The Needlepoint Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’) is a tough, handsome evergreen prized for its lustrous, dark-green foliage and bright red winter berries. Each glossy, slightly twisting leaf ends in a single sharp spine, the needlepoint that gives it its name, forming a dense, upright shrub that looks sharp in every season. Small fragrant white flowers in spring give way to a heavy crop of red berries that ripen in fall and hold through winter, lighting up the garden and feeding the birds. As a result, heat- and drought-tough and easy to shear, the Needlepoint Holly is a go-to for hedges, screens, and foundation plantings.

Why Grow a Needlepoint Holly?

Year-round good looks – glossy, dark-green evergreen foliage with bright red berries from fall into winter.
Fast, dense screening – upright, bushy growth shears beautifully into a hedge, screen, or foundation planting.
Tough & low-maintenance – also heat-, drought-, and pollution-tolerant, plus moderately salt-tolerant for coastal gardens.
Wildlife-friendly & deer-resistant – spring flowers feed bees, winter berries feed birds, and the spiny leaves keep deer away.
Versatile form – especially flexible, since you can grow it as a shrub, a barrier or security hedge, or limb it up into a small specimen tree.

Looking for more evergreen structure and screening plants? Browse our Shrubs & Bushes and Trees collections.

Plant Specifications at a Glance

Botanical name: Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’ (Needlepoint Chinese holly)
Plant type: Broadleaf evergreen shrub or small tree (upright, pyramidal)
Plant family: Aquifoliaceae (the holly family)
Mature size: about 10–15 feet tall and 8–12 feet wide (easily kept smaller with shearing)
Foliage: Lustrous, dark-green leaves, each tipped with a single sharp spine
Flowers & berries: Fragrant white spring flowers followed by bright red berries that persist through winter
Notable traits: Heat-, drought-, and salt-tolerant; deer-resistant; bird- and pollinator-friendly
Cold Hardiness Zones: 7–9

Needlepoint Holly Care & Growing Guide

This is an easy, durable evergreen. Follow these guidelines:

Sunlight: Full sun to partial shade. Specifically, more sun means denser foliage and a heavier berry crop, while a little afternoon shade helps in very hot climates.
Water: Water weekly through the first growing season to establish a strong root system, and more often in extreme heat. Once mature, it is quite drought-tolerant and needs only occasional watering.
Soil: Adapts to almost any soil, though it prefers rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic ground. However, avoid soggy sites.
Cold Hardiness Zone: 7–9. In addition, shelter it from harsh, drying winter winds, especially while young.
Pruning: Shears very well once established, so trim in late winter to shape it or keep it to size. However, wear gloves, since the leaf tips are sharp.

Good to know: like other hollies, the bright red berries are mildly toxic to people and pets if eaten in quantity. Therefore, plant accordingly and keep them out of reach of curious children and animals.

Ways to Use Needlepoint Holly in the Landscape

This spiny, berried evergreen excels at structure and security. Popular uses for the Needlepoint Holly include:

Evergreen privacy hedge or screen
Also foundation plantings and spiny barrier / security hedges
Specimen shrub or limbed-up small tree
Similarly, mass plantings, banks, and slopes
Coastal and cottage gardens, plus winter interest and holiday greenery

It pairs well with other evergreen structure plants. For example, gardeners often combine it with the tidy Japanese Boxwood, the native Wax Myrtle, or the compact Little Giant Arborvitae.

What You’ll Receive

These are live Needlepoint Holly starter plants, grown and shipped by Carlo’s Plant Farm. Each plant is less than 12 inches tall when we ship it. The listing photos show mature plants of the same species. That way, you can see how yours will look as they grow. Finally, choose your preferred bundle size using the options above.

Also, due to different state laws, we reserve the right to charge extra fees where necessary to comply.

Ordering, Shipping & Returns

Every order ships free and is insured against loss or damage in transit. For full details on how we pack and send your plants, processing and delivery times, and what to do in the rare case of a problem, please review our Shipping Policy and Terms & Conditions before purchasing. By placing an order, you agree to those terms.

Needlepoint Holly FAQ

Growing & Care Questions

What is a Needlepoint Holly?

It is a tough, handsome evergreen, Ilex cornuta Needlepoint, prized for lustrous dark-green foliage and bright red winter berries. Notably, each glossy leaf ends in a single sharp spine, the needlepoint that gives the plant its name.

Does the Needlepoint Holly get berries?

Yes, a heavy crop. Small fragrant white flowers appear in spring. Then they give way to bright red berries that ripen in fall and hold through winter, lighting up the garden and feeding the birds.

How big does the Needlepoint Holly get?

It reaches about 10 to 15 feet tall and 8 to 12 feet wide, in an upright form. However, because it shears so well, you can easily keep it much smaller as a hedge.

How far apart should I plant it for a hedge?

For a privacy or barrier hedge, space plants about 4 to 5 feet apart. That spacing lets the upright, bushy growth knit into a dense, continuous screen.

How much sun does the Needlepoint Holly need?

It grows in full sun to partial shade. Specifically, more sun means denser foliage and a heavier berry crop, though a little afternoon shade helps in very hot climates.

Safety, Hardiness & Shipping Questions

How often should I water it?

Water weekly through the first growing season to establish a strong root system, and more often in extreme heat. Once mature, it is quite drought-tolerant and needs only occasional watering.

What growing zones is it suited for?

It is hardy in USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 7 to 9. However, shelter it from harsh, drying winter winds, especially while it is young.

How and when should I prune the Needlepoint Holly?

It shears very well once established, so trim in late winter to shape it or keep it to size. Importantly, wear gloves, since the leaf tips are sharp.

Are the holly berries toxic?

Yes, use care. Like other hollies, the bright red berries are mildly toxic to people and pets if eaten in quantity. Therefore, plant accordingly and keep them out of reach of curious children and animals.

What size plants will I receive?

You will receive live Needlepoint Holly starter plants. Each one is under 12 inches tall at shipping, grown and shipped by Carlo’s Plant Farm. The listing photos show mature plants of the same species. So you can see how yours will look as they grow. Finally, choose your bundle size using the options above.

Ilex cornuta 'Needlepoint' Chinese holly glossy spine-tipped leaves and red berries

Needlepoint holly evergreen shrub with red berries

Click to enlarge

Needlepoint Chinese holly dark green spiny foliage

Ilex cornuta Needlepoint holly hedge plant

Needlepoint holly bright red winter berries close-up

Carlos Plant Farm

Ilex ‘Needlepoint’ – Ilex cornuta (Needlepoint Chinese Holly, Live Starter Plant)

Price range: $33.79 through $178.32

Add year-round structure and color with a live Needlepoint Holly (Ilex cornuta ‘Needlepoint’). This upright evergreen has lustrous, dark-green leaves — each tipped with a single sharp spine — plus fragrant white spring flowers and bright red berries that hold through winter. Grows about 10–15 feet tall and shears beautifully into a hedge, screen, or foundation planting. Heat-, drought-, and salt-tolerant, deer-resistant, and loved by birds and bees. Shipped as a healthy live starter plant (under 12 inches tall) by Carlos Plant Farm. Cold hardy in USDA zones 7–9; berries are mildly toxic if eaten.

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