Ilex Holly trees are a brilliant choice if you want year round structure, glossy evergreen foliage and reliable colour in every season. Known for their neat shape and classic look, holly trees bring instant elegance to both traditional and modern gardens. They are perfect for adding height, creating privacy and giving your outdoor space a smart, permanent feature that looks tidy all year.
There are many popular varieties to choose from. Ilex Nellie Stevens is fast growing with rich green leaves and makes an excellent choice for privacy planting or a standout specimen tree. If you want something with more colour, Ilex Golden King offers warm yellow edged foliage, while Ilex Silver Queen brings cool silver white margins that brighten a darker corner. For a more delicate texture, Ilex crenata varieties provide small leaves and a softer, box like appearance that is ideal for shaping or using in pots.
Holly trees are hardy, evergreen and dependable in UK gardens. They cope well with exposed positions, coastal areas and urban settings, making them a versatile option for many different spaces. Their naturally dense canopy provides excellent screening without taking up too much room, and they respond well to light pruning if you want to maintain a particular shape.
These trees pair beautifully with ferns and ornamental grasses, which soften their structure, and they work well with flowering shrubs such as hydrangea, viburnum and salvia for seasonal colour underneath. In formal gardens, holly trees also sit comfortably alongside other evergreen trees and privacy plants to create a smart, cohesive look.
