A compact, disease resistant holly – 22 years in the making!
Dr. Elwin Orton of Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, has spent more than 40 years developing improved holly and dogwood trees that are winter hardy and disease resistant. In 1982, after being disappointed with three holly trees that were planted on his property, Dr. Orton set out to develop a new compact-growing holly that could withstand East Coast conditions, require little maintenance, have a pleasing pyramid shape and have dense, dark green foliage with bright red berries. This doesn’t sound like an easy task, and it wasn’t! It took Dr. Orton 22 years of extensive breeding and testing to develop a holly that was everything he wanted. This week we are pleased to introduce the holly that Dr. Orton developed: ‘Red Beauty’.
‘Red Beauty’ has quickly become a standout amongst other hollies and we are sure it will continue to be so for years to come. Unlike other hardy, reliable blue hollies that require a lot of pruning to maintain good shape; ‘Red Beauty’ maintains a natural dense pyramid shape with little maintenance. Dr. Orton said of the ‘Red Beauty’: “It clearly stood out in the testing fields. After 10 years of evaluation, the original plant was only 7 feet tall by 4 feet wide at the base. It had never been pruned. It was very dense and self-compacting with a tight pyramidal habit. It’s a winner!” ‘Red Beauty’ has beautiful bright green evergreen foliage that will be covered with bright red berries in the fall. It has a finer texture than many other foliage hollies available today. Simply put, ‘Red Beauty’ is the best holly we’ve seen in years – if you need a privacy screen, a narrow hedge to define your garden, or a backdrop for your perennials, this is the perfect plant for you!
Planting and Care
‘Red Beauty’ is slow growing and will mature at eight feet tall to four and a half feet wide. To ensure the best possible fruit display, plant near a male holly such as ‘Blue Prince’.
Plant spring or fall.
For fall planting in Zone 6 (especially in a windy site), place a double-layered burlap screen around, but not over, the holly during the first winter.
Plant in full sun to light shade.
You must have a well-drained site.
It grows best in compost-enriched soil.
Water regularly until established.
Fertilize with cottonseed meal and kelp meal in early spring and late fall.
Hardy in Zones 6 – 9.