Ilex cornuta has dense branches and leaves, peculiar leaves, bright dark green and numerous red fruits. After beginning of winter, the crown of Ilex cornuta is usually spherical or inverted oval, which is a very common and important fruit tree variety in gardens.
Gardens are often used as hedges, and some are planted alone in the center of flower beds or clustered on the edge of lawns. It can also be planted behind rockeries, or planted at doorways and intersections after trimming. Old piles can be used for bonsai.
Ilex cornuta is an evergreen shrub or small tree with a height of 3-8 meters.
The bark is gray and smooth.
Branchlets are stout, with longitudinal ridges, glabrous, spreading and dense.
The leaves are thick leathery and rectangular, with 1 ~ 3 wide triangular hard teeth on both sides, and thorns on the top, which are dark green and shiny.
The inflorescence is clustered in the axils of biennial branches, with yellow-green flowers, and the flowering period is April-May.
The fruit is spherical, bright red at maturity, with a diameter of 0.8 ~ 1.0 cm, and the fruiting period is 9 ~ 1 1 month.
The common varieties are spinless Ilex cornuta and spinless teeth on the leaf edge; Yellow fruit and holly, the fruit is dark yellow; In addition, the leaf edge is the type of silver edge, which is particularly beautiful.
Ilex cornuta likes light, but it is slightly resistant to yin.
I like warm climate, not too cold-resistant.
Weak acid soil is drought-tolerant, barren, fertile, moist and well drained, and can also grow well in neutral soil.
Strong germination, slow growth, pruning resistance and easy knotting.
After pruning, it can be made into spherical or tree bonsai.
10 Prune once a year in June, July and June, and cut off dead branches, too dense branches, too prosperous branches and too long branches to maintain the growth space of the crown and promote the germination of new branches around.
It can be pruned every 3 ~ 4 years to create a beautiful tree shape.
Three-leaf poplar is generally formed by cutting and binding, and it is generally rolled in rainy season, especially brown silk, white bamboo silk, hemp rope and plastic strips. Wire Pinza can also be used, but be careful when bending (bending) to avoid breaking branches; After setting, the flat objects should be removed in time, and it is best to use gradual re-setting to prevent the entanglement from affecting plant growth and tree appearance.
Generally, the bonsai of Ilex cornuta is turned once every 2-3 years, and it is carried out in spring or February-March after autumn. After proper pruning, the roots can be replanted in the pot, and combined with turning the pot, the roots can be properly exposed to form hanging roots, which improves the ornamental value.
Usually, we should cut off the long branches and sprout branches, remove the extra buds and maintain a certain artistic shape.
Ilex cornuta is a dioecious plant.
When the female plant and the male plant are properly placed together, it is best to graft an appropriate amount of male branches on the female plant or to graft an appropriate amount of female branches on the male plant for artificial pollination, so as to ensure the normal fruit and improve the ornamental effect.