Make Your Garden Glow!
Do you need an evergreen that will really pop in the landscape all year round? As its name suggests, Glow Stick® Japanese holly (Ilex crenata) shines like a beacon in the garden, and with a low-maintenance care regimen, it’s a great alternative if you’re looking to replace some boxwood.
This cheerful shrub sports vibrant golden foliage, mellowing to a bright green in the hottest parts of summer before returning to that vivid yellow when the weather cools off. No matter the time of the year, this bright shrub is sure to be striking. At 4-6’ tall and only 1’ wide, it has a unique narrow and upright habit that fits nicely in many garden and landscape roles– plant it as a specimen, narrow hedge, or even flanking either side of the front door. It’s an excellent space-saving shrub.
Glow Stick® is cold tolerant to USDA zone 5 and heat tolerant to USDA zone 8. It does best in full to part sun with burn-resistant foliage even in full sun. While it can grow in shade, the color will be muddier, and its habit will be more loose and open rather than dense.
No pruning is required as Glow Stick® keeps its dense upright habit naturally, but if you wish to shape it at all, do so in the late winter or early spring.
What shrubs grow quickly?
Sometimes, you want to plant shrubs that give you that lush-filled-out look immediately, but not every shrub reaches a fully mature size very quickly. If you’re looking for some fast-growing shrubs, check out Kristina’s “12 Fast Growing Shrubs” blog for some suggestions. Get the look you’re striving for in no time flat!