The Pencil Tree

The pencil tree is not used to make the most famous writing impairment of the same name. The name comes from the shape-tall and thin.

Japanese Holly (Ilex crenata 'Sky Pencil' ) is a broadleaf, evergreen shrub that grows from 4 to 10 feet tall but only 1 to 3 feet wide, hence the shape and the name. The plant grows in USDA zones 6 to 8 and does not stand up to the very cold or very warm areas of the country. Gardeners in those zones can look forward to a shrub that produces green-white flowers in May and June that are accompanied by dark-green leaves with serrated edges and round tips that measure up to 1-1/4 inches long.

All members of the holly family, with the possible exception of some cultivars, are either male or female. At least one male plant is needed if the female plant is going to produce the berries that the plant is so famous for. The pencil tree is one of the Japanese hollies that is always female. If it is pollinated by a male holly, the pencil tree will produce small, purple berries. One important note. When picking a male to accompany the female, make sure it blooms at the same time or pollination will be impossible.

Give the pencil tree full sun-at least 6 hours of sunshine a day, or partial shade-from 3 to 6 hours of sunshine. Try to give the plant sun in the morning and shade during the hottest time of the day. The soil should be moist and well drained. Keep the soil on the acidic side. If it turns alkaline, the leaves will turn yellow, a process known as chlorosis.

Gardeners in zone 5 need to provide winter protection by putting the plant in a location where it will not be hit by the cold winter winds and providing a good, deep mulch to protect the roots. The pencil tree is urban friendly meaning it can stand up to the compacted soil, pollution and other stresses of a city landscape.

Think how great the pencil tree would look growing by the corner of a house, or maybe try planting one on either side of an entrance way. The shrub can be pruned so it does not grow taller than the top of the door, keeping it in proportion to the dimensions of the door way. The plant also makes a good privacy screen or property boundary.

Source:

Missouri Botanical Garden