Foster's No. 2 Holly
Ilex x attenuata 'Foster No. 2'
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 6a-9b Find Your Zone
Plant Type: Evergreen Shrub or Tree
Height at Maturity: 15-30' depending on pruning
Width at Maturity: 8-15' depending on pruning
Spacing Recommendations: 8' for solid hedge or privacy screen; 18'+ for space between plants
Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Pyramidal, Dense
Growth Rate: Moderate to Fast
Flower Color: White
Flower Size: Small, inconspicuous
Flowering Period: Spring
Flower Type:
Fragrant Flowers: No
Foliage Color: Dark Green
Fragrant Foliage: No
Berries: Yes, LOADS of them!
Berry Color: Brilliant Red
Sun Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Lightly Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun
Water Needs: Average, Low when established
Soil Type: Clay, Loam, Sandy, Silty
Soil Moisture / Drainage: Moist but Well-Drained
Soil pH: 5.5 - 7
Maintenance / Care: Low to Average
Attracts: Visual Attention, Birds
Resistances: Deer, Disease, Drought, Mildew, Heat, Insect, Clay Soil
Description
'Foster's No. 2' is the best of five different interspecific hybrid hollies (Ilex cassine x Ilex opaca) introduced into cultivation in the 1950s by E. E. Foster of Foster Nursery in Bessemer, Alabama. Of the five clones, Foster's No. 2 is the strongest of the females, which produce berries without the need for a male pollinator.
'Foster's No. 2' is a tall growing (20-30'), upright, evergreen holly that requires no pruning to maintain a dense pyramidal form. With pruning, the shrub or tree can be maintained at half its listed mature size. It features glossy, dark olive green, evergreen leaves (2-3" long). But it's the highly ornamental fruit that steals the show on this handsome tree. Inconspicuous, small white flowers bloom in late spring and are followed in fall by LOADS of showy bright red berries in clusters which persist throughout the winter. The berries are a favorite of cedar waxwings and other birds.
Landscape & Garden Uses
Growing 15 to 30 feet in height and 8 to 15 feet wide (depending on pruning), the Foster's No 2 Holly ideal for use in privacy screen plantings, to frame the corners of tall homes or other structures, spaced in straight rows to delineate a property line or line a drive, or as a magnificent focal point specimen anywhere in the sunny to partially shaded landscape. Great for use around swimming pools and other outdoor living and recreation spaces. The abundant crop of berries make it a welcome addition to bird and wildlife gardens.
Suggested Spacing: 6-8' for solid privacy screens and hedges; 18' or more for space between trees
Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 6a, where this Holly tree is not reliably winter hardy, you'll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.
Growing Preferences
The Foster's No. 2 Holly is exceptionally easy to grow. It adapts to many soils preferring a moist but well-drained acidic soil of average fertility. Alkaline soils result in chlorosis (yellowing of leaves) which can be corrected by the application of chelated iron and/or soil sulfur. More berries are produced in full to mostly sun however you can expect a good crop even with some shade. Six hours of direct sunlight per day is suggested. Foster's Holly is relatively low maintenance tree when left to grow natural. That said, many landscapers will perform an annual pruning or shearing to maintain a more formal appearance or to control size.
Important Note: Any heavy pruning after spring flowering will reduce or eliminate berry production.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to get helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for a Holly tree.
How To Plant A Holly Tree In The Ground Or In Pots
How To Prune A Holly Bush Or Tree
How To Fertilize & Water A Holly Tree
Privacy Screen Design And Planting Tips
Plant Long & Prosper!
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