Blooming Holly?

[RedClayGardener]

Hello!

I was given a holly bush a couple of years ago. I planted it in my front yard and it grew. Maybe it is a little leggy, but it is fine. Then this year I look out in the front yard and there is all this stuff on the branches. I thought it was pollen, but they are light yellow blooms. I have been around hollies all my life but I have never seen one bloom, and I can't even find a reference to it on the internet.

Does this mean I will have berries in the fall?

 

[bid]

Maybe you will have berries...maybe not. I am familiar with American holly, but I think most holly varieties are about the same as far as flowering/berry production. Grows wild in a lot of places and will be either male or female. Bees love the flowers BTW. The trees will have a constant hum from daylight to dark while they are flowering. A subtle but pleasing perfume also. I believe that it is the female that produces berries, but does require the prescence of a flowering male at the same time. Quite a few species of birds will feed on those during winter and early spring. Good luck!

 

[robbobbin]

I bet it's not exactly a holly, lots of times people confuse Mahonia with holly
check out this website about Mahonia.
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/mahonia_aquifolium.html

 

[patandchickens]

If you thought at first it was pollen, you probably don't have Mahonia (its flowers are fairly large, almost showy). Another thing often confused with holly is Osmanthus, but since you mention no fragrance it probably isn't that either.

So I'd guess it probably IS the flowers of a true holly. Only a female will produce berries (both sexes flower, of course) and then only if there is a male near enough by. So I would not count your berries before they hatch

Good luck, have fun, extra points for observational skills ,

Pat

 

[bid]

If it is a holly, now would be a good time to determine what sex it is. Of course without both to compare this might be a bit difficult.

The male will have well developed stamens, but a very poorly developed pistil. The pistil will be more of a yellowish/green color, at least on mine, YMMV. The stamens, 4 on American holly, stand upright from the flowers and the tips will be yellow due to pollen.

The female will have a well developed pistil, bright green in color. The stamens, while present, are much less pronounced. They look a bit spindly and tend to lay over to the edges of the petals and will be white, no pollen.

Hope this helps.

 

[simple life]

If it is a holly and it is female you do not need to have a male as long as someone in the vicinity does.
I have female holly shrubs and they all get berries and I don't have any males.
The nearest holly I have seen is down the end of the street and I have never noticed if it is male or female when I am going by but someone somewhere in the neighborhood has the male and I benefit from it.