Evening star., 1942-06-21
Many Gardeners
With Hollies
Cause of Trouble
VIII Be Found
On Inspection
J Courtesy J. Horace Mcfarland Co.

Home gardeners who have COM
plants against hollies on which
they have lavished attention and
hopes of brilliant fruit displays
with disappointing results can
often get at the root of the diff
Guilty at this time of the year. A
brief inspection is enough to un-
cover the most prevalent cause of
this trouble.
American hollies belong to a
class of plants often causing con-
siderable bother and even dissatis-
faction because they bear pollen
producing flowers and pistillate or
fruit-producing flowers on different
plants. These plants are called
dioecious. Most hollies are dioe-
cious. Also included in this group
are poplars, willows, bittersweets,
Ailanthus and Ginkgo. Among
dioeciouS plants, winds or insects
carry pollen from the trees produc-
ing 1t to those producing pistillate
flowers. and after pollination these
flowers develop into the fruits that
are particularly desirable in some
cases and very un~anted in others.
In the case of hollies. of course, the
berries are greatly desired for
their handsome winter effects, and
gardeners should know whether
their hollies have the ''makings" Of
them. American hollies have
passed their Towering period in this
area, but a few minutes will suffice
to tell whether a single specimen
OF holly or several trees in a plant
ing will produce berries.
Pollen producing or staminate
hollies have their flowers developed
In small, delicate-stemmed clusters
of three, five, or a few more, in most
cases. On closer examination these
staminate flowers show four or five
stamens attached at the centers and
ending in the tiny yellow anther
sacs of pollen. The pollen grains
are carried to other hollies by
insects - usually honey bees - and
if they are rubbed off on the sticky
pistils of a pistillate plant. fertili-
zation will follow and fruit will be
developed.
The pistillate flowers are produced
singly, on rather stout, short stems
noticeably stockier than the delicate
ones of the staminate flowers. In
the center of pistillate flower is
the tiny bottle-shaped pistil, which
develops into the maturing fruit
after pollination. Exceptions are
known, it must be admitted, for in
at least one selected variety Of
American holly, the pistillate
flowers are borne In small clusters
Of two or three; some plants also
produce both staminate and pistillate
flowers.
So. hollies with more numerous
flowers in small clusters are pollen
plants and produce no berries. The
desirable fruiting hollies bear their
pistillate flowers singly on short
stems, and if bees bring pollen to
these blossoms they will develop
berries. Even If plants are pistillate
no berries will result unless a pollen
tree is within bee-fying distance
In the coastal-plain section where
hollies still grow wild in abundance,
this is not matter of concern, but
farther north it may be. If neigh
bors have holly that fruits well,
all you need be concerned about is
securing pistillate tree-and every
garden should have a holly-tree
Many nurserymen tag their fruiting
hollies so that they can be identified
at any time.
When space is available, it is very
desirable for home gardeners to
plant several American hollies
along with Towering dogwoods
gray pirches, swamp magnolias
viburnums, hemlocks and some of
the other unequaled native plants
In this case, get four or five fruiting
or pistillate hollies and one staminate
plant to make sure the bees are
working for you.