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Lovely new holly

Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
in Plants
I'm very taken with a new dwarf holly I've just bought. It's called "Little Rascal" and is a variety of blue holly apparently. It's ball-shaped, with small dark green leaves (not very spikey) edged with deep red. I've never heard or seen it before, has anybody else got it?
I bought it to plant into the centre curve of the main border where a previous Hebe died over the summer and I'm hoping it will provide a good contrast to the stipa gigantica behind it.  My only concern was that it had been imported from Belgium so I'm hoping no nasties came with it. 
North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone

Posts

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618
    Give it a careful check before you plant. Remove and burn any leaves that look like they might have had leaf miners (lines in leaves) or anything looking like woolly aphids or scale insects.
  • Silver surferSilver surfer Posts: 4,719
    Love it.
    Sadly the rabbits do too.
    They ate it to a stump...which thank goodness has grown back beautifully.

    https://www.havlis.cz/karta_en.php?kytkaid=1556
    Perthshire. SCOTLAND .
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    edited September 2018
    No wonder Lizzy. It looks a lovely thing  (as in I want one).
    @Silver surfer, sorry the rabbits got yours. it looks like it is a prickly one, I guess new growth is pretty soft, or was it mature leaves too?
    Also sorry i got your name wrong last time.
  • Lizzie27Lizzie27 Posts: 12,494
    I think the holly would make a good substitute for a box ball for those with the dreaded box blight. I'll have to wait and see if it remains ball-shaped or whether I'll need to trim it so. It was a birthday present from my lovely son.
    North East Somerset - Clay soil over limestone
  • RubytooRubytoo Posts: 1,630
    Lucky you having a lovely son.  It is dinky isn't it? Even from Silver surfers link, it is not obvious, but it says the leaves are soft, but they look prickly.
    A good sub for box, I think so too and the colouring adds even more interest.

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