Carissa Holly

The beautiful Carissa Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Carissa') is a real workhorse with a neat, tidy compact size and well-behaved character. You'll be forgiven if you simply don't think about it much once it's established in your landscape. Yes, it's that easy.

But let's give this plant a brief moment in the spotlight. After all, it's not often you find such a lovely plant that works quite so hard. And with its subtle interplay of color along large, glossy leaves, it really does deserve some praise.

Let Carissa Holly play an important role in your landscape by adding a ton of definitions to the landscape. With attractive oval leaves featuring a crisp midrib and a small terminal spine at the soft tip, this broad-leaved evergreen plant may be subtle, but its bold texture will make a statement.

One of the plant's best features is the tonal color variations of its large leaves as it grows. Incredibly glossy dark green foliage contrasts with deliciously pale green undersides. New growth has a hint of burgundy wine. And the edge of the leaf is pinstriped with a pale margin.

As with most Hollies, the Carissa holds the lustrous foliage year-round. Despite being a female Holly, Carissa rarely produces any fruit.

You'll grow to appreciate the super sturdiness of this small shrub. Landscape designers use this plant in commercial settings (for a good reason!) You'll probably wind up taking it for granted, as it does its job of providing structure in your garden design. And that's a good thing!

It doesn't give the significant berry show of other Hollies, but the spring blooms are attractive and fragrant, which adds to the value of the Carissa.

But as you decide on which plant to install, this "Ironsides" selection is well worth a serious look. This plant reminds us of a "no drama" friend who remembers your birthday and will always want to go to the Garden Show with you. These kinds of friends are worth their weight in gold!

Order your Carissa Holly today and get started on a long-term friendship with this durable shrub.

How to Use Carissa Holly in the Landscape

This is a very well-mannered plant that stays low and nicely rounded without much trimming. It looks like a soft, perfectly shaped green pincushion from a distance.

A true dwarf of the Holly species, you'll enjoy this plant as a border or mass planting as a tall ground cover to fill large areas. It's slow growing - just a few inches a year - so it won't get out of bounds for you.

The texture of the Carissa Holly also offers wonderful contrast as a low-growing foundation plant. Great for planting under low windows, or low porches. It's particularly beautiful when planted against the brickwork, where those contrasting leaves can really show their stuff.

Because Carissa Holly stays deep, glossy green all year, it makes a lush backdrop for flowering plants.

Use this as a border plant along a walkway or in close proximity to a doorway. You'll savor the fragrance of the tiny flowers in spring.

The Carissa Holly can take a heavy shearing to maintain a more formal look. Plant 3 to 4 feet apart to form a low hedge.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Once established, it doesn't need to be treated with kid gloves. Carissa Holly puts up with drought and wind without missing a beat. It's often used on commercial landscape jobs in mass planting in traffic islands and parking lot beds because of this 'tough-as-nails" reputation.

Garden newbie? This is your plant! Give it at least 4 hours of sun a day or let it thrive for you in full sun all day, every day. It can handle it.

Carissa Holly grows best in rich, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. The plant is very drought tolerant, requiring little if any, irrigation once established in the landscape. Fertilize once in the late winter with Dr. Earth Acid Lovers Organic and Natural Premium Fertilizer and again in the late spring to early summer, to maintain good leaf color and adequate growth.

Prune the hedge wider at the base to allow sunlight to reach the canopy all the way to the ground. Carissa grows in a neat rounded shape naturally. Prune in mid-spring only if you want to control its size.

No need for more than a light layer of mulch. It's got great disease resistance and hardiness built right in already.

During planting, pop the plant out of its container. Using a light touch, gently pull at the roots to loosen them up a bit. This will encourage them to grow outward.

For the first year, give it really deep watering to fully saturate the soil about every 2 weeks. Then, let it dry out completely. Once it's established in your yard, you will never have to worry about it.

If you want a plant that gives you peace of mind and is beautiful and easy to maintain as well, then Carissa Holly is for you. Nature Hills ships only the healthiest plants, so order yours today.