Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Wildlife Value
The small fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi. Berries provide a food source for birds.
Plant Profile: Ilex crenata 'Helleri'
Names
Heller Holly, Helleri Holly, Heller Japanese Holly
Phonetic Spelling:EYE-leks kre-NAY-tuh
Genus:Ilex
Species:crenata
Family:Aquifoliaceae
Heller Holly is a compact evergreen shrub that reaches a height of up to 5 feet, representing a dwarf variety of Ilex crenata. This plant features a dense and rigid structure, forming a spreading mound. In spring, it produces inconspicuous greenish-white flowers, followed by small black drupes in the fall on female specimens, though fruit production is modest. The shrub can endure significant pruning, making it suitable for topiary designs. It thrives in poor, sandy, and clay soils, prefers shaded environments, and shows resilience to pollution. However, it does not tolerate alkaline soils well and is relatively easy to transplant. With a slow growth rate, it is also known to face certain pest issues.
**Quick Identification Tips:**
For further details on Ilex crenata, please refer to additional resources.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Feature Summary
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Image Gallery
Tags
#white
#evergreen
#white flowers
#green
#wildlife plant
#slow growing
#shade tolerant
#nectar plant
#air pollution tolerant
#playground
#specialized bees
#easy to transplant
#children's garden
#pollinator plant
#black fruits
#garden
#sandy soils tolerant
#clay soils tolerant
#bee friendly
Similar Plants
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' is often confused with:
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Feature Summary
Attributes
The small fragrant flowers attract bees and other pollinators. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi. Berries provide a food source for birds.
Mildly resistant to damage by deer.
Woody
Edible fruit
Wildlife Food Source
Attracts Pollinators
Fruit
Small, globose, berry-like black drupe in fall on female plants. Fruit is modestly produced and slightly more than 1/5".
Berry
Drupe
Black
Summer
Fall
< 1 inch
< 1 inch
Flowers
Flowers are rarely observed in clusters of 1-3 and are 1/5" in length. Non-showy greenish-white flowers in spring. Flower inflorescence is pistillate a cyme and staminate solitary in leaf axils of current season's growth.
White
Insignificant
Green
Spring
< 1 inch
Leaves
Small, alternate, simple, flat dark green leaves that are 1/2" long. The underside is dotted with blackish pellucid glands.
Broadleaf Evergreen
Green
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Oblong
Lanceolate
Obovate
< 1 inch
Glossy
Smooth
Long-lasting
Good Cut
< 1 inch
Stem
Stems are green on the current season growth and turn gray-green to gray-brown by year 2 or 3. Young stems are often densely pubescent.
Brown/Copper
Green
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Shrub
Broadleaf Evergreen
Erect
Mounding
Dense
Spreading
Slow
Fine
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasionally Wet
3 feet-6 feet
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Children's Garden
Hedge
Recreational Play Area
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Specialized Bees
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Image Gallery
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Attributes
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)
Mildly resistant to damage by deer.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Play Value
Attractive Flowers
Attracts Pollinators
Buffer
Colorful
Defines Paths
Easy to Grow
Edible fruit
Fragrance
Pieces Used in Games
Screening
Shade
Sound
Textural
Wildlife Cover/Habitat
Wildlife Food Source
Wildlife Larval Host
Wildlife Nesting
Wind Break
Wind Shimmer
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Fruit
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Fruit Description
Small, globose, berry-like black drupe in fall on female plants. Fruit is modestly produced and slightly more than 1/5".
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Fruit Color
Black
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Fruit Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Flowers
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Flower Description
Flowers are rarely observed in clusters of 1-3 and are 1/5" in length. Non-showy greenish-white flowers in spring. Flower inflorescence is pistillate a cyme and staminate solitary in leaf axils of current season's growth.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Flower Color
Green
Insignificant
White
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Leaves
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Description
Small, alternate, simple, flat dark green leaves that are 1/2" long. The underside is dotted with blackish pellucid glands.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Color
Green
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Hairs Present
No
Yes
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Feel
Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Stem
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Stem Description
Stems are green on the current season growth and turn gray-green to gray-brown by year 2 or 3. Young stems are often densely pubescent.
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Green
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Whole Plant Traits
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Cultural Conditions
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Available Space To Plant
12 inches-3 feet
12-24 feet
24-60 feet
3 feet-6 feet
6-feet-12 feet
Less than 12 inches
more than 60 feet
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
9a
9b
Ilex crenata 'Helleri' Landscape
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Ilex crenata 'Helleri': Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
