2 Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees – Live Plant – 4-6″ Tall – Outdoor Shrub

Overview

Transform your outdoor space with these beautiful and robust Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees. Known for their dense, evergreen foliage and striking red berries, these trees are a popular choice for homeowners seeking both aesthetic appeal and practical landscaping solutions. Each purchase includes two live plants, rooted in 3-inch pots and standing 4-6 inches tall, ready to thrive in your garden. The Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees (Ilex x ‘Nellie R. Stevens’) are a hybrid variety, celebrated for their rapid growth and low maintenance, making them an excellent investment for both novice and experienced gardeners. These versatile shrubs can be used in various landscape designs, from formal hedges to accent plantings, providing year-round interest and a touch of elegance.

Originating as a cross between Ilex aquifolium and Ilex cornuta, the Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees inherit the best traits of both, including superior hardiness and abundant berry production. Their glossy, dark green leaves remain vibrant throughout the year, offering a lush backdrop for the bright red berries that persist through winter, creating a stunning visual contrast against snowy landscapes. Beyond their beauty, these trees provide crucial habitat and food for birds and other wildlife, enriching your garden’s ecosystem. Whether you’re looking to establish a living fence, create a windbreak, or simply add a specimen plant, these Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are an exceptional choice for a resilient and attractive landscape.

Key Benefits

Investing in Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees brings a multitude of benefits to your home and garden. These plants are not only beautiful but also highly functional, offering solutions for privacy, wildlife attraction, and year-round visual interest. Discover why these evergreen holly shrubs are a favorite among landscapers:

• Exceptional Privacy Screening: These evergreen holly shrubs grow into dense, columnar forms, making them ideal for creating natural privacy screens and hedges. Their thick foliage remains vibrant all year, ensuring your garden stays secluded and beautiful, even in winter months.
• Stunning Winter Interest: One of the most cherished features of the Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees is their prolific production of bright red berries. These berries appear in fall and persist through winter, providing a festive splash of color against the dark green leaves, especially when other plants are dormant.
• Wildlife Attraction: The abundant red berries serve as a vital food source for various bird species during the colder months, while the dense foliage offers shelter. Planting these trees helps support local wildlife and brings lively activity to your garden.
• Low Maintenance & Drought Tolerant: Once established, these holly trees are remarkably low maintenance. They are tolerant of a wide range of soil conditions and exhibit good drought resistance, reducing the need for constant care and watering.
• Fast Growing Holly: The Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are known for their relatively fast growth rate, allowing you to achieve a mature hedge or specimen plant in a shorter time compared to many other evergreen options. This makes them perfect for quickly establishing desired landscape features.
• Versatile Landscaping Use: Their adaptable nature allows them to be used in various settings, including formal hedges, informal screens, specimen plantings, foundation plantings, or as accent trees at corners of homes or entryways.
• Deer Resistant: While not entirely deer-proof, Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are generally considered deer resistant, making them a suitable choice for areas where deer browse can be an issue.

Plant Care & Growing Tips

Caring for your Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees is straightforward, ensuring they grow into magnificent specimens that enhance your landscape for years to come. These resilient shrubs are adaptable, but providing optimal conditions will encourage the best growth and berry production. Understanding the specific needs of your evergreen holly shrubs is key to their success.

For sunlight, Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees thrive in full sun to partial shade. Full sun (at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day) promotes the densest growth and the most abundant berry set. While they tolerate some shade, too much shade can lead to sparser foliage and fewer berries. When it comes to watering, young trees require consistent moisture to establish a strong root system. Water deeply once or twice a week during their first growing season, especially during dry spells. Once established, they are quite drought-tolerant but will benefit from occasional deep watering during prolonged dry periods. Avoid overwatering, as this can lead to root rot. The ideal soil type is well-draining, slightly acidic soil with a pH between 5.5 and 6.5. Amending heavy clay soils with organic matter can improve drainage, while sandy soils can benefit from organic matter to retain moisture and nutrients. These privacy hedge plants are quite tolerant of different soil conditions, but good drainage is crucial.

Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are hardy in USDA Zones 6-9, making them suitable for a wide range of climates. They can tolerate cold winters and hot summers within this range. Fertilization is generally not heavily required once established. If growth appears slow or foliage is yellowing, a balanced, slow-release evergreen fertilizer can be applied in early spring before new growth begins. Follow product instructions carefully to avoid over-fertilization. Pruning is best done in late winter or early spring before new growth emerges. This helps maintain shape, control size, and remove any dead or damaged branches. For dense hedges, light shearing can be done throughout the growing season. Common problems are few, but watch for scale insects or leaf miners, which can be treated with horticultural oil. The robust nature and relatively easy care make the Nellie R. Stevens care routine manageable for most gardeners.

Size & Details

The Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees provided are young, vigorous plants, each rooted in a 3-inch pot and standing approximately 4-6 inches in height. These are live plants, carefully packaged to ensure safe arrival and ready for planting. At maturity, these evergreen holly shrubs can reach an impressive height of 15-25 feet and a width of 5-10 feet, forming a substantial and attractive presence in your landscape. Their growth rate is considered fast, allowing them to establish quickly and provide desired screening or accent features within a few years.

The columnar growth habit of these trees makes them particularly suitable for hedges and privacy screens, as they maintain a relatively narrow footprint while growing significantly tall. The dense foliage and abundant winter berries contribute to their year-round appeal. Expect these plants to continue growing and filling out as they mature, eventually forming a stately and beautiful addition to your garden. The initial size allows for easy handling and planting, giving them a strong start in their new environment. This particular offering of 2 Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees provides a great foundation for beginning your landscaping project.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: How big do these Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees get at maturity? A: At maturity, these trees typically reach a height of 15-25 feet and a width of 5-10 feet. Their columnar growth habit makes them excellent for dense screening without taking up too much lateral space.
• Q: What size pot do the evergreen holly shrubs come in? A: Each Nellie R. Stevens Holly Tree is rooted in a 3-inch pot, and the plants are approximately 4-6 inches tall upon arrival. This size is ideal for transplanting into your garden or a larger container.
• Q: Is this an indoor or outdoor plant? How much sunlight does it need? A: The Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are outdoor plants. They thrive in full sun to partial shade, meaning they need at least 6 hours of direct sunlight per day for optimal growth and berry production.
• Q: Is this plant easy to care for? Is it good for beginners? A: Yes, these fast growing holly trees are considered relatively easy to care for once established. They are drought-tolerant and adaptable to various soil conditions, making them a good choice for beginners. Consistent watering is important during their establishment phase.
• Q: What condition will the plants arrive in? A: Your Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees will arrive as live, healthy plants, rooted in their 3-inch pots. They are carefully packaged to ensure they reach you in excellent condition, ready for planting.
• Q: When is the best time to plant these privacy hedge plants? A: The best time to plant is generally in spring or fall, when temperatures are moderate. This allows the plants to establish their root systems before the extremes of summer heat or winter cold.
• Q: What’s the minimum temperature these trees can tolerate? A: Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are hardy in USDA Zones 6-9, meaning they can tolerate winter temperatures down to -10°F (-23°C) once established. They are quite resilient within these zones.
• Q: Do these trees attract wildlife? A: Yes, the vibrant red berries produced by the Nellie R. Stevens Holly Trees are a significant food source for birds, especially during winter. The dense foliage also provides shelter for various wildlife.
• Q: Can I use these trees for a formal hedge? A: Absolutely! Their dense foliage and relatively narrow growth habit make them excellent candidates for formal hedges. Regular pruning can help maintain a crisp, structured appearance.
• Q: What kind of soil do these evergreen holly shrubs prefer? A: They prefer well-draining, slightly acidic soil. While adaptable, amending heavy clay soils can improve drainage and overall plant health.