Log In
While holly is often associated with the festive season and its decorative uses, it also makes a fantastic privacy screen for your garden. If you’re looking for a natural and effective way to enhance your privacy and define boundaries, consider planting holly trees for screening!
What varieties of Holly do we stock?
While our native holly (Ilex aquifolium) boasts iconic red berries, these only appear on female plants that have been pollinated. This has led to a surge in popularity for varieties like Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’.
A self-pollinating hybrid, ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ produces abundant red berries in autumn regardless of the plant’s sex. Additionally, its leaves are smoother and less spiky than those of the native holly, further enhancing its appeal.
We currently have the ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ holly available in both standard and bush form (these standards are ideal for evergreen screening). We also offer a smaller, P9 Common holly (Ilex aquifolium) with the distinctive spiny leaves. These are excellent for creating a striking and effective barrier.
We also stock Ilex castaneifolia, also known as Chestnut Leaf Holly. This holly variety features unusually large, serrated leaves that resemble those of the Sweet Chestnut, hence its name. This dense foliage provides year-round coverage, offering a natural privacy solution for your garden.
Planting Holly trees for screening
Both the standard Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’ and Ilex castaneifolia trees have 1.5-1.8m clear stems and a bushy head of foliage that sits above a standard 6ft fence panel to create a “stilted hedge” effect. This provides excellent privacy without taking up valuable garden space.
You could plant these trees 1.2-1.5m apart to create a uninterrupted screen above the fence line or you could strategically placed one tree to block a specific unwanted view.
Read More:
1. Tree Care Tips: How to plant, water and maintain your trees
2. Pleached Photinia Red Robin: A Stunning Screening Solution
3. What trees are best for new build gardens?
