mammals to raise their young.

They're wonderful pollinator plants, too. Native hollies have small spring flowers for butterflies and bees, according to Wendy Overbeck Dunham, director of horticulture at the Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.

Finally, hollies create year-round aesthetic value. “From evergreen leaves to vibrant winter berries, they provide year-round interest,” Phillips says. Since native holly species are adapted to nearly every U.S. ecoregion, gardeners can choose plants that align with whatever look they're going for in their garden, as well as whatever their local wildlife needs are.

When to Plant

The fall season, from late August through October, is the best time to plant native hollies. This timeframe gives the plants a chance to acclimate to cooler air and warm soil, reducing the risk of foliage stress and supporting robust root development. Autumn rains nourish the roots, making them hardy and strong before freezing winter temperatures arrive.

How to Grow

Because native means different things in different places, it’s worth checking your region before you plant anything, says Dunham. “For example, you might look for yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) and dahoon (Ilex cassine) in parts of the Southeast, while winterberry (Ilex verticillata) and American holly (Ilex opaca) are native across much of the East,” she says. These all have different care needs.

Generally speaking, native hollies will grow in most soil types as long as the soil is adequately drained. Hollies don't like to sit in standing water for long—this will eventually kill them. The flowers also prefer slightly acidic, loamy soil, and the plants are partial to full sun. Water the plants thoroughly to ensure water reaches the roots, but don't overwater them.

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Pruning

As native plants, most hollies need very little pruning. However, a bit of pruning helps maintain the plant’s shape and promotes healthy new foliage growth. Ideally, you should prune native holly plants before they grow in spring, with specific timing depending on the region. In regions with freezing winters, pruning should be done in February or March, before new shoots and leaves grow.