The holly chosen for the 2003 Holly of the
Year is Ilex
opaca 'Satyr Hill'. This fine American holly
was found as a volunteer seedling
and developed at McLean
Nurseries in Towson, Maryland by Stewart
McLean. 'Satyr Hill' was
registered by the Holly Society in 1970,
registration number 3-70, and
was named for the road on which
the nursery is located.
'Satyr
Hill' has large, dark olive green
leaves that are about 2 3/8 inches
(6.0 cm) long and 2 inches (5.1
cm) wide. They are glossy, broadly
oval, and nearly flat with 5 or
6 spines on each side. The fruit
is bright red and about 3/8 inch
(0.95 cm) in diameter. Berries
are borne singly and are nicely
spaced. Full color is reached in
late October in USDA
Hardiness Zone 6. Berry retention is excellent,
lasting all winter and into the
spring when the robins eat them.
This holly’s beautiful berries and
foliage make it highly suitable for wreaths and
other cut holly uses, where it has proven to hold
up extremely well.
'Satyr
Hill' is a vigorous grower with a compact,
upright habit. The original registrant
was about 9 feet (2.7 m) tall and
wide at ten years in USDA Hardiness
Zone 7. The plant should be hardy to Zone
5.
A
beautiful holly, 'Satyr Hill' makes
a wonderful landscape plant suitable
for use as a striking specimen or grouped
with other material at the back of
a mixed border or in the center of
an island bed. It also looks well as
an under story plant in naturalistic
or woodland settings. As with other
American hollies, it is suitable for use in hedges
or screening plantings.
Ilex opaca 'Satyr Hill'