It's not listed in the USDA plants database (using just the genus Ilex finds nothing by that name).

Also not listed in Dirr's Woody Manual (although newer discoveries would not be there). I suspect it is a hybrid that someone has not correctly notated. Ilex opaca does hybridize with other natives, especially Ilex cassine.

You could call Triple Oaks and ask them it's origin. They do list it as a native.

Also not listed by IPNI (International Plant Names Index); if the name was validly published, it would be in there.

Resin

Thanks esh and Resin.

I'll have to do some more research. Will contact Triple Oaks, and call down to that nursery for more info.

When you find out what it is, would you post again with that info?
Thanks!
Sherry

Yes, I believe that's it! Here's more info:

VNLA - Plant Introduction Program Update '02
Virginia Nurseryman and Landscape Association & Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden

This year saw a cooperative venture between the program and the National Arboretum in releasing our first cultivar, Ilex x `Virginia'. This is just the beginning as we now look at a second plant similar to Ilex x `Mary Nell 'but showing a twenty five percent faster growth rate. This plant is currently under production at Mobjack Nursery. There are several more hollies located at the Hampton Roads Experimental Station, which possibly could lead to new releases.

{{gwi:333474}}

Did they say who the parents are since this is a hybrid?

The picture Rhizo posted looks like a hybrid of ilex opaca and ilex cassine, like Savannah holly and several others - is it?
Sherry

I could not find any info on the 'parents'.

My memory ain't what it used to be, but I. myrtifolia keeps coming up in my mind as one of the parents. I. opaca would be the other. I could be TOTALLY wrong.

Dave, why not call one of the Virginia Tech research stations? The Hampton Roads is best known for ornamentals, I think. If Bonnie Appleton is still there, she would be a good one to contact.

If you find out anything, be sure to let us know!

Here is a link that might be useful: Click here

The Virginia Nurseryman and Landscape Association gave me some names of possible retailers.

The "Virginia Holly" (Ilex x Virginia) is an artificial exotic hybrid, often erroneously named as a species, Ilex virginiana. The holly has almost nothing to do with Virginia except it was first grown there in a nursery. It is somewhat of a horticultural scam. I'm not buying this one when there is an abudance of beautiful native hollies and natural Ilex hybrids of U.S. that can be purchased in many nurseries.

I have about 25 different cultivars of native hollies (Ilex opaca, Ilex decidua, Ilex verticillata) for sale at my nursery. For a new 2009 nursery catalog, please send a 42 cent stamp to: Piping Tree Gardens & Nursery, 13171 Scotchtown Road, Beaverdam, VA 23015.

Hollybygolly,

Gardenweb does not allow advertising or promotion in its forums. Please refer to the Terms of Service for more information.

Since the subject is already raised, I'm surprised you don't have a website (at least that I can find).

Finally found a bit more information on Ilex x 'Virginia'!

There apparently is an article about it in:

NMPRO - Nursery Management & Production;Jul 2009, Vol. 25 Issue 7, p10 -- which I am unable to access. But here is the abstract: 'The article presents information about Ilex x Virginia, a tree that is a crossbreed between Ilex integra and Ilex aquifolium. Its main characteristic is its nearly perfect conical shape and the bright red berries it produces during winter. It is in the Hardiness Zones 6-8 of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Gene Eisenbeiss of the National Arboretum created the tree.'

Soo..... this hybrid is very similar to the one also created by Eisenbeiss called 'Scepter', which is an integra x altaclerensis hybrid (which includes I. perado into the mix).

That abstract doesn't do it justice. To me the beauty of 'Virginia' is in the mostly spineless, deep green and glossy leaves. It does seem to be a dense grower.

I also noticed that this last winter (from hell) some of the leaves did bronze a bit. So, I would not probably recommend it for zone 6.

This post was edited by dave_in_nova on Fri, Jun 27, 14 at 14:50

Wow! After all these years, I'm still uncovering better information on Ilex x 'Virginia'.

OK, so it turns out in 1960, a botanist by the name of W.F. Kosar at the US National Arboretum in DC, crossed Ilex integra (female) with Ilex x altaclerensis 'Hodginsii' (a male). The seedlings resulting from this cross were raised in a bed at the Arboretum. In 1993, Gene Eisenbeiss at the Arboretum, named his pick-of-the-litter 'Scepter'. It was introduced by the Arboretum. It can be obtained from only a few holly nurseries.

The bed of hollies from the cross has since been bulldozed over, but not before a batch of plants from this cross were shared with the Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center, in Hampton Roads, Virginia. These were planted out and observed.

