Would be shocked if it isn't dead. Sky Pencil Holly would be a marginal plant in Chicago anyway. Overwintering it in a container is the kiss of death...the roots of Ilex crenata are not very hardy at all and would have been killed outright in even a mild Chicago winter.

the overall dullness of the whole plant makes me think the same thing ...

but you only have a few weeks to see if it buds out.. so give it time...

btw.. when was it potted ... could it have gone into winter stressed???

ken

Thanks.

I potted in September. I have an irrigation system, so I watered it regularly until November. It was covered with with a winter cover to protect it from snow and wind until a few weeks ago.

General rule of thumb, though there are exceptions, is to choose plants at least a couple of zones hardier than your location if you will be planting in pots. A pot leaves the roots exposed to temperature extremes that they don't experience when planted in the ground since the ground serves as insulation for the roots.