Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly

Light Needs

Part Sun to Full Sun

(5+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

12-18 Inches

Mature Spread

12-18 Inches

Growing Zones

6 to 8

Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly creates a clear yellow evergreen mound with very fine texture. Ilex crenata 'ANNYS1' stays compact at about 1 to 1.5 feet tall and wide, making it one of the smallest hollies available on the market. The glossy yellow foliage holds its color year-round and has good burn resistance, especially compared with many gold-leaved shrubs. We like using these in garden planters because of the year-round color and interest.

This Proven Winners® ColorChoice® selection has a naturally dense, rounded habit that rarely needs much shaping. Spring flowers are small and white, though the foliage is the feature customers notice most. This low-maintenance shrub is also salt tolerant and heat tolerant, making it perfect to plant between the sidewalk and street (aka the hellstrip). Plant it in edging, rock gardens, small foundation beds, mixed borders, containers, garden railways, or low mass plantings where compact evergreen color is needed.

Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly Care

Plant Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly in full sun to part sun, with at least some direct light for the richest gold foliage. It grows best in moist, well-drained soil with good organic content. Acidic soil is preferred, and alkaline soil may cause chlorosis, which appears as unhealthy yellowing instead of the plant’s normal clear gold color.

Water thoroughly after planting, then maintain steady moisture while roots expand into the surrounding soil. This holly does not perform well in drought, so water during dry weather before the root zone becomes fully dry. Fertilize in spring with a slow-release fertilizer for acid-loving shrubs if growth is light. Mulch lightly around the plant to conserve moisture, keeping mulch away from the crown.

Prune Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly in late winter or early spring only when shaping is needed. Its dwarf habit usually stays neat with little trimming, but small tip cuts can refine edging or container plantings. In exposed colder sites, add winter mulch and choose a sheltered location to reduce winter drying.

Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly Spacing

Space Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly 12 to 18 inches apart for edging, low mass plantings, or a connected border. Allow 18 to 24 inches between plants when you want each mound to remain separate. For containers, choose a pot at least 10 to 12 inches wide with drainage holes, and use a well-drained potting mix blended for shrubs.

In part-sun foundation beds, combine Brass Buckle® Japanese Holly with pieris shrubs and leucothoe, evergreens which share an appreciation for acidic soil. Use hellebores to provide blooms in late winter while the holly’s yellow foliage keeps the lower layer colorful. For containers, add impatiens or dead nettle around the edge in bright shade and keep moisture consistent.

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