Ilex Altaclerensis Golden King or known as Holly is a perennial outdoor plant widespread in Europe and Asia and belonging to the Aquifoliaceae family. It is an evergreen shrub with an erect, compact, slow-growing habit that can exceed 6 metres in height; it has a variously branched, greyish-brown trunk with dark green lanceolate or ovate leaves with central veining and gold variegation along the toothed, spiny edges. Flowering occurs in spring with the production of small white flowers at the base of the leaves, followed in winter by small reddish spherical berries. Holly lends itself well to pruning and is widely used in topiary, but it is also cultivated for ornamental purposes both in the ground as a single specimen or group to form hedges, but also in containers thanks to its resistance to low temperatures and frost and the little care it requires; it needs to be planted in particularly sunny locations with good adaptability in areas of predominantly half-shade. Good quality universal soil with excellent drainage is recommended with regular watering in summer and reduced watering in winter to be carried out always when the substrate is dry.
