Holly Hedge Plants
Native English Holly · Pot grown & root balled · Family nursery since 1982

Holly Hedge Plants

Holly Hedging, also known as Ilex aquifolium is an attractive, native evergreen hedge plant that produces attractive red berries and makes a great intruder barrier.

Choose the right Holly for your hedge

All our Holly is native English Holly, Ilex aquifolium. The choice is the starting size, which sets your budget and how soon the hedge gives cover.
Small pot-grown Holly (20–60cm)The best value way to plant a long Holly hedge. Plant 5–6 per metre and let it thicken up from the base. Can be planted most of the year.Larger pot-grown Holly (60–100cm)A head start in height without the cost of root-balled plants. Plant 3–4 per metre for a hedge that reads as a hedge from day one.Root-balled Holly (80–225cm)Field-grown, established plants for real height straight away. Lifted while dormant, from autumn through to early spring. 2–3 per metre.Holly in a native mixed hedgeAdd evergreen cover and winter berries to a Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Hazel country hedge. Ideal for wildlife and field boundaries.
  • SALEEnglish Holly hedging plantsEnglish Holly HedgeIlex aquifoliumThe best value way to plant a long Holly hedge. Plant 5–6 per metre and let it thicken up from the base. Can be planted most of the year.EvergreenSlow 10-20cm per yearRoot BalledPot GrownInstant HedgingPrice From £3.50View sizes and prices

Buying Holly hedging: size, root type and how many per metre

Holly is slow growing, usually adding around 10–20cm a year once established, so the size you start with matters more than it does with Laurel or Privet. Small plants are the most economical and establish well, but they will take several seasons to make a screen. If you need height or a defensive barrier sooner, buy larger.Pot-grown Holly is available for most of the year and suits smaller sizes. Root-balled Holly is field grown and lifted while dormant, normally from autumn to early spring, and is the better value way to buy plants over 80cm.As a guide, plant 20–30cm Holly at 6 per metre, 40–60cm at 5 per metre, 60–80cm at 4 per metre, 80–150cm root-balled plants at 3 per metre and 150cm and over at 2 per metre. The calculator on the product page works out your quantity from the hedge length. For long runs or commercial schemes, contact us for a trade quote.
Gwynne Bodsworth, founder and grower at Hedging Plants Direct
Expert nursery advice

Gwynne's Grower's Tip

Don't buy Holly just for the berries. Common Holly plants are either male or female, and only pollinated female plants carry berries, so you can't guarantee them on every plant in a hedge. Buy Holly for what it does best: a dense, prickly, evergreen boundary that lasts for generations.

Because it is slow, Holly rewards good planting. Prepare the ground well, keep it watered through its first two summers and don't panic if it sits still for a season while it settles in. If you want height quickly, autumn and winter is the time to buy root-balled plants.

Gwynne BodsworthGrower, Hedging Plants Direct
Read the Holly care guide →

Holly or Laurel hedging?

Both are evergreen and make excellent boundaries, but they suit different jobs. Laurel is the fast, broad privacy screen; Holly is the slower, tougher, native security hedge.
CompareEnglish HollyCherry Laurel
Growth rateSlow, around 10–20cm a yearFast, around 30–60cm a year
Native to the UKYesNo
SecurityExcellent, spiny leaves deter people and animalsGood mass, but no thorns
Wildlife valueHigh: flowers, winter berries on females, nesting coverModerate
TrimmingUsually once a yearOnce or twice a year
Best forLong-lived native, security and wildlife hedgesQuick, tall privacy screens
View English HollyView Cherry Laurel
Helpful answers

Holly hedging FAQs

01Why choose Holly for a hedge?

Holly gives you evergreen, year-round cover with dense, prickly growth that makes a genuinely protective boundary. It is a native species, so it suits traditional and wildlife-friendly planting, tolerates sun or shade, and its slow growth means it usually needs trimming only once a year. Spring flowers feed pollinating insects and, where male and female plants are present, female plants carry berries through autumn and winter.

02How far apart should Holly hedge plants be planted?

It depends on the plant size. As a guide, plant 20–30cm Holly at 6 per metre, 40–60cm at 5 per metre, 60–80cm at 4 per metre, 80–150cm plants at 3 per metre and 150cm and over at 2 per metre, in a single row. Each size on our English Holly page shows its recommended plants per metre, and the calculator works out how many you need.

03How fast does a Holly hedge grow?

Holly is slow growing, usually around 10–20cm a year once established, and it can pause for a season after planting while the roots settle. If you need height or privacy sooner, start with larger root-balled plants. See Is Holly fast or slow growing?

