Question: I have some Japanese hollies, also blue hollies, that just don’t grow very well. What can I do to speed them along?

Answer: Those aren’t adapted very well to Texas conditions. While they’ll hold their own in Northeast Texas, elsewhere they will be very slow. Since they’re better adapted to the North, all of these varieties will need sun in early morning, then shade the rest of the day. If you ever replace them, try some of the other, better-adapted, hollies. For the record, American holly varieties, also Savannah holly will have trouble west of the favorable soils of East Texas.