Castle spire and Castle wall hollies

Question: Hello, I ordered 2 castle spire (female) Hollies and 1 castle wall (male) holly and they were planted in May. I live in Cincinnati Ohio. Attached are pictures i  took today of the 3 bushes. I suspect that I did not receive male and female varieties because there are no berries. Also, I believe castle spire and castle wall are shaped differently.These were planted a few feet apart. Can you tell what type of holly bushes these are?

responder: I hope this information is helpful. If you have additional questions, please feel free to ask.   Replied September 12, 2024, 5:39 PM EDT
response: Hello, I ordered 2 castle spire (female) Hollies and 1 castle wall (male) holly and they were planted in May. I live in Cincinnati Ohio. Attached are pictures i took today of the 3 bushes. I suspect that I did not receive male and female varieties because there are no berries. Also, I believe castle spire and castle wall are shaped differently.These were planted a few feet apart. Can you tell what type of holly bushes these are? Hi Janice, Thank you for contacting us. Sorry to take so long. I'v been trying to get  One male will pollinate up to 5 females if planted within 50'/15.25m of each other to ensure pollination. Both the Spire and Wall spread to be 36-48 inches, should be spaced 48-60 inches apart and desire part sun to sun. The Wall can grow  to 60-96 inches and the Spire 72-120 inches, Holly prefers acidic soils with average moisture and appreciates a good layer of mulch. If desired, apply a granular fertilizer formulated for trees and shrubs in early spring. There are a number of reasons why hollies may not produce fruit: Some plants have an adjustment period and do not bloom the first year, though your plants, though very young,  seem to be a reasonable size/age. Still they are babies!The bee population may be low or bad weather may have interfered with their pollination. Hopefully you have other pollinator plants in your yard and have seen bees in your yard. Hollies like acid soil which is sometimes deficient in Ohio. If the plant is growing in poor conditions, a cycle may develop of alternate good and poor years for berry production. I'm wondering if you might consider a soil test, which is always a good idea. The test kits are readily available at Extension Offices, easy to administer, and inexpensive. The Hamilton County Extension Office on Reading Road likely has them available. See the link below for contact information. Have you fertilized? Too much or too little nitrogen-rich fertilizer can be a problem. Very dry weather may cause its flowers or berries to drop. Have you been watering weekly especially in the dry times as they are new plants? (Your plants do look healthy and green.)Over-pruning or early pruning can also be a reason. If flowers are cut off in the spring, obviously no berries can be produced. Summer or early fall pruning may remove stems that would bloom next spring. (Doubt you have done any pruning.)A late frost may kill the flowers in spring.All hollies do not bloom at the same time. Thus, if the male plant is not blooming at the same time as the females, fertilization cannot occur.Although reputable nurseries properly label plants, mistakes can be made--so contacting the nursery where you purchased the plants is certainly reasonable. Likely you have a guarantee for a limited period of time, so contact them soon. I have several hollies, likely 20 years old and they have definitely yielded poor berry production this year. Hot and dry weather! https://franklin.osu.edu/program-areas/agriculture-and-natural-resources/soil-testing https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/hyg-1132 https://extension.osu.edu/hamilton-county-office

responder: The Question Asker Replied September 12, 2024, 7:01 PM EDT
response: Thank you for all the information!  Can you tell from my pictures what type of holly they are and if there is a male and 2 females?  They are all the same shape and my research says females are conical shape and males are columnar. The landscaper placed a large order for us at the nursery. I contacted them and they found our order but the Hollie’s were not on the order. That’s why I’m asking an expert. I don’t really trust the landscaper.Thanks again, Janice Sent from my iPhone On Sep 12, 2024, at 5:39 PM, Ask Extension wrote:﻿

responder: I hope this information is helpful. If you have additional questions, please feel free to ask.   Replied September 13, 2024, 8:22 AM EDT
response: Thank you for all the information! Can you tell from my pictures what type of holly they are and if there is a male and 2 females? They are all the same shape and my research says females are conical shape and males are columnar. The landscaper placed a large order for us at the nursery. I contacted them and they found our order but the Hollie’s were not on the order. That’s why I’m asking an expert. I don’t really trust the landscaper.Thanks again, Janice Sent from my iPhone On Sep 12, 2024, at 5:39 PM, Ask Extension wrote:The Castle Spire tends to be taller and more Christmas tree shape. The Castle Wall is shorter and more columnar.Unfortunately, the most reliable method is to take a close look at the flowers which will reveal the difference. The male flower has a straight stem and a flower containing pin like structures called stamen. These contain the pollen needed to pollinate the female flowers that will eventually develop the fruit. The female flower has a swollen base, almost a vase like, in the center. It contains the eggs. Once pollinated, these will develop into the red berries. The flowers are often overlooked making this a tedious and difficult task. A possible option is to simply add another male from a reliable source.I am unable to identify the type from your photos. This link will take you to a reliable source that may be able to help, The Holly Society of America.https://hollysociety.org/page-18075