Ilex opaca 'Maryland Dwarf' (Dwarf American Holly)

Ilex opaca 'Maryland Dwarf,' occasionally called Maryland Spreader, is a unique female cultivar of American holly with moderate red berry production through the fall and winter. Although 'Maryland Dwarf' is a cultivar of Ilex opaca, which is usually capable of reaching heights of up to 50' tall, the spreading variety instead slowly crawls along the ground, reaching a maximum height of only three feet while it spreads outward, occasionally up to a 10' diameter. 'Maryland Dwarf' is noted for its slow, mounded spreading growth habit and dark, lustrous green leaves, which typically have far fewer spines than upright American holly.

As with typical American holly, 'Maryland Dwarf' grows best in full sun to part-shade and in moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic soils. Male plants are required to produce the telltale red holly berries, but even without berries, 'Maryland Dwarf' is an excellent choice for groundcover, accent planting, or mixing with other evergreens plants.