Culture
Easily grown in average, moist, slightly acidic, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Part afternoon shade is best in hot summer climates. Best sited in sheltered locations with protection from cold winter winds in the northern parts of its growing range.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Ilex is a genus of over 400 species of evergreen and deciduous trees, shrubs and climbers from tropical, subtropical and temperate regions. Many are grown for their attractive, evergreen foliage.
Genus name comes from the Latin name Quercus ilex for holm oak in reference to the foliage similarities (holm oak and many of the shrubs in the genus Ilex have evergreen leaves).
'Magland', commonly sold under the trade name of OAKLAND, was discovered by Jack Mitchell Magee in 1994 as a naturally occurring branch sport of Ilex`Conaf` at Evergreen Nursery in Poplarville, Mississippi. It is a dense, evergreen shrub with an upright, pyramidal growth habit. It has distinctive oak leaf-shaped leaves that have 3 to 5 pairs of prominent spines. Small, creamy yellow/white, slightly fragrant flowers bloom in clusters from the leaf axils in spring (March to May). The flowers are perfect (having male and female parts) and can both self-fertilize and pollinate other hollies. The flowers mature into attractive orange-red fruit that persists into the winter. 'Magland' grows 12 to 20 ft. tall and 8 to 15 ft. wide. United States Plant Patent PP#14,417 issued December 23, 2003.
Problems
Potential insect problems include holly leaf miner, spider mites, whitefly and scale. Potential disease problems include leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot and powdery mildew. Plants are also susceptible to leaf drop, leaf scorch and chlorosis (yellowing of leaves in high pH soils).
Uses
Borders, screens, hedges, foundations.