Love the Festive Look of Holly?

Love the Festive Look of Holly?

Who wouldn’t on a winter day? English holly (Ilex aqu

ifolium) is lovely and a holiday favorite. Birds and small mammals eat the berries, but they also disperse them. English holly invades natural areas and is considered an invasive species. Luckily for us, there are several other beautiful evergreen shrubs that we can plant as alternatives to English holly. Here are just two to consider: False holly is tough and drought tolerant. A lovely, colorful Pacific wax myrtle (Morella californica) is a large evergreen native shrub with aromatic leaves, fruits for wild birds and is resistant to deer.

variegated option is Osmanthus heterophyllus ‘Goshiki’. Benton County Master Gardeners Membership Meetings: 3rd Monday October to May, 7:00 pm – currently on Zoom