Holly trees??

Hort101

Iv had holly tree in my front garden for many years now. it seems to me that it has not grown in the past 2 or 3 years. the holly tree next to it is growing very strongly. they are in a very sheltered area, would it be ok to move the smaller tree to a different area to see if there is any growth?? will this stunt the tree or even kill it??

Also, there are i total of 4 holly trees around the house. none of which, have ever produced berry's. i understand they are Dioecious plants. how will i know the male from the female at this time of year??

looksee

I would not attempt to move it. You could disturb the one that is doing well beside it, and my experience has been that if a tree has become stunted for any reason, it does not usually suddenly start growing if you move it.

It may be in a patch of poor soil or have hit something that is restricting its growth.

Holly trees do take quite a long number of years before they start producing berries - something like seven or ten. I have one that has only started to berry in the last three or so years and each year it has a few more berries, but the birds always get them before Christmas!

Hort101

Is there any signs for female and male trees?? as in, how do you tell them apart if the person who planted them there has no idea what he was planting and didn't know the male from the female.. I don't even know if there is a male beside i female..

looksee

Have there been any flowers? They are very tiny and insignificant, early spring - over the next month I would think. You would need to find pics on google images and compare them. It could be that you have all male trees, but unless you know the varieties its pretty impossible to tell, except by looking at the flowers.

If there are some female trees the male trees don't have to be particularly close - I have a male tree at the front of the front garden and the female tree at the end of the back garden, with a fairly solid barrier of house between them. There are so many jokes...