Ilex altaclerensis Golden King - Holly - Plant in 9cm Pot

Ilex altaclerensis originate from Highclere in Berkshire where the original cross, believed to be between Ilex aquifolium and Ilex perado was made, however Ilex altaclerensis Golden King was discovered in Edinburgh in 1884 and has subsequently been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit. A large spreading evergreen shrub or small tree with leaves that are green with a striking yellow margin and almost spineless. Ilex altaclerensis Golden King is probably one of the best yellow varieties of Holly and makes a superb statement in the garden, in a pot or as an excellent quality hedge, especially if you require a tall, dense hedge. Holly trees are dioecious, which means that male and female flowers are produced on separate trees. Golden King is a female variety (Yes that's right Golden KING - Don't ask because I don't know the logic of 1884!) so a male tree in the vicinity is needed to produce berries. Any Holly will do but needs to be male. If you wish to plant a male variety please email. Easy to grow in any reasonable soil that is not very dry or very wet, in full sun or semi shade. When growing in a pot or other container use a good quality John Innes compost as this plant will be there a long time and peaty types of compost eventually degrade and become too packed and choke the roots. Ensure you feed regularly as a hungry plant is a poor performer. We recommend Osmoscote pro 12 - 14 month applied in the early spring. One application gives all the nutrients the plant requires for the whole year. John Innes is a soils based compost.