Holly bush health

Question

We recently moved a potted holly bush to our new house where we plan to plant it in the ground (we live in southern Illinois). It sat on the south side of our house for a few hot days before we realized that the leaves had turned brittle so we put it in a partly shaded area of our backyard. The leaves have continued to turn brown and fall off. Will it be able to survive?

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Answer 1

Your plant looks pretty tough.

It was likely stressed from the transplant and may not have received enough water.
Do the stems bend or break and snap off?

You can also do the bark scratch test to determine if the plant is still alive.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/trees/tgen/tree-scratch-test.htm