Ilex chinensis seed

LATIN NAME: ILEX CHINENSIS

COMMON NAME: Chinese Holly

The Chinese holly berries the dense, evergreen crown with the glossy, spiny-toothed leaves and the clusters of the bright red fruits that hold through the winter, the whole tree carrying the festive, dependable look of the hollies. The fruits ripen to the glossy red and they stay on the tree through the cold months, feeding the winter birds. The tree grows into the neat, pyramidal form, and it takes the clipping well for the hedge. It likes the sun or the part shade, and the deep, moist, well-drained soil.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

In the holly family, the evergreen species have a long, dependable record in the studies of the winter-fruiting shrubs, and the Chinese holly appears in the research on the fruit persistence and the hedge growth. The work covers the way the red berries hold through the cold months, along with the seed biology, while the horticulturists value the glossy foliage. The winter fruit that carries the birds keeps the ecologists interested, and the collectors of the evergreen hedge plants keep the species in their catalogues.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

In the winter garden, the Chinese holly keeps the bright colour in the cold. The glossy, spiny leaves and the clusters of the red berries give the festive, year-round structure, the fruits feed the birds through the winter, and the tree makes the dense, prickly hedge that takes the clipping well. Dependable, generous and winter-bright.

The Chinese holly seeds germinate slowly in a gritty, coarse mix kept cool and shaded. The seeds need the patience, and the cold treatment of a few weeks in the damp, cool place helps them along. The seedlings rise with the glossy, spiny leaves, and they grow on slowly at first. Give them the part shade and the deep, moist, well-drained ground, and the red berries come within the few years.

To grow the Chinese holly from seed, sow the small, hard seeds singly into the deep pot of gritty, coarse mix, then cover them lightly, keep the pot in the bright, shaded spot and water gently. The seedlings come through within a few weeks, and they grow on slowly at first. Settle the young trees in the deep, moist, sheltered ground, and the red berries will brighten the winter over the years.

Medicinal use : This plant is commonly used in Chinese herbalism, where it is considered to be one of the 50 fundamental herbs. It is reported to have antitumor properties. An extract of the leaves is made into a solution and used for treating burns, ulcers in the lower extremities etc. The ashes of the leaves are used as a dressing for skin ailments and poisoned wounds. Seed is carminative and tonic.