When to plant and prune Holly
Holly flowers from early May to early June and the dates below cover planting, flowering and the pruning window.
Planting, flowering and pruning by region
Holly is grown to the calendar rather than to the frost, so the same dates apply across the whole UK and every region below reads the same. Where a plant’s timings do follow the frost, Plot shifts them from the Midlands and Lowland Wales baseline using Met Office average frost dates.
| Where you are | Plant | In flower | Prune |
|---|---|---|---|
| South West Coast and Cornwall | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| South Coast and Channel | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Greater London (Urban Heat Island) | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| South East and Home Counties | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| East Anglia | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Midlands and Lowland Wales | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Wales and West Coast | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Northern England | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Scotland Lowlands and Central Belt | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Scotland Highlands and Islands | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Northern Ireland | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
| Channel Islands and Isle of Man | early September to late October | early May to early June | early August to late August |
Growing notes
A native evergreen with real wildlife value: nectar-rich flowers, dense nesting cover and winter berries. Only female plants berry and most need a male nearby, so check the cultivar; 'J C van Tol' is self-fertile. Slow to start, and it can reach 25m as an untrimmed tree.
At a glance
- Spacing
- 45 cm between plants
- Eventual height
- 250 cm
- Eventual spread
- 100 cm
- Hardiness
- H6
- Sun
- Partial
- Frost tender
- No
- Grows in a container
- Yes, 40 litres or more
- Balcony rating
- 2 out of 5
Feeding
A general fertiliser in late winter for newly planted hedges; established holly rarely needs feeding.
Pruning: what to avoid
One late-summer cut is all it needs, and trimming a berrying holly only every other year keeps more fruit for birds. Do not cut hedges between March and August without checking first: under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 it is an offence to damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built, and the main UK nesting season runs from about early March to August.
Pruning group
Trim once a year in late summer
Bare-root season
Bare-root stock is lifted and sold while dormant, from early November to late February. Container-grown plants can go in at other times of year, but bare-root is cheaper and establishes well.
What usually goes wrong
- slow establishment
- holly leaf miner
- holly leaf blight
- no berries if the plant is male, unpollinated or trimmed every year
- prickly clippings
Related guides
Timings cross-checked against RHS guidance for holly.