Needlepoint Holly

Grow a Privacy Screen Fast: Needlepoint Holy Grows up to 3 Feet per Year!

Enjoy year-round color, privacy, and even red berries for local birds

• Fast-growing at up to 3 ft. per year and reaches 10 to 15 ft. tall & 5 to 10 ft. wide at maturity.
• Glossy, narrow evergreen leaves with a distinctive twisted form provide dense, year-round structure.
• Bright red berries ripen in fall and persist through winter, drawing birds and providing bold color contrast against dark green foliage.
• Produces berries reliably without needing a separate male plant nearby.
• Hardy in USDA Zones 7–9; heat and drought tolerant once established with minimal pruning required.

The Needlepoint Holly (Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint') is a fast-growing, evergreen shrub known for its glossy green foliage, red winter berries, and reliable performance as a privacy hedge or foundation plant. The Needlepoint Holly hedge is a favorite year-round shrub known for its delicate, long narrow, twisted evergreen leaves. The smooth texture of the leaves has a single spine at the tip and heavily produces small creamy white flowers during the spring that later become bright red berries in the middle of fall. The beautiful red fruit attracts birds and lasts through winter. Use this evergreen bush as a statement piece in your yard because of the contrasting red berries to the dark green foliage.

Why Do Gardeners Choose the Needelpoint Holly?

Fast Growing Beauty: At up to 3 feet of growth per year, Needlepoint Holly closes in on a mature privacy screen significantly faster than most evergreen alternatives. At full size, 10 to 15 feet tall and 5 to 10 feet wide, it creates a substantial, dense barrier that works as a screen, windbreak, border, or large foundation planting. 

Red Berries In the Winter: Small creamy white flowers appear in spring and develop through the season into the bright red berries that make fall and winter plantings of Needlepoint Holly so striking. The berries hold on the plant through the colder months just long enough to attract birds reliably and provide visual interest well into the new year. 

Distinctive Foliage Texture Year-Round. The narrow, slightly twisted leaves with their single terminal spine give Needlepoint a more refined and unusual appearance than typical broad-leaf hollies. The glossy surface catches light well, and the dense branching habit means the plant looks full and intentional from every angle.

Needlepoint Holly Care Guide

• Plant in full sun to partial shade. More sun supports denser growth, heavier berry production, and the fastest annual increase in height.
• Prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil; amend native soil at planting if needed to improve drainage as all hollies respond well to slightly acidic conditions.
• Water consistently through the first growing season to establish the root system. Once settled in, Needlepoint handles heat and drought with solid tolerance
• Mulch over the root zone to retain moisture during the growing season, particularly through the first summer after planting
• Trim only to maintain the shape and size that suits your landscape. The natural form is attractive and tidy without regular intervention.

Pro-Gardener Tip: For hedging, plant in a row and allow the fast growth rate to do the work; little else is needed once the plants are established and pushing seasonal growth.

Why Buy Needlepoint Holly Online from Perfect Plants?

When you buy from Perfect Plants, you're getting more than just a plant—you're investing in over 40 years of expert care. Our family-run Florida farm has been growing top-quality plants since 1980, under full sun and handled by skilled growers who know what they're doing.

Shop our Needlepoint Holly for sale today! For more variety in finding your perfect plant, check out all our Holly shrubs for sale.