🌿 Burford Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Burfordii’)

Burford Holly is a dense, evergreen shrub that doubles as a small tree — prized for its glossy dark green leaves and brilliant red berries. Known for its toughness and versatility, it works beautifully as a specimen, hedge, privacy screen, or even pruned into a small ornamental tree.

🌸 Flowers & Foliage

• Foliage: Dark green, glossy, leathery leaves (among the deepest green of all hollies) with a single spine at the tip

• Flowers: Small, fragrant, white blossoms in spring that attract pollinators, especially bees

• Fruit: Abundant bright red berries that ripen in fall and persist through winter, adding seasonal color and wildlife appeal

🌱 Plant Details

• Type: Evergreen shrub/small tree

• Mature Size: 15–25 ft. tall × 8–15 ft. wide

• Growth Habit: Dense, rounded; tolerates heavy pruning

• Exposure: Full sun to partial sun (best berry production in sun)

• Soil: Prefers rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soils; avoid poorly drained areas

• Water Needs: Average; drought tolerant once established

• Maintenance: Low; prune in late winter to shape and encourage new berry growth

🌟 Why We Love It

• Year-round appeal — glossy evergreen leaves plus long-lasting red berries

• Low-maintenance & drought tolerant once established

• Versatile landscape uses — specimen tree, hedge, barrier, or privacy screen

• Wildlife-friendly — berries provide food in winter and flowers attract pollinators

🌼 Landscape Uses

• Privacy screens or living barriers

• Foundation plantings

• Formal hedges

• Specimen or vase-shaped small tree

• Winter and pollinator gardens

⚠️ Plant Notes

Burford Holly is tough but can experience issues with leaf miners, scale, spider mites, and occasional leaf diseases (powdery mildew, leaf spot, tar spot). It resists root rot but may show leaf yellowing in high-pH soils.

✅ Level To Leaf Tip: Plant in a sunny spot with well-drained, slightly acidic soil for the best berry display. Keep it mulched, prune in late winter, and enjoy a landscape workhorse that shines in every season.