holly berry tree and holly berry bush

Question

Is there a difference between a holly berry tree and a holly berry bush? When I purchased my house, there was a holly berry tree right next to it that grew and produced berries. It was beautiful; however, the tree was too close to the house, actually touching it. I wanted to have it moved but everyone I contacted said there had to be six feet between the tree and the house to move it. About three years ago, I had it cut down and purchased a new holly berry tree. This new one does not seem to take on the form of a tree but looks more like a bush. It does produce berries in the winter. Should I just wait for it to grow more?

Answer 1

Do you know which variety of holly you have? How long is the trunk from the ground to the start of the branches? How tall is it right now? It is possible that the holly you bought was intended as a shrub, not a tree – or maybe it just got overgrown to the point it looks more like a shrub. Regardless, you can prune your holly into a tree through a process called “arborization” or “limbing up”, which is explained in the following article:

http://homeguides.sfgate.com/can-prune-holly-bushes-bottom-57466.html

Before you start the “limbing up” process you are definitely going to want to take into account the trunk length and the height. There is no exact science to pruning it like a tree, it’s almost like an art form. You may opt to wait for further growth before getting out the pruning shears.

https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/shrubs/holly/trimming-holly-bushes-how-to-prune-holly-bushes.htm
Please let us know if you have any other gardening questions and happy gardening!