Ilex "Blue Girl" from cuttings

So...my neighbor has a holly bush that's been growing through our fence since we moved in. I told my DH many times to leave it alone, I liked it there. I caught him hitting it with an herbicide several times (he forgets until I remind him) trying to get rid of it. He's run over it with the lawnmower and, in general, has tried to either kill it or beat it back but it will not give up. These have been abused for 4 years now and they look wonderful.

It has finally come through the fence far enough so that I got 4 good sized cuttings from it. I asked the lady what it was and she said it was Blue Girl.

I put two in rooting hormone and stuck them in a pot and the other 2 are in water. Which is the best way to root these for next year?

In the soil with the rootign hormone. They wont root in the water at all. You want small cuttings. They actually root better than the big ones. And put a baggy over them to keep moisture in just make sure soil doesnt stay to wet.

take s them between one to 3 months to root. Long time. Blue Girl is a pretty cultivar. I like it. : )

I've been looking throught PlantFiles and am unsure if they ARE Blue Girl.

Kidna hard to tell from pic. If they Blue Girl, when the sunlight hits them the top of the leaves will give off a blue sheen to them. When they have some yellow colored flowers or shrubs planted near them it looks real pretty and the Blue will really be seen

Hmm...not blue anywhere. The stems are red. Should I try another pic?

Here.

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/i/ilemes/ilemes1.html

lok on the left and read the description of the serration and teetth o th eleaf and you can click on those little thumbnail pics and look at the big ones. The big one s will show up in the big box on the right.

If you got red stems definately not Blue Girl.

Yes, if you can try another pic, but do it durign the day when more light around, the pic will show up better. In betwen wil try and remmebr all the one s with red stems.

Thanks for your help. I also have not ever seen berries on it, come to think of it. Hmm...again.

I'll take another pic in the morning.

Maybe I'll even lean over the fence and get a shot of the whole bush.

This message was edited Nov 19, 2008 6:06 PM

Ya get pic of bush and see if you cna break a small section of maybe two leaves and a stem. would be easier to try adn identify. I rake dmy brain and I know about 30 differnt types of Ilex's but dont remmebr any off hand with red stems.

The stem part that is red goes about 6 inches and then is grey wood. I'm assuming this is the new growth.

Good, wil look for your pics tommorro wif you get them, grey could be Ilex vomitoria. It has grey stems for new new growth. Just guessign til can see good pic.

kwanjin and starlight:

I think I can save you some trouble.

You don't have 'Blue Girl' holly (Ilex x meserveae 'Blue Girl'). In fact, your picture shows that you don't even have a holly (Ilex species).

I think you have a compound-leaved plant, and I suspect it is a Mahonia species of some sort. Now, if it is Mahonia aquifolium (which I think it looks suspiciously like), then you have Oregon Grape Holly - so that is some solace.

Mahonia as a genus falls in the Berberidaceae of all places, which means it will have yellow late spring flowers and blue fruit. Oregon Grape Holly is also a colonizer, meaning it forms suckering shoots out away from the original plant like Sumac and some other shrubs. This sounds like what you are describing when you say it is growing through your fence from the neighbor.

If this is accurate, then you don't need to waste time trying to root cuttings. You can just dig up one of the suckers on your side of the fence (possession = 9/10s) and pot it up or plant it where you want it permanently. In fact, this is a great way to have a continuing supply of more offspring.

Thanks VV. That's very helpful. Sorry, no suckers. They just pop through the fence about 12" up. Maybe I'll go back and just ask if I can have some.

I should know better with this lady. She doesn't really know her plants and I'm assuming she just heard the name and guessed.

I've browsed through the PlantFiles and have decided that it is Mahonia aquifolium.

I've taken the cuttings out of the water and potted them with the others. Is the care of them the same as Starlight has said? If I get a sucker from the nice lady, can I just transplant them in the ground in my yard?

Thanks for jumping in VV. I couldn't see the picture, to dark for me with my eyes and old screen.

Kwanjin. VV knows more about trees and shrubs than most of us will in a life time and identification. A great person to follow advice from.

Yes, VV, thank you again.

Here is 2 pics taken in "sunlight". It's very overcast today.

#2

That so much better. I cna see it. Definately not an Ilex ' Blue Girl" have to agree with VV is a Mahonia. Pretty flowers and berries . I love the looks of them, but have learned to handle them with respect for sure. !

Do you think they'll be okay? Or should I still go next door and ask for a sucker?

I can't give you too much firsthand experience with rooting Mahonia. I'd keep the ones potted that you've got, and ask for a sucker division when you have good transplanting conditions.

LOL Good idea.

Are we sure that is a Mahonia
The cultivars I have seen with spines, have broader leaves and have a white spot at the base of the leaf stem
Here is one as growing in my garden

Could it be a variety of Osmanthus
They also have opposite leaves with purple like new stems
Here is a image of O.heterophyllus
Charlie

This is the varigated variety
O.het.goshiki

I'll put it before the ID forum for consideration.

Yours are very pretty. Would they survive here?

Hi, Hemental/Charlie:

I'm certain that kwanjin doesn't have an Osmanthus species there. The plant in question has compound foliage that appears to be alternately arranged along the stem, not simple foliage like your Osmanthus that is oppositely arranged on the stem.

The "opposite" you are probably referring to in kwanjin's picture is the arrangement of the leaflets which make up the compound leaf, just like the Mahonia bealei foliage that you have illustrated (even though yours is a different species of Mahonia).

I'd be amazed if Osmanthus heterophyllus (typically zone 7 and warmer) would take conditions in Utah; I haven't been able to keep it alive through the winter here. Maybe with a very favorable microclimate (and protected from drying winter winds) it might have a chance.

Mahonia aquifolium is much hardier, rated to zone (4)5, meaning protect it well in zone 4 where it may lose its evergreen leaves or have some stem dieback.

Here's a pic of the other side of the fence. New growth.

I'm going with VV on it being Mahonia aquifolium.

Charlie.. Your varigated Osmanthus is very pretty. Haven't seen a varigated one yet.

It is pretty. I would love to have one but it would have to be in a pot here.