Plant Profile: Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch'

Names

Soft Touch Japanese Holly

  • Photo of Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' (Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch's)

Phonetic Spelling:EYE-leks kre-NAH-tuh

Genus:Ilex

Species:crenata

Family:Aquifoliaceae

The Soft Touch Japanese Holly is a compact, evergreen shrub belonging to the Aquifoliaceae family. It exhibits a moderate growth rate and is ideal for use in borders, as an accent plant, or alongside pathways. Its striking black ornamental berries remain throughout the winter, adding visual interest during the colder months.

In terms of pests and diseases, this plant is generally resilient. However, it may occasionally be affected by pests such as holly leaf miners, spider mites, whiteflies, and scale insects. Potential diseases include leaf spot, leaf rot, tar spot, and powdery mildew. Additionally, the plant can experience issues like leaf drop, leaf scorch, and chlorosis, which is the yellowing of leaves often caused by high pH soils.

For further details, refer to information on Ilex crenata.

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Feature Summary

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Image Gallery

Tags

#specimen
#wildlife plant
#nectar plant
#cottage garden
#mass planting
#specialized bees
#cpp
#borders
#bird friendly
#bee friendly

Similar Plants

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' is often confused with:

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Feature Summary

Attributes
Showy fruits are attractive to birds. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.
Wildlife Food Source
Fruit
Black ornamental berries persist throughout winter for cool season interest.
Berry
Drupe
< 1 inch
Leaves
It has soft-textured, glossy green leaves that have an interesting silver mid-vein.
Elliptical
Oblong
Lanceolate
Obovate
Serrate
Crenate
< 1 inch
Glossy
Soft
Smooth
Waxy
< 1 inch
Whole Plant Traits
Rounded
Mounding
Dense
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)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
9a
9b
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Flowers
White
Cream/Tan
4-5 petals/rays
2-3 rays/petals
< 1 inch
Stem
Brown/Copper
Green
Gray/Silver
Smooth (glabrous)
Straight
Landscape
Cottage Garden
Border
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Accent
Small groups
Specimen
Container
Patio
Walkways
Lawn
Small Space
Slope/Bank
Pollinators
Songbirds
Bees
Specialized Bees

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Attributes

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Wildlife Value

Showy fruits are attractive to birds. Members of the genus Ilex support the following specialized bee: Colletes banksi.

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Life Cycle

Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Recommended Propagation Strategy

Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch' Fruit

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Fruit Description

Black ornamental berries persist throughout winter for cool season interest.

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Fruit Type

Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Fruit Color

grass
Black

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Display/Harvest Time

Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Fruit Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Leaves

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Description

It has soft-textured, glossy green leaves that have an interesting silver mid-vein.

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Color

spa
Green

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Type

Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Arrangement

Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': Leaf Margin

Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Hairs Present

No
Yes

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Length

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Feel

Fleshy
Glossy
Leathery
Papery
Prickly
Rough
Rubbery
Slippery
Smooth
Soft
Velvety
Waxy

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Leaf Width

< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Whole Plant Traits

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics

Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': Growth Rate

Slow
Medium
Rapid

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Maintenance

Low
Medium
High

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Texture

Fine
Medium
Coarse

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Cultural Conditions

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': Soil pH

Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Soil Drainage

Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': NC Region

Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

thermostat
5a
thermostat
5b
thermostat
6a
thermostat
6b
thermostat
7a
thermostat
7b
thermostat
8a
thermostat
8b
thermostat
9a
thermostat
9b

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Soil Texture

Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Flowers

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Flower Color

filter_vintage
Cream/Tan
filter_vintage
White

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Flower Bloom Time

Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Flower Petals

2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Flower Size

1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Stem

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Stem Color

grass
Brown/Copper
grass
Gray/Silver
grass
Green

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Stem Is Aromatic

No
Yes

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Stem Surface

Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': Stem Form

Straight
Zig Zags

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch' Landscape

Ilex crenata 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': 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 'Soft Touch': Attracts

Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees