| Scientific Name | Ilex x 'Mary Nell' |
| Common Name | Mary Nell Holly |
| Hardiness Zone | 6 to 9 |
| Size | 10 to 20' tall and up to 10' wide |
| Growth Rate | Slow to moderate |
| Exposure | Sun to part shade |
| Group | Tree - Evergreen |
| Characteristics | Alternate, simple, lustrous dark green leaves. Very spiny. Large leaves,
but not as long as those of Ilex latifolia. Good quantity of red fruit. Pyramidal, compact. Needs pruning consistently to maintain dense pyramidal form. |
| Landscape Uses | Dense screen and good privacy barrier. Ornamental pyramidal form. Prune to shrub or tree form. |
| History | Selection made in 1981 from a controlled cross made in 1962 at Tom Dodd Nurseries in Semmes, Alabama. The late J.C. McDaniel, former Professor of Horticulture at the University of Illinois, crossed a Lusterleaf Holly (Ilex latifolia) with another hybrid (I. cornuta 'Burfordii' and I. pernyi 'Red Delight'). The selection was named for the professor's widow, Mary Nell. |
Leaf
Photo credit: Lisa J. Miner