Don't get rid of me! I'm an American!

     Just because you put me in the wrong place, doesn't mean you have to get rid of me. You aren't the first and you won't be the last person to make this mistake. If I could have said something, I would have, but really all you had to do was meet my folks or any of the other grown-ups in my family, they of course are all much older and more mature, and right away you would have realized, that when I get older I will get very broad and tall as well. Rumor has it that within our family, which by the way, is native to the United States from Massachusetts south to Florida and west to Missouri and parts of Texas, there are some older folks that are 50' tall and 35' wide. 

     Don't feel bad, I completely understand, how, when you first came into the nursery, you were attracted to my dark glossy foliage and beautiful red berries. I am often complemented on my attractive features, it's hereditary. Some of us either have it or we don't and our family happens to be one of the lucky ones. It just so happens that this time someone stuck me out front so that I could be viewed for the holidays, but I honestly think they wanted to get me sold and out of there. I have somehow developed into a holiday tradition. I usually just sit in the back of the nursery down some lonely aisle, waiting until somebody needs me. But I must say, people do often want me at other times of the year, because they need a handsome evergreen that is adaptable to sun as well as to the various degrees of filtered sun. Of course when they need me they usually find me, because I generally top their list, there aren't many that are as versatile and attractive as I am. Some members of my family never get out of the fields and are frequently picked on by the nursery workers who clip off our limbs, usually right before Christmas time, but members of our family always stands firm and tall and with each cut into us, we branch stronger and fuller than ever. This is a little secret that not too many people know, I might get large, wide and full, and even a little unkept looking, but you can shape me up and trim me back to my thick lush appearance. I wonder how many people know that I am also good for large, thick hedging. I am awfully good at creating privacy or defining property lines, but I must tell you I do not make a good windbreak, I utterly detest wind and unprotected sites. 

     Well, I guess since I am on the subject I better spill the beans and tell you the rest. Although, I like my feet moist most of the time, what I am standing in must be well drained and acidic, and while our whole family is susceptible to many insects and/or diseases, we don't fall ill all the time and some of our problems may only occur in certain sections of our native habitat. All in all we are a pretty tough and healthy lot. Occasionally those of us who come from production nurseries are troubled by leaf spots and leaf miner, which are the most common problems we have, but these are easily remedied by the people who take care of us. Oh, I almost forgot, in order for you to get the wonderful displays of bright, red fruit that the ladies in our family so admirably display, you will need two of us, you know that other sex, the male. Lucky for you, you will only need one of 'him' for every three of us girls.
 

     If you already have me or one of my kin, and if I seem to have gotten way out of control for you, I just wanted you to know more about me, before you decide to get rid of me. I can overlook a mistake if you can, after all there are other families that are used inappropriately, and who get way too big and leave you no choice but to get rid of them. But as I told you earlier, there is a remedy without having to dig me out and dispose of me. Unlike many other types or kinds of plants that might have to be removed, we have the ability to take heavy pruning. You can cut me back as hard as you want and leave me just about leafless and I will come back, thick and lush as ever. In fact, many members of our family can tolerate heavy pruning, but there are some things I want you to know first, before you start cutting, so that my survival rate for you is better than 90%. After all, I am a living thing and although I am plenty tough and resilient, I guess you could inadvertently kill me.
Generally we are considered slow growers, but of course I figured you already know that since it took you so long to figure out that I was in the wrong place for many years. Now, when you cut me back, I am going to have a very small top, but a very large root system capable of a much faster rate of new growth because there will be less upper body to feed. If you prune me at the right time which would be late February to mid-March for much of the southern parts of my native habitat and mid-April to mid-May for the northern regions, I will be capable of producing several flushes of growth, which will fill me out quickly and restore me to the youthful appearance I had when you first planted me. 

    I know it's a little bit of work, but doesn't the physical care of any living thing require some kind of effort? When you start to cut, I want you to take your time, use sharp tools and make clean cuts. Shape me the way you want me and do not hesitate to cut me back hard. Be patient, dormant buds lie just under my bark and often they can't be seen. They just need to be given enough time to become active and break through the bark, which they will do, but it may take several weeks to a month depending on the air and soil temperature and the soil moisture present. When my vigorous new shoots reach about 6" or slightly more in length, pinch the tips out or lightly shear me, lightly, to stimulate branching. Continue this throughout the Spring and Summer months until I become full and compact. From the time that you cut me back until I am completely filled in again and hardened off for the upcoming Winter. Soil moisture will be critical. You will want to keep me well watered and prevent my new foliage from wilting or drying out. Now it will be your job to keep me this way and not let me get out of hand again. Aren't you happy now that you decided to keep me? 
Oh, by the way, I am an American and my name is Holly, in case you didn't know that when you started to read this.

Ilex opaca - American Holly