Ilex aquifolium
English holly (Ilex aquifolium) is a shrub. Light: full sun, part shade, shade. Hardy down to -18 °C. Drought tolerance: low. Toxic to dogs, cats and children. Sold in local shops from about CZK 110.
A slow-growing, dense evergreen shrub or small tree with glossy dark green or variegated leaves edged with spines, at its best in winter when the red berries show. Plants are either male or female: only females carry berries, and only with a male nearby, so plant named cultivars of known sex together. Give it a sheltered spot in part shade and moist, well-drained, preferably acidic soil, because strong winter sun and freezing wind scorch the foliage and the leaves yellow on chalky ground. It clips well into an impenetrable hedge, but the leaves are prickly and the berries are poisonous.
| Group | Shrub |
| Light | Full sun, Part shade, Shade |
| Size after 10 years | 2.5 m × 1.5 m |
| Ultimate size | 4–15 m × 3–7.5 m |
| Hardiness | down to -18 °C (USDA 6, RHS H6) |
| Soil | Average garden soil, Acidic, Sandy, Clay |
| Foliage | Evergreen |
| Flowering | May–June, white |
| Water need | Medium |
| Drought tolerance | Low |
| Maintenance | Medium |
| Root aggressiveness | Low |
| Suckering | no |
| Spreading | Low |
| Distance from buildings | at least 5 m |
| Distance from paving | at least 0.5 m |
| Litter | not typical |
| Planting distance | 150 cm |
| For dogs | Toxic |
| For cats | Toxic |
| For children | Toxic |
| Typical price | from about CZK 110 |
Toxicity data is for information only. If your pet or child has eaten a plant, contact a vet or a doctor.
The same plant is sold as a small pot and as a specimen several metres tall, and the price follows. Prices are rounded and for guidance only.
|
Size
|
Typical price
|
|---|---|
| 8-10 cm | approx. CZK 2,800 |
| 250+ cm | approx. CZK 25,000 |
| size not stated | approx. CZK 110 – CZK 550 |
Data updated: October 26, 2026 · How our data is made
Fast-growing hedges: how much each grows in a year
The fastest hedge plant is the Leyland cypress, growing about 90 cm a year, followed by cherry laurel 'Novita', firethorn and western red cedar at about 50 cm a year, then privet at 40 cm. How long a 180 cm hedge takes to screen depends more on the size of plant you buy: several years from small plants, one or two summers from large ones, but at many times the price per metre. The tables use the current shop prices in your country.
Planting a hedge: how many plants per metre, and what it costs
Most hedge plants go in at 2-4 plants per metre: Leyland cypress 2, cherry laurel and photinia 2.5 (40 cm apart), yew 3, hornbeam 3.5, privet and beech 4. The plants go in one row, 80 cm from the fence, in autumn or early spring. What the hedge costs depends most on the size of the plants: the table works it out at today's shop prices in your country, for the length of your own hedge.
Besides the cookies the site needs to work, we would like to use analytics and advertising cookies (Google, Facebook), if you allow it. Details