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English Holly Hedge

Ilex aquifolium

English Holly, Ilex aquifolium, is the UK's native evergreen holly: a dense, glossy, dark green hedge whose spiny leaves make it one of the best security hedges you can plant.

It is slow growing, typically 10–20cm a year, so it stays tidy with one trim a year and lives for generations. In winter it gives birds shelter and, on female plants, red berries. Choose pot grown plants from 20cm or root balled plants up to 225cm for real height on day one.

Compare all our Holly hedging.

Native evergreen
Spiny, secure boundary
Winter berries on female plants
Pot grown and root balled to 225cm

Root Types

Length

Pack

Clear

Growth Rate Slow 10-20cm per year

Overall Height Small up to 3 metres

Plant Position Coastal, Exposed, Full Shade, Full Sun, Sheltered

Root Types Pot Grown, Instant Hedging, Root Balled

Choose your plants

English Holly Hedge Root Types

Choose from our range of English Holly Hedge sizes and root types below.

Root Balled Larger plants · Seasonal planting From £34.95 per plant
Pot Grown Flexible · Available year-round From £3.50 per plant

Selected root type

Root ball English Holly hedging

From £34.95 per plant 6 heights in stock

Great value for money and a very environmentally friendly way to establish a hedge, our root balled hedging is all field grown on our own nursery. Root ball hedging plants are normally available between October and April depending on the weather.

Planting window

Availability

In Season
Pre Order
Out Of Season

Step 2

Choose your height

Pick a height to see the relevant single-plant and bulk-buy options.

Available height

80-100cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£34.95
£34.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 22
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £768.90.Current price is: £692.01.
£31.46 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

100-125cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£42.95
£42.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 14
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £601.30.Current price is: £541.17.
£38.66 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

125-150cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£65.95
£65.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 10
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £659.50.Current price is: £593.55.
£59.36 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

3 plants per metre recommended

Available height

150-175cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£84.95
£84.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended
Bulk saving
Pack of 8
Save 10%
Free UK Delivery
Pallet delivery
Original price was: £679.60.Current price is: £611.64.
£76.46 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended

Available height

175-200cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£99.95
£99.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended

Available height

200-225cm

Root Balled options

Root Balled
Single plants
Free UK Delivery on orders over £500
Pallet delivery
£119.95
£119.95 per plant

Hedge length (m)

Plants needed

2 plants per metre recommended

Choosing your English Holly plants

Because Holly grows slowly, the size you start with is the biggest decision. Small pot-grown plants are the cheapest and establish well but take several years to make a screen. Root-balled plants give height and a secure barrier from day one.

Root type	Size	Plants per metre	When
Pot grown	20–30cm	6	Most of the year
Pot grown	40–60cm	5	Most of the year
Pot grown	60–80cm	4	Most of the year
Root balled	80–150cm	3	Autumn to early spring
Root balled	150–225cm	2	Autumn to early spring

The exact figure, price and availability are shown against each size above. For larger sizes, root-balled Holly is usually the better-value way to buy.

English Holly as a security and native hedge

A barrier people do not push through

Holly's stiff, spiny leaves and dense branches make a hedge that keeps people, dogs and most animals out, and because it is evergreen that barrier is there all year. It is a popular choice under windows, along boundaries that need securing and around the edge of a property.

Native wildlife value

Holly flowers feed early pollinators, the berries on female plants feed birds through winter, and the dense, prickly growth gives safe nesting and roosting cover. It also works well as the evergreen element in a native mixed hedge. Read is Holly good in a mixed native hedge?.

Holly compared with other native hedges

	English Holly	English Yew	Hawthorn
Evergreen	Yes	Yes	No
Security	Spiny leaves	Dense but soft	Sharp thorns
Growth	Slow	Slow	Moderate
Berries	Red, on female plants	Red arils, poisonous seeds	Red haws
Best for	Secure evergreen boundaries	Formal evergreen hedges	Low-cost native barriers

Compare English Yew hedging for a formal evergreen, or Hawthorn hedging for a lower-cost native barrier.

Choosing the right hedge

Is English Holly right for you?

A great choice if you want:

A secure, spiny evergreen boundary
A native hedge for wildlife
Shady spots where other hedges struggle
A hedge that needs only one trim a year
A long-lived hedge you plant once

Consider another hedge if:

You need a tall screen quickly from small plants
The hedge runs beside a play area or path where spines are a problem
The ground stays waterlogged
You want berries all along the hedge

Compare all our Holly hedging

Buying help

Buying FAQs

Which size of English Holly should I buy?

If you can wait, 40–60cm or 60–80cm pot-grown plants are the best value. Because Holly grows only about 10–20cm a year, choose 100–150cm or larger root-balled plants if you need a screen or a secure barrier within the next few years.

Should I buy pot-grown or root-balled Holly?

Pot-grown Holly can be planted for most of the year and is the cheapest way to buy small sizes. Root-balled Holly is field grown, lifted while dormant from autumn to early spring, and is the better value way to buy plants over 80cm.

How many Holly plants do I need for my hedge?

Multiply your hedge length in metres by the plants per metre for your size: 6 for 20–30cm, 5 for 40–60cm, 4 for 60–80cm, 3 for 80–150cm root balled and 2 for 150cm and over. A 10-metre hedge of 40–60cm plants needs 50 plants.

Why are my new Holly plants dropping leaves?

Holly often drops some older leaves in its first season after planting, especially root-balled plants. This is transplant shock and is normally temporary: keep the roots moist and new leaves usually follow in spring.

Is English Holly a good security hedge?

Yes. Once established, its spiny evergreen leaves and dense branches make a barrier that deters people and animals all year round, which is why it is often planted under windows and along vulnerable boundaries.

Are Holly berries poisonous?

Yes. Holly berries are poisonous if eaten and can cause stomach upsets in people and pets. Only female plants carry berries, and regular trimming removes many of the flowers that would become berries.

Helpful guides