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Sky Pencil Japanese holly, Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil,' is a plant with a lot of personality. This handsome, upright shrub is adept as a framing element in the formal garden and adds welcome height in informal settings. Its glossy, dark-green leaves are evergreen, so it has a presence even in the middle of winter. It's also an easy-care tree, bothered by few pests or diseases. Best of all, it grows well through most of the contiguous United States, with the ability to thrive in USDA hardiness zones 5 to 9. Here are a few more reasons to grow a Sky Pencil Japanese holly tree:
Hardy down to -10 degrees Fahrenheit.
Unlike most hollies, the leaves don't have sharp points and can be handled easily.
An ideal element for patio gardens — grows well in containers.
Grows best in either full sun or partial shade. Needs at least four hours of light per day.
Watering
Maintain soil moisture while the plant is young. Once established, the silver maple is drought-tolerant.
Fertilizing
Fertilize once per year with a formula rich in nitrogen and potassium.
Planting and Care
by Mary Van Keuren | Gardener (30+ Years Experience) – last update on March 23, 2022
Planting instructions
Site your Sky Pencil holly in a space that gets full sun. It grows best in slightly acidic soil that drains well. Dig a hole that’s twice the width and the same depth as the plant’s root ball. Unpot the plant and tease out any encircling roots, which can slowly girdle the tree and kill it. Place the plant in the hole. Holding it upright, fill in around the roots with soil that’s been mixed with organic matter, such as well-rotted manure or compost. Tamp down the soil as you go to eliminate air pockets. Water thoroughly, and mulch with bark chips or another organic material to help the soil retain water.
Watering and nutrients
The Sky Pencil likes moist soil, especially when young, so water weekly during the tree’s first year. Monitor the soil carefully: if it is dry 1 inch below the surface, give your tree a thorough watering. Once it is established and growing well, you can taper off your supplemental watering. If you are experiencing very dry or drought-like conditions, however, give it regular water. Fertilize your Sky Pencil in the spring with a slow-release fertilizer designed for landscape plantings.
Pollination
The Sky Pencil holly produces small white flowers during the summer, followed by tiny black fruits in fall if it is pollinated. The Sky Holly is a female cultivar, meaning its flowers only have female plant parts on them. It will only produce the fruits, which are poisonous and not edible, if you plant it near another type of holly with male flowers.
Pruning
The Sky Pencil does not need regular pruning; it should maintain its vertical habit with little help. Occasionally you may need to trim out a broken or diseased branch or one that mars the shape, and you can also trim lightly at the top to control the height.
Pests, diseases, and animals
Pests that might find your Sky Pencil holly appealing include aphids, scale insects, and holly leaf miners. Horticultural oil can help with scale and aphids, while leaf miner infestations should be pruned out and destroyed, and the bush treated with an insecticide. Diseases of hollies include canker, which causes damage to the branches — prune out any that show sunken areas. Holly scorch occurs in late winter and can cause brown leaves — plant your shrub away from windy areas or cover with burlap in the winter to avoid.
Achieving maximum results
In addition to its use as a focal point in the garden, the Sky Pencil Japanese holly can be easily container-grown. Two Sky Pencils in decorative urns will look spectacular flanking a brick walkway or front doorway, for example. They make a great backdrop for a patio garden, as well, providing a verdant backdrop for flowering plants such as dahlias or zinnias. Planted close together, Sky Pencils can be used as a hedge, with its height regulated by judicious trimming of the top.
If you are growing your Sky Pencil in a container, note that it may need more water than your garden-grown plants. You will also need to fertilize it regularly with a general-purpose slow-release product. Every other year or so, unpot your plant and refresh the soil, trimming back encircling roots.
FAQs
How tall does the Sky Pencil holly get?
A healthy Sky Pencil holly will generally max out at about six to eight feet. You may be able to keep it somewhat shorter through trimming, although it is preferable to allow the tree to assume its natural, pleasantly vertical shape on its own.
How easy is it to grow a Sky Pencil holly tree?
The Sky Pencil holly is an easy keeper. It is tolerant of a broad range of soil types, though it prefers its soil to be slightly on the acidic side. It is tolerant, also, of shade, although you will get the most robust growth if it receives a minimum of six hours of direct light a day. The Sky Pencil isn't bothered by air pollution, making it a good choice for urban gardens and landscapes, and although it likes moist soil, it can handle some drought with little problem. About the only extra care you need to consider for your Sky Pencil is a burlap wrapping if you live in an area with severe or windy winters.
How fast does the Sky Pencil holly grow?
The Sky Pencil holly isn't a fast grower. You may get between 6 and 12 inches of new growth a year, depending on the health of the plant and weather conditions. Most of that growth will be in the plant's height, since it retains a narrow width throughout its life, with a diameter of no more than 2 to 3 feet.
Growing Zones: 5-8 i
Growing zones help determine if a particular plant is likely to grow well in a location. It identifies the average annual minimum winter temperatures across the U.S. provided as a map by the USDA.
(hardy down to -10°F)
Sky Pencil Japanese Holly Tree
Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil'
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