Deciduous holly sex?

[ABCarve]

I have a collected deciduous holly (NW PA) that had berries before it was dug. Not sure of variety. It's flowering nicely, but no berries. I think it needs a mate. Anyone know how to tell male from female?
Also, it's constantly trying to sucker off the roots. They are not near the trunk but more toward the edge of the pot. Is this from the shock of the severe pruning? Does it stop as the tree gets more ramification? The other hollies around it seemed to be individuals and not raft-like behavior from a parent. It's only a bit a of nuisance pinching them off, but, could it be a continuous scar on the nebari as it develops?

 

[GrimLore]

Male flowers have distinct stamens, often in a cluster of four, arising from the center of the bloom. Female flowers lack these stamens and instead have a green round bump in the middle of the flower.

Read more: How to Determine Male and Female Holly eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_8127486_determine-male-female-holly.html#ixzz2IzlRcx5O

 

[Poink88]

Can you post a pic? Do you know the specific cultivar?

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/shrubs/2002041742017501.html

"Do I need a male shrub to get berries?

Monoecious and Dioecious

Many shrubs produce decorative berries. The majority of them are monoecious, meaning that there are male and female flowers on the same plant, or hermaphroditic, meaning that the flowers have both male and female parts. This means that berries are produced by every plant even if it is planted in isolation. However, some shrubs are dioecious, meaning that there are separate female and male plants. The female plants produce berries, but only if they are fertilised by pollen from a male plant. The best-known examples are many types of Holly. An even smaller number of shrubs produce fruit (seedless) without fertilisation. This is called parthenocarpy and an example is Nellie Stevens Holly. A few shrubs (eg. some Viburnum species) are monoecious, but require pollination by a non-cloned shrub of the same species to produce berries. "

 

[rockm]

Ilex verticillata, or winterberry, is the most common deciduous holly native to eastern and northern U.S. There are also many introduced species in landscapes. It makes fine bonsai material.

I have an I. verticillata in my yard. It is a male, but I think it's "conflicted", as it has produces two or three berries every year for some reason. I plan on digging the trunk up soon to make a bonsai out of it.

Here's a link to the species, scroll down for photos of male and female flowers.
http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/i/ilever/ilever1.html


BTW, I've noticed this species throws roots EXTREMELY easily, as in throw pruned branch cutting under a bench and have it root in a month...

 

[GrimLore]

We have a 5 inch specimen collected from the guys who cleaned the gutters at my Wife's office. I had NO CLUE until just now how many varieties there are by searching images on google

 

[ABCarve]

Here are some pics. Sorry no leaves yet. Maybe the bark can tell. It'll get a proper repotting this spring. Anyone have ideas about the suckers?

 

[ABCarve]

Does its mate have to be the same variety or will they cross?

 

[Poink88]

Nice tree, good find.

Sorry I cannot ID based on bark alone. Just keep pulling the suckers as soon as you spot them. It will eventually stop or chop the root back later when you repot. I have some of my Yaupon holly do that and persistently sprouts from the roots (others never). It could also be a totally separated root (chopped but left in the root ball) trying to survive.

 

[rockm]

Given your location it's most likely a winterberry. Nice start. These do tend to throw out shoots from the base--nip them off and don't worry too much about them.

It's mate doesn't have to be exactly the same species. They will cross-breed to a certain extent. If you want fruit, it is best to buy an identified cheap specimen of an opposite sexed Ilex verticillata at a nursery. You can find them at the big box stores too for under $30, probably less. You're not looking for a big landscape mate, but a one or two foot tall plant that is capable of flowering.

Or you could wait around and see if there are other wild or landscape specimens in the neighborhood that could help out. I'd go with the wait and see method if it were mine.

 

[ABCarve]

I went back to place where I dug it today to see. It's now a subdivision. I've never seen them in a nursery around here. Maybe they're too common, but I'll bet they'll order me one in.

 

[ABCarve]

HollyMingle.com

Well, I took me two tries but I found a mate on hollymingle.com. The first one I put in the ground with a mate but its flowering window didn't line up time wise. It came a little late. I only had about three berries. Not sure if it's from one being in an unheated garage all winter. Anyway, the new one is called "Jim Dandy" and they're hitting it off quite well, even if he's a little shorter. Their flowers are coming at the same time. They make quite a pair....don't you think? All I need now are some eager pollinators.

 

[ABCarve]

I didn't let it berry last year probably won't this year. They seem to totally stop growing once the berries set. The pot is inspired by the Paris Metro entrances if @AlainK is watching. I think the pot color will make more sense when it berries. #2 pic is 2014

 

[AlainK]

Very unusual, but very nice pot.

PS: The remaining Metro entrances that inspired the design of the pot were the work of Arthur Guimard, an "Art Nouveau" architect, between 1900 and 1912

 

[markyscott]

You wouldn't believe how disappointed I am to read this thread after seeing the title.

 

[AlainK]

You wouldn't believe how disappointed I am to read this thread after seeing the title.

 

[Brian Van Fleet]

You wouldn't believe how disappointed I am to read this thread after seeing the title.

Makes us a bunch of plantophiles...

 

[ABCarve]

You wouldn't believe how disappointed I am to read this thread after seeing the title.

In the words of Chauncey Gardener, "I like to watch".

 

[ABCarve]

Updates from last fall.

 

[JudyB]

That's nice! I'm trying to find a male too.

For my ilex... it's red sprite. I'll take a look at the site you posted, I can't find early flowering enough ones around here.

 

[Waltron]

you got skills man, I like your style. the only initial critical thought that comes to mind is something isn't quite right with the apex, or leader, maybe its too long, but then again im not really so sure about that.

very nice and interesting tree.