Welcome to our Plant Library! This is a new feature on our website to showcase the vast selection of plants that we carry across different seasons. We are continuously adding products, so if you are looking for a specific plant not listed below, we encourage you to call or visit to see if we have it in stock!
Compacta Holly
Botanical Name: Ilex crenata ‘Compacta’
Common Name: Compacta Japanese Holly
Mature Height and Width: 6–8′ tall × 6–8′ wide
Growth Habit: Dense, upright to broadly rounded evergreen shrub. Naturally compact with fine branching, forming a full, refined canopy. Moderate growth rate.
Foliage Description: Small, oval, smooth-edged leaves with a rich dark green, glossy finish. Dense foliage provides a fine-textured appearance and strong evergreen structure.
Flower Description: Small white flowers in late spring; not ornamentally significant. Female plants may produce small black berries if pollinated, though fruit is typically sparse in landscape use.
Bloom Time: Late spring
Fall Color: Evergreen; maintains deep green coloration through winter.
Light Requirements: Full sun to partial shade; best density and fullness in full sun.
Hardiness Zone: USDA Zones 5–8
Notable Landscape Uses:
Foundation plantings; medium evergreen hedges; privacy screens; background shrub in mixed borders; formal garden structure; mass plantings; commercial landscapes; adaptable substitute for boxwood in deer-prone areas.
Deer Resistance: Moderate
Japanese holly is generally less preferred by deer than boxwood or softer broadleaf evergreens. While not immune to browsing, established Compacta plants typically experience limited damage in Zones 5–7 except under severe winter pressure.