How To Trim Palatka Hollies

Q: I know Palatka hollies “want” to grow high but can you trim them to be more like a hedge? 

A: ‘Palatka’ holly is a handsome columnar holly that usually tops out at 35 feet tall. After pruning, sprouts will continuously pop up, reaching for the expected height. But don’t let that discourage you! Red maple trees “want” to be 60 feet tall, but last year I saw an exquisite two-foot-tall, fifty-year-old red maple at a bonsai exhibit. If you don’t mind trimming regularly, you can keep the hollies at any size you like.