04Will my Holly hedge have berries?

Not on every plant. English Holly plants are usually either male or female, and only female plants pollinated by a nearby male produce berries. The sex of young seed-grown plants isn't known until they flower, so berries can't be guaranteed. Read how to tell male and female Holly apart.

05When is the best time to plant a Holly hedge?

Pot-grown Holly can be planted for most of the year if the ground isn't frozen or waterlogged and you can keep it watered. Root-balled Holly is lifted while dormant, normally from autumn to early spring, which is also when larger plants give the best value. Autumn planting lets roots establish before spring.

06Does Holly grow in shade?

Yes. Holly is one of the most shade-tolerant evergreen hedges and grows in full sun through to quite deep shade, though it will be denser with reasonable light. It copes with most well-drained soils including clay, chalk and sand, but not long periods of waterlogging.

Helpful next steps

Growing Advice for Holly Hedge Plants

Browse all Q&A
Care GuideHolly Hedge Care Guide: Planting, Spacing & PruningHolly Hedging Care Guide: Planting, Spacing and Pruning English Holly hedging grows best in moist but well-drained soil, with careful watering while the roots establish and light, well-timed…Read care guide Spikey Glossy Holly HedgingCare GuideHolly Hedging: Planting, Care & Best UsesLooking to plant or care for Holly hedging but not sure where to start? Discover the best uses, planting tips and simple care advice for a thriving Ilex…Read care guide Mixed Native Hedging with post and rail fenceCare GuideMixed Native Hedging GuideHedging guide · Prices checked October 2026 A mixed native hedge combines several British hedgerow species, such as hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and field maple, in one boundary. The…Read care guide Mixed Native Hedging with post and rail fenceCare GuideBare Root Hedging Cost per MetreHedging guide · Prices checked 18 October 2026 Bare root hedging is the cheapest way to plant a hedge, and it is only available while the plants are…Read care guide
Holly Hedging - Ilex leaf with bright red berriesQ&AAre Holly berries poisonous to people and pets?English Holly (Ilex aquifolium) is valued for its evergreen foliage and bright winter berries, but those berries are ornamental rather than edible. Gardeners with young children, dogs or…Read answer Holly Hedging Sex - Male and Female flower identificationQ&AHow can you tell male and female Holly apart?Male and female English Holly plants can look almost identical for most of the year. The easiest time to tell them apart is when they flower, because the…Read answer English Holly Hedge damaged by rabbits and deer.Q&ADo deer and rabbits eat Holly hedging?Holly's tough, spiny leaves can give the impression that deer and rabbits will leave it alone. In practice, young English Holly can still be browsed, particularly on rural…Read answer Holly (Ilex) Transplant shockQ&AWhat is Holly transplant shock and how long does it last?A newly planted or moved Holly can temporarily lose its glossy appearance, drop leaves or make little new growth while its roots establish. Recognising normal transplant stress helps…Read answer Pot Grown Holly (Ilex) HedgingQ&ACan Holly be grown as a hedge in pots or containers?A row of English Holly can create evergreen structure and screening on patios, courtyards and other places where planting directly into the ground is not possible. The main…Read answer Holly as part of a mixed hedgeQ&AIs Holly good as part of a mixed native hedge?Most mixed native hedges are dominated by deciduous species such as Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Field Maple and Hazel. Adding English Holly introduces a slower-growing evergreen element that changes the…Read answer

Explore related hedging

View all species
Evergreen Hedging PlantsEvergreen Hedging PlantsHedging plants suitable for shaded positionsHedging for Shady PositionsCherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus)Laurel Hedging PlantsField Wildlife hedging mixNative Mixed Hedge PlantsCompare varieties, sizes and growing conditions with advice from our nursery team.Root Ball Hedging PlantsGarden Wildlife MixWildlife Hedges

English Holly hedge sizes at a glance

HeightRoot typePlants per metreWhen to plant
20–30cmPot grown6Most of the year
40–60cmPot grown5Most of the year
60–80cmPot grown4Most of the year
80–150cmRoot balled3Autumn to early spring
150–225cmRoot balled2Autumn to early spring

Sizes and stock change through the season, so check the English Holly Hedge page for live availability and prices. For planting, watering, feeding and pruning, see our Holly hedge care guide.

We are a Plant Healthy registered, family-run nursery established in 1982, growing and supplying hedging for homeowners, landscapers and trade customers across the UK. For long boundaries or larger schemes, contact our team for a quote within 24 hours.