AN Elegant Architectural Accent

Upright Japanese hollies are perfect foundation plants.

Bees love the flowers and birds find shelter in the dense foliage.

Sky Pencil Japanese hollies are an elegant addition to the garden.

Sky Pencil hollies are suitable for planters.

Use Sky Pencil as a vertical accent.

Sky Pencil hollies are slow growers and only grow to 10'.

Common Name: Sky Pencil Japanese holly
Botanical Name:  Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’
Form:    upright, narrow, columnar
Family:  Aquifoliaceae
Genus:  Ilex
Species:  crenata
Cultivars: ‘Sky Pencil’
Plant Type: broadleaf evergreen shrub
Mature Size:  4’-10’ x 1’-3’
Growth: slow
Origin:  cultivar of an Asian species
USDA Hardiness Zone: 6 to 8
Foliage: glossy, deep green, 1.½” x  ¾”, curved, dense, serrated 
Flowers: separate male & female plants (dioecious), white, fragrant, 4 petals  
Fruit: female plants produce inedible ¼” black berries (drupe) if male nearby, minor toxic reaction if ingested
Stems: leaves arranged alternately on stem, grey smooth bark, multiple stems
Exposure:  full sun to partial shade
Soil:  tolerant of many types, preferably well drained, organic loam, dislikes alkaline
Uses:  hedge, bonsai, foundation planting, containers, small gardens, patios, balconies, topiary, formal accent, winter interest
Attracts: bees, butterflies & other pollinators
Invasive Tendencies: no
Tolerates: shade, pollution
Propagation: semi-hardwood cuttings in late-summer, seed
Pruning:  usually not necessary, but if needed do so after flowering in spring
​Problems:  scale insects, holly leaf minor, aphids, leaf blight, root rot in wet soils, dislikes high heat & humidity
Comments: 
Not many plants have such an elegant and architectural form as the Sky Pencil Japanese holly, Ilex crenata ‘Sky Pencil’. This cultivar is a slightly smaller and narrower version of upright Japanese hollies, Ilex crenata fastigiata.  As its name implies, Sky Pencil holly resembles a pencil due to it’s slender, narrow and perfectly upright form. It’s a relatively small plant that only slowly grows to 10’ at maturity and only 3 feet in width. It’s suitable for all garden situations especially where space is at a premium.
 
Since most shrubs and trees are rounded, the value of a narrow, upright vertical shape is an asset. Sky Pencil hollies are a contrasting element that breaks up the monotony among surrounding shrubs. Use it as an accent as it brings attention to certain parts of the garden, house and other plants. This useful little plant is recognized as it was voted Holly of the Year for 2004 by the Holly Society of America.
 
Description
Sky Pencil Japanese holly bears attractive small deep, shiny curved leaves that are just over an inch long and half the width. They are densely packed in alternate rows along the stems. Unlike other hollies, their foliage is not spiny nor painful. Inconspicuous small white flowers appear in spring separate male and female plants (dioecious). Then late summer and autumn, female plants produce small, shiny berries. The berries are slightly toxic and should not be eaten.
Care
Because of their small stature, Sky Pencil holly are easy to grow in containers, on patios, in courtyards and in small spaces if they receive the correct growing conditions. They prefer cool, damp summers, which makes them the perfect little plant for temperate climates. Place in full sun to partial shade except for those grown in planters. Avoid placing them in full afternoon sun will dry the soil and bake the roots. Sky Pencils benefit from protection from the wind and cold so avoid open spaces and provide them with a thick 3-inch layer of mulch.  
 
Japanese hollies prefer rich, acidic organic, soil that drains well. Root rot occurs if it’s too wet, however they will wither and die if the soil is too dry. Leaves stay a deep glossy green in acidic soils, but they become yellow in alkaline soils.
 
Pruning is usually not necessary, however the removal thinning overcrowded, crossing and wayward stems is recommended. Prune after flowering in spring.

Birds love the little black berries.

Plants are dioecious, with separate male & female plants. Female flowers are pictured.

An elegant Sky Pencil holly.

Tie branches together during the winter to prevent disfigurement in heavy snow.

Use Japanese hollies in floral arrangements, with or without their fragrant flowers.

A Sky Pencil Japanese holly hedge.

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