|
|
 
->Bonsai
Care Facts
->Bonsai Watering
Tips
|
|
SILVER
BONSAI GARDEN - Bonsai Trees and Basic Care |
|
Dwarf Yaupon Holly - Ilex vomitoria nana
General information:
The botanical name for this particular specie of holly
is Ilex vomitoria nana or Dwarf Yaupon Holly. It is one
of eleven hollies native to Florida. It usually grows as
a shrub but occasionally may be found as a tree. Its
foliage consists of dark green evergreen oval to
egg-shaped leaves. Female varieties of this holly bear
fruit in the fall which is red and are only about 1/4"
in diameter.
Ilex vomitoria nana is available from nurseries and
garden centers. It is often confused with a couple of
close relatives. One is Ilex Shillings which does not
grow native but has adapted well to the SE USA. The
other is Ilex myrtifolia or myrtle-leaved holly. Ilex
vomitoria nana may also be found growing in the wild and
may be collected in early Spring. They may be grown from
seed or from soft wood cuttings.
The portion of the name of the plant, "Vomitoria", is a
rather unsavory name given to a very nice and useful
plant. The early settlers in the SE USA learned from the
indians that the leaves of this plant could be used to
make tea. The indians used the leaves to
prepare their ceremonial black drink by drying the
leaves until they are black and crumbly, then steeping
in hot water. However, if the leaves are used without
going through the drying process they produced a
memorable reaction on the human digestive system. Hence
the addition of "vomitoria" to its name. "Nana" is a
common horticultural suffix meaning, "dwarf".
Lighting: It will
grow in full shade to full sun, but the more light it
has the more dense its foliage will be.
Temperature: Will
tolerate short term freezing.
Watering: It does
not like to remain dry for a very long period of time.
Feeding: It should
be given half strength liquid fertilizer every two or
three weeks. It prefers an evenly balanced (20 20-20)
fertilizer but is not too choosy.
Pruning and wiring:
Its new growth shows a strong tendency to upwards growth
and must either be wired horizontal or pruned to retain
shape. When pruned it will burst forth profusely with
new thick growth throughout the growing season.
Propagation:
Cuttings.
Repotting: It is not
particular about the type of soil it has.
Pests and disases:
The only pest which seems to attack the Ilex vomitoria
nana is the leaf miner. It is a very small creature
which literally mines the interior of leaves, leaving a
black trail where it has eaten the nutrients.
Infestations can be prevented with a
preventive spray of a systemic insecticide. (A systemic
insecticide is one which enters the system of the plant
and remains active there for an extended period of time,
killing any sucking type of insect.) If a leaf becomes
infected with a leaf miner, it will never repair itself
and should be removed.
|
Silver
Bonsai
Gallery
Ben & Kathryn Stewart
Store Hours:
M-Sat 10am to 6pm
Sunday by appointment
905 US Highway 64
Manteo, NC 27954
(252) 475-1413
 |
|
Home
|
Fine Art |
Fine Craft |
Fine Jewelry |
Bonsai l
Contact
l
Policy l
Links l
About
|
|
|
|
 |
