It is slow-growing and may reach only 3 feet high and a foot wide in 10 years. Grow this columnar Japanese holly in full sun or part shade in well-drained soil.

WHAT: The Sky Pencil variety of ilex crenata is a narrow columnar Japanese holly that has dark, lustrous evergreen foliage. In the fall, it produces purple berries that attract birds.

You may want to consider other evergreens that have a columnar form, like sky pencil holly or columnar Japanese yew. For more plant suggestions, contact the Marion County Master Gardeners at 671-8400.

Japanese holly (I. crenata): Evergreen shrub or small tree growing from 1 to 15 feet tall. Leaves are deep green and small, with dense growth more similar to a boxwood than a holly.

A: North Central Florida climate can be a little tricky for Japanese maples, and that's why variety selection and finding the right spot in the landscape is critical for success.

Empty pots — or worse, pots filled with dead plants from this summer — are not a good look. The time is right to fill those pots with colorful plants before it gets too cold.

If pollinated, its flowers develop into black fruits. columnar Japanese holly is the perfect accent plant for setting off shrubs with rounded forms and larger leaves.