Variegated hollies with touches of cream or white in their leaves tend to be less strong and vigorous than hollies with entirely green leaves. And their value in the landscape is not universally appreciated. She notes that, after time, the leaves of variegated hollies can revert to a solid color, especially those with the lighter color in the center of the leaf rather than on the edges. An unusual holly with many fans is the weeping form of yaupon holly, an American native. Instead of branches that grow outward and upward, the weeping yaupons arch toward the ground.
Landscapers widely use hollies from China, Japan and England as well as America.
In recent years, however, many of the Japanese hollies have fallen from favor because they have a tendency to develop root rot. Some of the toughest and best hollies turn out to be hybrids of plants from different countries. Nellie R. Stevens, for example, is a cross between English and Chinese hollies. Most hollies like a sunny location and seem to produce more berries when they get it. But they will also tolerate light shade.