Ilex crenata 'Mariesii' grows into a wonderfully congested form of small leaves held tightly to the stem.

This Japanese method of training trees and shrubs into cloud-like shapes is fast becoming a trend in a number of major gardens across the country like RHS Wisely.

If you buy a cloud-pruned tree how easy is it to maintain? About 10 years ago some importers brought in highly shaped, mature specimens that were cloud-pruned. Many were Ilex crenata and pine species.

WHAT: The Sky Pencil variety of ilex crenata is a narrow columnar Japanese holly that has dark, lustrous evergreen foliage. In the fall, it produces purple berries that attract birds.

1. Holly (Ilex opaca, I. crenata, I. glabra, I. cornuta, and I. aquifolium) was multiplied through vegetative propagation by means of cuttings. In the case of Ilex opaca, the percentage of rooting ...