Japanese holly Aquifoliaceae Ilex crenata Thunb. Listen to the Latin   symbol: ILCR2
Other Fact Sheets
Leaf: Alternate, simple, evergreen, elliptical to obovate, very small (1/2 to 3/4 inch long), shallowly toothed on upper half or margin entire, shiny dark green above, dull light green below.
Flower: Dioecious; small (1/3 to 1/2 inch across) white, 4-petaled, pale greenish center, appear in late spring.

Fruit: Black, round drupe, 1/4 to 1/3 inch in diameter, ripen in early fall, persistent into spring.

Twig: Slender, yellow-green, often pubescent, buds small, leaf scar with 1 bundle scar.

Bark: Smooth, light greenish brown to gray.

Form: Most planted cultivars are a small shrub with a very dense crown, rarely exceeds 3 feet in height. Some varieties are more upright and the native species is a small tree.
 
USDA Plants Database
Ilex crenata is planted in the highlighted USDA hardiness zones to the left and is not known to widely escape cultivaton.

Virginia Tech Homepage Forestry Dept. Homepage CNR Homepage