One selection stood out for its form and fruit, and in 2009 it was named and introduced as Ilex x 'Virginia' by the 'Beautiful Gardens® Plant Introduction Program' in the state of Virginia. It has not been patented. It is being offered only by a small number of nurseries in the Mid-Atlantic is propagated primarily by one nursery. 'Virginia' looks very similar to 'Scepter' but is just a bit spinier. That's no reason not to grow it though.

I would rate Ilex x 'Virginia' as a borderline 6b-7a plant in terms of hardiness. I've seen just a bit of tip dieback on a few branches after the last two winters in my 7a yard, whereas Scepter had no dieback. But Scepter had a bit of shelter from wind.

Ilex x 'Virginia' - photo from 'Beautiful Gardens' website:

http://www.beautifulgardens.org/plants/ilevir.html

Wow, well, there's an acceptable reason to bump an old thread! Thanks for the update.

Given the bad experience I had with my first 'Scepter' in mega-winter #1 I'd want to see how hardy this one proves to be over a fairly long frame of time before trying it myself. (though IIRC you reported your 'Scepter' survived the last 2 winters, which is why I'm trying another small one at all. I think mine might never have fully recovered from being eaten to the ground by deer)

Interestingly there's an I. integra X I. aquifolium at Rutgers, I wonder if it is a clonal copy of, came form the same seed batch, or was totally unrelated to the Kosar hybrids. Although the plant itself was in pretty bad shape, as is generally true of many of the non-native hollies there, the leaf was attractive enough. I'm thinking it was probably different because I remember the leaves being a bit spiny and not looking like my 'Scepter'. Tellingly, there is not a 'Scepter' at Rutgers...maybe cold hardiness related? However as I've mentioned before the best of the oddball crosses there was, IMHO, the Ilex attenuata 'Foster' X Ilex aquifolium.

I think that a lot of broad-leafed evergreens benefit from at least a few years of near-normal winter temps so that they can get established. The last two winters were not good times to plant out new evergreens. Yet to see what this one brings. Maybe three bad ones in a row?

I have one Scepter and one Virginia that are in locations closer to the sidewalk and they have not been grazed by deer (yet). Maybe because of dog walkers?

'Virginia' has at times been erroneously labeled as an integra x aquifolium cross. Perhaps that Rutgers plant was a sibling from the US Arb, or perhaps they did their own cross. If there is a good plant label on it, it should tell where it came from.

David, if you 'do Facebook' and are interested, you might join our group:

The Genus Ilex

Oh I hadn't realized I'd mixed up the parentage...so, yeah, the Rutgers cross was probably separate. It also has a later date, 1970. I wish I'd taken a better picture of that one...next time, if that's possible. When googling I noticed that the Rutgers Gardens are to receive a $70 million "expansion". The amount of money and use of the word "expansion" - in a dense suburban area where there is no room to physically expand outwards - seems a bit ominous. I can easily imagine that the bedraggled collection of non-native hollies will get razed over for something shiny and new. My impression is that they should spend about 20% of that just to fix what they have, and build a deer fence.

Dave the picture makes this seem like a somewhat lighter green than 'Scepter'. Is that the case?

'Expansion' probably means installing a new 'sustainable', 'green', 'native', 'xeric', 'organic', 'low-carbon footprint', 'gluten-free' garden. How many more popular buzz words can we include?

Not sure if the color is lighter. So much depends on culture, time of year, sun, etc.

Hopefully if nothing else it will make it more justifiable to charge $100 for semi-professional photography permits. (anything using a tripod, IIRC) For that price, the bride, groom and photographer could afford to drive to Longwood Gardens...

Needless to say I got a kick out of that "rule". It's like, what do you want in the background of your picture, a pile of deer poo and hollies eaten down to bare stems, a huge tangle of poison ivy, or a dead 35' spruce? cf: http://forums2.gardenweb.com/discussions/2937296/a-few-pictures-of-unusual-and-or-unique-hollies-at-rutgers

btw while we are talking hollies, slightly OT but in the big snow storm, the birds started swarming my huge American holly trees. Within a day or so, they'd eaten all the berries. Next they moved on, after a few days, to Ilex x koehneana 'Ruby'. However, 'Hohman', which is grouped with the Koehnes but is actually a slightly different cross involving Ilex cornuta, remains uneaten. As does a large 'Nellie R Stevens' down the street. This implies that Ilex cornuta offspring are particularly inedible to birds.

I think the robins cleaned out my 'Nellie Stevens' first, then koehneana 'Wirt L. Winn'. They haven't seemed to touch Mary Nell, but I'm sure they will soon with continued cold weather and more snow in forecast.