Ilex amelanchier (female) Propagate and in the South grows

and in the South grows into a graceful evergreen tree rather than the shrubby

so prune it right after bloom to keep it shapely

In early spring the fiddleheads emerge a rosy to burgundy hue and uncurl into the distinctive bird's-foot

easily missed and beside the point

Ilex amelanchier (female) Propagate and in the South growsIlex amelanchier is one of the surprises of the genus, a holly that drops the leaves in fall and carries none of the usual prickles. This rare native grows as a tall deciduous shrub or small tree, and the female plants, this one among them, hang dull, matte red berries on unusually long stems, a soft toned, almost muted display quite unlike the glossy scarlet of a Christmas holly. The epithet amelanchier is the giveaway, borrowed straight from the