holly bush

Question

Recently purchased this house with a large holly bush. Noticed that bush has leaves and berries on the outside only, with no growth on the inside. Does not look as though the bush was ever pruned. I do not know what type it is, and do not want to kill it by incorrectly trimming. Do I need to cut some holes in the bush to allow light to access the inner bush?

Could use some advice.
Thank you

Answer 1

You are probably correct that the interior of the bush cannot access enough light. Pruning some of the branches back will help with this. Here are some articles that will guide you:

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/holly/trimming-holly-bushes-how-to-prune-holly-bushes.htm

https://pubs.ext.vt.edu/430/430-459/430-459.html

This article provides a lot more detail that applies to hollies as well as other shrubs:

http://extension.uga.edu/publications/detail.html?number=B949