Ilex Crenata Quarter and Half Standard Lollipops

Topiary Quarter Standard Ilex Crenata Lollipops
Ilex Crenata is more commonly known as the Japanese Holly tree and is most commonly available in topiary form as an Ilex Crenata Cloud Tree. Ilex Crenata is evergreen with dark green glossy leaves. It is slow–growing and therefore well suited to topiary. Ilex crenata grows well in pots but roots should be protected from freezing over winter. These Ilex Crenata topiary specimens are what we call quarter standard Ilex Crenata Lollipop trees. Over time they have been trained and shaped into this clear stem tree with a ball-shaped crown of foliage on top resembling a lollipop. The Quarter Standard term relates to the trunk height which in this case is circa 1 metre (excluding the pot). Read more about standard tree forms on our blog.

Ilex Crenata, grown for its attractive foliage, is evergreen with small dark green glossy leaves. It is slow–growing and therefore well suited to topiary. New growth and newly emerging leaves are a lighter shade of green and stand out in eye-catching visual contrast against the older growth foliage. The young bright leaves take approximately two months before they darken in colour to match the shrub’s mature growth. Ilex Crenata does produce small dark berries on the female shrubs, but unlike other holly varieties, the berries are hidden beneath the leaves so not visually obvious.

Growing & Clipping tips: An Ilex Crenata Lollipop tree is easy to maintain and will grow on all soils, tolerating both lime and clay. Clip Ilex Crenata topiary trees once or twice per year to maintain their neat shape. You will find keeping your topiary lollipop shape is not difficult. Clipping should be done in early summer (May) and again ideally in autumn (September) if required.

Plant your Ilex Crenata lollipop tree in a location that offers full sun or partial shade for optimum growth.  Ilex Crenata grows well in pots but roots should be protected from freezing over winter. If growing in an area that suffers cold winter winds, select a location that provides protection or cover the Ilex Crenata Cloud tree with a burlap bag or thermal blanket if excessively cold, drying winds are forecast.

The ease of care and stunning year-round appearance make Ilex Crenata topiary a garden favourite as a focal specimen, particularly when planted in pairs or as part of a manicured formal landscape setting. The slow growth and easy to maintain size makes it an ideal patio shrub when grown in a container. When properly cared for, these hardy shrubs can live 100 or more years.