Japanese holly
Ilex crenata
Also called Box-leaved holly, Ilex 'Convexa' and Cloud-pruned holly
Garden plant · ShrubsThe box substitute — tiny leaves, no spines, and immune to box blight and the box caterpillar — and the plant Japanese gardeners cloud-prune, which is what the clipped pads are. Feed it: it goes yellow when hungry.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Easy
- Water
- Once a weekWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Sun to part shade
- Feed
- Every 45 days
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Hardy — a very cold winter RHS H6, to -20°C
- Size
- 2 m tall · 2 m across
- Lifecycle
- Shrub
- Origin
- Japan, Korea and eastern China
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsNothing recorded against it
No animal-poison authority lists this plant either way.
PeopleNot checked yet
Nobody has checked this one against a source for us yet, so treat it as unknown rather than safe.
Checked against ASPCA and RHS on 2026-09-21. Where a source says nothing, we say nothing.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.